Bill > HR5957

This bill aims to reduce risks to marine mammals in several ways: 1. It requires the Secretary of Commerce to designate areas of importance for marine mammals and establish mandatory vessel speed restrictions in those areas to reduce vessel strikes and other vessel-related impacts. The Secretary must also implement dynamic management area programs to protect marine mammals outside of designated areas. 2. It directs the Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to maintain and expand an Ocean Noise Reference Station Network to monitor and analyze underwater soundscapes to protect and manage marine life. 3. It establishes a grant program for up to 10 seaports to develop and implement mitigation measures that will reduce threats to marine mammals from shipping activities and port operations. 4. It requires the establishment of a near real-time monitoring and mitigation program for large whales, starting with a pilot program for North Atlantic right whales, to detect and alert ocean users about whale locations and inform mitigation protocols. 5. It creates a grant program to provide assistance for the development and implementation of new or improved technologies that reduce underwater noise from marine vessels. 6. It requires an assessment of existing technologies to reduce underwater noise from non-military vessels of the U.S. government. The overall goal of the bill is to utilize various methods, including vessel speed restrictions, noise monitoring, port mitigation, and technology development, to protect marine mammals from the impacts of human activities in the marine environment.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5957/all-info