S. 2802: Marine Mammal Research and Response Act of 2019

116th Congress

A bill to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to reauthorize and modify the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Grant Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen. Maria Cantwell — D — WA

Reauthorizes and amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. The bill authorizes the appropriation of $8.5 million annually over the 2020-2025 period for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to carry out activities to improve marine mammal research and improve responses to emergency events involving marine mammals. Of that amount, $7.5 million would be for NOAA, in coordination with the Department of the Interior, to carry out the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Program. That program makes grants to specific public and private entities for the purposes of rescuing and rehabilitating marine mammals that are stranded on land. The other authorizations would be for NOAA to archive selected marine mammal tissues, compensate individuals who respond to emergencies involving large and unexpected die-offs in marine mammal populations, create and maintain a publicly accessible national system to monitor marine mammal health, and comply with other administrative requirements.

View the full vote history of this bill on GovTrack.us.