National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2021
Latest action · Jul 5, 2021 Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
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 28, 2021
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2021
This bill addresses sexual harassment and sexual assault involving personnel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The bill specifies that NOAA's sexual harassment prevention and response policy applies to personnel such as observers, at-sea monitors, and voting members and staff of regional fishery management councils.
It also requires victim advocates at NOAA to be full-time employees whose sole job is advocacy for survivors rather than a volunteer collateral duty of an existing employee.
Additionally, the bill expands reporting requirements on sexual harassment, sexual assault, and equal opportunity employment.
The bill also provides for a restricted reporting structure that allows survivors of sexual assault to receive services without triggering an investigative process.
The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations within NOAA must develop and implement a policy to report to the Coast Guard Suspension and Revocation National Center of Expertise the names of NOAA personnel who are under investigation for an offense detrimental to good discipline and safety at sea, such as sexual harassment or sexual assault or any other offense for which suspension or revocation of a merchant mariner credential is either mandatory or sought.
Further, the bill removes the requirements that acts of assault, resistance, opposition, intimidation, sexual harassment, bribery, or interference with a fishery observer be forcible in nature and occur on a vessel to be unlawful.
Cosponsors 3
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Apr 28, 2021.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-AK | Don Young | Original | Apr 28, 2021 |
| D-CA | Jared Huffman | Original | Apr 28, 2021 |
| R-PR | Jenniffer González-Colón | Original | Apr 28, 2021 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 5, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
- Apr 28, 2021Introduced in House
- Apr 28, 2021Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 4690 | Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act of 2022 | Related bill | Dec 30, 2022 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources.
- Assault and harassment offenses
- Atmospheric science and weather
- Congressional oversight
- Crime prevention
- Crime victims
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Department of Commerce
- Employment discrimination and employee rights
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government studies and investigations
- Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
- Marine and inland water transportation
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Right of privacy
- Sex offenses
- Transportation safety and security
- Worker safety and health
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Apr 28, 2021Introduced in House
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.