,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ciai ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #bc1 #bjai,mr4 ,moulton 7for himself and ,mr4 ,graves of ,louisiana7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,natural ,resources1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,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 require research in coastal sustainability and resilience1 to ensure that the ,federal ,government continues to implement and advance coastal resiliency efforts1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,creating ,opportunity ,and ,sustainability ,through ,science ,act or the ,,coasts ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,the ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 coastal cities and communities are particularly vulnerable to hazards and extreme weather events1 accelerating the degradation of natural and built infrastructure that coastal economies and populations depend upon2 and 7#b7 such degradation harms community resiliency and exposes coastal cities and their inhabitants to more frequent and more severe hazards1 impacting the ecosystems that provide livelihoods1 food1 and energy1 and other essential benefits4 #c4 ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration research programs 7a7 ,coastal science and assessment3 ,competitive external research 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,commerce1 acting through applicable ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration programs within the ,national ,ocean ,service1 the ,office of ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,research1 and the ,national ,marine ,fisheries ,service1 shall carry out an extramural competitively awarded grants program focused on interdisciplinary coastal resilience and sustainability4 7#b7 ,objective ,the objective of the program shall be to develop scalable1 best practices-- 7,a7 to prepare more resilient1 sustainable cities and resilient communities2 and 7,b7 to reduce disaster recovery costs4 7#c7 ,collaboration ,the ,secretary shall conduct the program in collaboration with business and industry1 government agencies1 academic institutions1 and coastal community stakeholders4 7#d7 ,eligibility ,to be eligible for a grant under this subsection1 an applicant must be an institution of higher education1 nonprofit organization1 ,state1 local1 or ,tribal ,government1 for-profit organization1 ,united ,states ,territory1 or ,federal agency that has statutory authority to receive transfers of funds4 7b7 ,coastal resilience research competitive grants 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,commerce1 acting through the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration1 shall annually award competitive grants for-- 7,a7 activities that strengthen coastal communities2 and 7,b7 restoration of coastal habitats to provide vital habitat for fish and strengthen the resilience of coastal ecosystems4 7#b7 ,priorities ,in awarding grants under this subsection1 the ,secretary shall give priority to funding projects for-- 7,a7 protecting life and critical infrastructure that1 if destroyed or damaged1 would have a debilitating impact on economic security1 undermine community resiliency and adaptation1 and threaten public health or safety2 7,b7 assessing the effects of local land-use considerations on coastal and marine resources2 7,c7 developing decision-support tools useful to coastal communities2 7,d7 determining societal1 ecological1 and resiliency benefits of coastal restoration and natural1 nature-based1 and man-made infrastructure1 and how these benefits affect the sustainability of coastal ecosystems2 7,e7 citizen-science monitoring of coastal and marine resources as part of efforts to protect coastal communities2 7,f7 evaluating potential outcomes associated with developing new commercial and recreational fishery resources1 including aquaculture and targeting invasive and range-expanding species2 7,g7 monitoring and developing ecosystem-based approaches to managing coastal ecosystems to promote sustainability2 7,h7 assessing the capacity of human communities to adapt to coastal hazards2 7,i7 assessing coastal vulnerability and risk2 7,j7 evaluating adaptation and restoration approaches to reduce risk1 including through the use of natural1 nature-based1 and man-made features2 and 7,k7 minimizing costs associated with damages incurred from natural disasters1 flooding1 and sea level rise4 #d4 ,donations ,the ,secretary of ,commerce1 acting through the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration1 may accept and use donations of funds to implement this ,act4