Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act
Latest action · Dec 17, 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.
- IntroducedDec 7, 2021
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act
This bill designates an ancient cypress forest in the Gulf of Mexico as the Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972.
In the sanctuary, the following activities are prohibited:
- cutting, removing, or any kind of subsurface salvage of the cypress trees;
- lowering certain devices (e.g., dredging) below the surface of the water;
- detonating explosives below the surface of the water;
- drilling or coring the seabed; and
- lowering, laying, positioning, or raising any type of seabed cable or cable-laying device.
However, the prohibitions do not apply to
- fishing, diving, mooring, or similar recreational or commercial activities;
- necessary operations of public vessels;
- construction or placement of artificial reef structures for the purpose of enhancing fishery resources, fishing opportunities, or recreational diving opportunities;
- exploration, development, or production of oil or gas projects authorized before this bill's enactment; and
- certain other activities authorized by the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must develop a comprehensive management plan for the sanctuary. NOAA must also establish an advisory council for the sanctuary.
Cosponsors 8
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Dec 7, 2021 to Aug 19, 2022; 4 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-LA | Garret Graves | Original | Dec 7, 2021 |
| R-AL | Mike Rogers | Original | Dec 7, 2021 |
| R-AL | Mo Brooks | Original | Dec 7, 2021 |
| R-VA | Robert J. Wittman | Original | Dec 7, 2021 |
| R-AL | Barry Moore | Jul 11, 2022 | |
| D-AL | Terri A. Sewell | Jul 15, 2022 | |
| D-CA | Ted Lieu | Jul 19, 2022 | |
| D-MA | Seth Moulton | Aug 19, 2022 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Natural Resources Committee | Referred Dec 7, 2021 |
| Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee | Referred Dec 17, 2021 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 17, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
- Dec 7, 2021Introduced in House
- Dec 7, 2021Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
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.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 211, December 7, 2021, page H7262.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 897 | Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act | Reintroduced Bill | Jul 9, 2024 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To provide for the establishment of the Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Environmental Protection.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Advisory bodies
- Alabama
- Aquatic ecology
- Department of Commerce
- Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
- Environmental education
- Environmental Protection
- Environmental regulatory procedures
- Forests, forestry, trees
- Government information and archives
- Gulf of Mexico
- Historic sites and heritage areas
- Hunting and fishing
- Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
- Marine and inland water transportation
- Outdoor recreation
- Parks, recreation areas, trails
- Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Dec 7, 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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
