Bill > HR6987

This bill establishes programs to reduce the impacts of vessel traffic and underwater noise on marine mammals. Key provisions include: 1. Maintaining and expanding an ocean soundscape development program to monitor and analyze underwater sound to protect and manage marine life. This includes providing grants to deploy observing and data management systems and developing standardized measurements of underwater sound. 2. Establishing a grant program for seaports to develop and implement measures that reduce threats and enhance habitats of marine mammals, such as reducing underwater stressors from vessel traffic, reducing vessel strike mortality, and enhancing marine mammal habitats. 3. Designing and deploying a near real-time monitoring and mitigation program for large whales to reduce the risk of vessel collisions and other impacts, starting with a pilot project focused on North Atlantic right whales. 4. Establishing a grant program to provide assistance for the development and implementation of new or improved technologies that quantifiably reduce underwater noise from marine vessels. 5. Requiring an assessment of existing non-classified naval technologies that reduce underwater noise and evaluating the feasibility of incorporating such technologies in the design, procurement, and construction of non-combatant U.S. government vessels.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6987/all-info