,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bibc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #ae1 #bjag,mr4 
,graves of ,louisiana 7for himself1 ,mr4
 ,palazzo1 and ,mr4 ,richmond7          
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,transportation and ,infrastructure1 and
 in addition to the ,committees on      
,natural ,resources1 and ,science1      
,space1 and ,technology1 for a period to
 be subsequently determined by the      
,speaker1 in each case for consideration
 of such provisions as fall within the  
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to designate the ,gulf of   
,mexico ,alliance as a regional         
coordination partnership of ,federal and
 ,state actions related to the          
management of the ,gulf of ,mexico      
ecosystem1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,gulf ,states ,coordination ,act4   
#b4 ,sense of ,congress and purposes    
7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense

 of ,congress that the ,united ,states  
should seek to attain coordination of   
the regional conservation and           
restoration efforts for the ,gulf of    
,mexico in order to facilitate the      
continued economic uses of the ,gulf of 
,mexico for the benefit of the people of
 the ,united ,states1 to reduce         
duplication of efforts1 and to maximize 
efficiencies1 through a collaborative   
regional effort through the ,gulf of    
,mexico ,alliance in consultation with  
,federal agencies and ,state and local  
authorities4  7b7 ,purposes ,the        
purposes of this ,act are the following3
 7#a7 ,to expand and strengthen         
cooperative voluntary efforts to        
conserve and restore the ,gulf of       
,mexico and maintain its highly         
productive multiple uses4  7#b7 ,to     
recognize and enable the ,gulf of       
,mexico ,alliance as a lead coordinator 
of ,federal and ,state authorities with 
other voluntary efforts for the         
collaborative management of the ,gulf of

 ,mexico and to coordinate such         
management with ,mexico4  7#c7 ,to      
enable the ,gulf of ,mexico ,alliance to
 receive ,federal funding through an    
appropriation to conduct the necessary  
scientific research and conservation and
 restoration management to achieve these
 purposes4  #c4 ,gulf ,states protection
 and restoration coordination  7a7      
,designation as a regional coordination 
partnership  7#a7 ,designation ,the     
,gulf of ,mexico ,alliance is designated
 as a regional coordination partnership 
of ,federal and ,state actions related  
to the management of the ,gulf of       
,mexico ecosystem4  7#b7 ,location ,the 
,gulf of ,mexico ,alliance shall be     
located in a ,state all1 or a portion of
 the coastline1 of which is on the ,gulf
 of ,mexico4  7#c7 ,functions ,the ,gulf
 of ,mexico ,alliance may-- 7,a7 promote
 coordination of the actions of ,state  
agencies in the ,states that border the 
,gulf of ,mexico and other authorities  
with the actions of the appropriate     

officials of the ,federal agencies1     
local authorities1 and representatives  
of key regional industries in the ,gulf 
of ,mexico region in developing         
strategies--  7i7 to improve the water  
quality1 protect living resources1      
increase valuable habitats1 and enhance 
coastal resilience in the ,gulf of      
,mexico ecosystem2 and  7ii7 to obtain  
the support of appropriate officials2   
7,b7 in cooperation and consultation    
with appropriate ,federal1 ,state1 and  
local authorities1 and industry         
representatives1 develop and implement  
specific action plans to carry out the  
,gulf of ,mexico ,alliance regional     
coordination goals2  7,c7 coordinate and
 implement plans and projects1 and      
facilitate science1 research1 modeling1 
monitoring1 data collection1 and other  
activities1 that support the ,gulf of   
,mexico ,alliance's goals through the   
provision of grants under subsection    
7c72  7,d7 implement outreach programs  
for public information1 education1 and  

participation to foster stewardship of  
the resources of the ,gulf of ,mexico2  
7,e7 develop and make available1 through
 publications1 technical assistance1 and
 other appropriate means1 information   
pertaining to the environmental quality 
and living resources of the ,gulf of    
,mexico ecosystem2  7,f7 serve as the   
liaison with1 and provide information   
to1 the ,mexican members of the ,gulf of
 ,mexico ,states ,accord and ,mexican   
counterparts2 and  7,g7 focus the       
efforts and resources of the ,gulf of   
,mexico ,alliance on activities that    
will result in measurable improvements  
to water quality and living resources of
 the ,gulf of ,mexico ecosystem by      
coordinating protection and restoration 
programs to minimize duplication and    
maximize leveraging opportunities4  7b7 
,grants  7#a7 ,in general ,the ,gulf of 
,mexico ,alliance may provide grants to 
nonprofit organizations1 ,state and     
local governments1 colleges1            
universities1 interstate agencies1 and  

individuals to carry out this section   
for use in--  7,a7 monitoring the water 
quality and living resources of the     
,gulf of ,mexico ecosystem2  7,b7       
researching the effects of natural and  
human-induced environmental changes on  
the water quality and living resources  
of the ,gulf of ,mexico ecosystem2  7,c7
 developing and executing cooperative   
strategies that address the water       
quality1 coastal resilience1 and living 
resource needs in the ,gulf of ,mexico  
ecosystem2  7,d7 developing and         
implementing locally based protection   
and restoration programs or projects    
within a watershed that complement such 
strategies1 including the creation1     
restoration1 protection1 or enhancement 
of habitat associated with the ,gulf of 
,mexico ecosystem2 and  7,e7 eliminating
 or reducing nonpoint sources that      
discharge pollutants that contaminate   
the ,gulf of ,mexico ecosystem1         
including activities to eliminate       
leaking septic systems and construct    

connections to local sewage systems4    
7#b7 ,administrative costs              
,administrative costs in the form of    
salaries1 overhead1 or indirect costs   
for services provided and charged       
against programs or projects carried out
 using funds made available through a   
grant under this subsection shall not   
exceed #be percent of the amount of the 
grant4  7c7 ,limitation on regulatory   
authority ,nothing in this section      
establishes any new legal or regulatory 
authority of the ,gulf of ,mexico       
,alliance1 itself1 other than the       
authority to provide grants in          
accordance with this section4  7d7      
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,gulf of ,mexico ,alliance ,the term    
,gulf of ,mexico ,alliance means the    
formal collaborative organization of    
,federal1 ,state1 local1 and private    
participants established by the #e ,gulf
 ,states in #bjjd as a non-regulatory1  
inclusive network of partners to provide
 a broad geographic focus on the primary

 environmental issues affecting the     
,gulf of ,mexico4  7#b7 ,gulf of ,mexico
 ecosystem ,the term ,gulf of ,mexico   
ecosystem means the ecosystem of the    
,gulf of ,mexico and its watershed4  #d4
 ,general provisions  7a7 ,gifts and    
transfers to ,gulf ,coast ,ecosystem    
,restoration ,council ,section          
#caa7t77#b77;,e7 of the ,federal ,water 
,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 
#acba7t77#b77;,e77 is amended by adding 
at the end the following3  7iii7 ,gifts 
and transfers2 separate fund  7,i7 ,in  
general ,subject to subclause 7,,ii71   
the ,council may accept1 hold1          
administer1 and utilize for the purpose 
of aiding or facilitating the work and  
operations of the ,council--  7aa7      
gifts1 donations1 and bequests from any 
individual or entity2 and  7bb7         
transfers from ,federal and ,state      
agencies of funds1 goods1 services1 and 
personal and real property4  7,,ii7     
,treatment ,any funds accepted by the   
,council or transferred to the ,council 

under this clause shall-- 7aa7 remain   
available until expended2  7bb7 be      
deposited in the ,treasury in a separate
 fund2 and  7cc7 be disbursed upon order
 by the ,council4  4  7b7 ,borrowing    
authority ,section #afjb of the         
,resources and ,ecosystems              
,sustainability1 ,tourist               
,opportunities1 and ,revived ,economies 
of the ,gulf ,coast ,states ,act of     
#bjab 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acba note7 is     
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  7g7 ,borrowing authority    
7#a7 ,in general ,to aid and facilitate 
the purposes of this subtitle and the   
amendments made by this subtitle1 and   
subject to the terms and conditions of  
this subsection1 the ,secretary of the  
,treasury 7referred to in this          
subsection as the ,secretary7 and the   
,gulf ,coast ,ecosystem ,restoration    
,council 7referred to in this subsection
 as the ,council7 may each--  7,a7      
borrow money from any source2 and  7,b7 
issue and sell notes1 bonds1            

obligations1 and other instruments of   
indebtedness4  7#b7 ,terms and          
conditions ,each instrument of          
indebtedness issued under this          
subsection shall have a term1 bear an   
interest rate1 and contain other terms  
and conditions as may determined by the 
party issuing the instrument4  7#c7     
,limitations on amounts ,the aggregate  
of the principal of funds borrowed under
 this subsection and interest payable   
thereon may not exceed--  7,a7 as to the
 ,secretary1 #ce percent of the         
aggregate amounts paid or payable into  
the ,trust ,fund from any source over   
the duration of the ,trust ,fund2 and   
7,b7 as to the ,council1 #fj percent of 
the aggregate amounts paid or payable   
into the ,trust ,fund from any source   
over the duration of the ,trust ,fund4  
7#d7 ,disbursements ,subject to         
paragraph 7#f71 the ,secretary and the  
,council may disburse funds borrowed    
under this subsection upon order--  7,a7
 by the ,secretary1 for any purpose     

authorized under section #caa7t77#a7 of 
the ,federal ,water ,pollution ,control 
,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acba7t77#a771 as if
 such borrowed funds were available in  
the ,trust ,fund for such purpose2 and  
7,b7 by the ,council1 for any purpose   
authorized under section #caa7t77#b7 or 
#caa7t77#c7 of that ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 
#acba7t77#b71 #acba7t77#c771 as if such 
borrowed funds were available in the    
,trust ,fund for such purpose4  7#e7    
,repayments ,the ,secretary and the     
,council may repay funds borrowed under 
this subsection and disbursed for the   
applicable purposes set forth in        
paragraph 7#d7 from funds available in  
the ,trust ,fund and allocated for such 
purposes by this subtitle4  7#f7        
,financing costs ,the ,secretary and the
 ,council may pay interest and any other
 financing costs payable in connection  
with funds borrowed under this          
subsection from--  7,a7 the principal of
 such borrowed funds2 and  7,b7 funds   
otherwise available in the ,trust ,fund 

for repayment of the principal of such  
borrowed funds4  4