National Oceans Protection Act of 2009
Latest action · Apr 22, 2009 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedApr 22, 2009
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
National Oceans Protection Act of 2009 - Declares that the purpose of this Act is to secure the full range of benefits of healthy ocean and Great Lakes ecosystems.
Establishes a national ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes policy and related principles. Requires each federal agency, as possible and in accordance with other laws, to interpret and administer policies, regulations, and laws in accordance with such policy.
Ernest "Fritz" Hollings National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act - Formally establishes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a civilian agency and transfers to NOAA's administrator any NOAA-related authority previously vested in the Secretary of Commerce.
Establishes: (1) a National Ocean Advisor and a Council on Ocean Stewardship in the Executive Office of the President; and (2) a Presidential Panel of Advisers on Oceans and Climate.
Designates nine ocean regions to promote coordinated regional efforts to implement the national ocean policy. Requires the NOAA Administrator to establish or designate a Regional Ocean Partnership for each region and requires each Partnership to prepare a Regional Ocean Strategic Plan.
Establishes: (1) the Committee on Ocean Science, Education, and Operations; (2) a marine biodiversity research program; (3) a network of regional Ocean Ecosystem Resource Information Systems; (4) a national interagency ocean and coastal public education program; (5) the National Ocean Science and Technology Scholarship Program; (6) the NOAA Office of Education; and (7) an educational partnership with minority-serving institutions.
Requires a national mass media campaign to increase public awareness of oceans.
Establishes the Ocean and Great Lakes Conservation Trust Fund.
Requires payments to coastal states for Regional Ocean Strategic Plan activities.
Authoirzes the United States Postal Service (USPS) to consider printing a special postage stamp to enable the public to help protect, maintain, and restore marine ecosystems.
Cosponsors 4
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Apr 22, 2009.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MD | Benjamin L. Cardin | Original | Apr 22, 2009 |
| D-MI | Carl Levin | Original | Apr 22, 2009 |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Original | Apr 22, 2009 |
| D-RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | Original | Apr 22, 2009 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Referred Apr 22, 2009 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 22, 2009Introduced in Senate
- Apr 22, 2009Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
CRS reports 2
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 2
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R47636 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): Organization Overview and Issues for Congress | Report | Mar 4, 2025 |
| RL33603 | Ocean Commissions: Ocean Policy Review and Outlook Archived | Report | Jul 20, 2010 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to protect the oceans and Great Lakes, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- National Oceans Protection Act of 2009
- Short Titles as Introduced for portions of this bill
- Ernest "Fritz" Hollings National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Advisory bodies
- Atmospheric science and weather
- Climate change and greenhouse gases
- Department of Commerce
- Ecology
- Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
- Executive agency funding and structure
- Executive Office of the President
- Federal officials
- Government information and archives
- Government trust funds
- Great Lakes
- International organizations and cooperation
- Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
- Minority education
- Postal service
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Science and engineering education
- Student aid and college costs
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Apr 22, 2009Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
