,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bbaa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bb1     
#bjbc,mr4 ,whitehouse 7for himself1 ,mr4
 ,wicker1 and ,mr4 ,king7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was read twice   
and referred to the ,committee on       
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,department of 
,agriculture ,reorganization ,act of    
#aiid to establish the ,office of       
,aquaculture1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,sustaining ,healthy            
,ecosystems1 ,livelihoods1 and ,local   
,seafood ,act or the ,,shells ,act4  #b4
 ,office of ,aquaculture  7a7 ,in       
general ,subtitle ,a of the ,department 
of ,agriculture ,reorganization ,act of 
#aiid is amended by inserting after     
section #baf 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #fiaf7 the   
following3  #bag4 ,office of            
,aquaculture  7a7 ,definitions ,in this 
section3 7#a7 ,aquaculture ,the term    
aquaculture has the meaning given the   

term in section #c of the ,national     
,aquaculture ,act of #aihj 7#af         
,u4,s4,c4 #bhjb74  7#b7 ,committee ,the 
term ,committee means the ,aquaculture  
,advisory ,committee established under  
subsection 7c77#a74  7#c7 ,director ,the
 term ,director means the ,director of  
the ,office appointed under subsection  
7b77#b74  7#d7 ,indian tribe ,the term  
,indian ,tribe has the meaning given the
 term in section #d of the ,indian      
,self-,determination and ,education     
,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd74 
7#e7 ,native hawaiian organization ,the 
term ,native ,hawaiian organization has 
the meaning given the term in section #c
 of the ,,native ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4    
#dceb74  7#f7 ,office ,the term ,office 
means the ,office of ,aquaculture       
established under subsection 7b77#a74   
7#g7 ,tribal organization ,the term     
,tribal organization has the meaning    
given the term in section #d of the     
,indian ,self-,determination and        
,education ,assistance ,act 7#be        

,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd74  7b7 ,office  7#a7 ,in
 general ,the ,secretary shall establish
 in the ,department an ,office of       
,aquaculture4  7#b7 ,director ,the      
,secretary shall appoint a senior       
official to serve as the ,director of   
the ,office4  7#c7 ,mission ,the mission
 of the ,office1 in coordination with   
any other relevant ,federal agency1     
shall be to encourage and promote       
aquaculture operations that promote     
,united ,states food security and limit 
adverse environmental effects1          
including-- 7,a7 shellfish cultivation  
7including oysters1 clams1 and mussels72
  7,b7 micro- and macro-algae           
cultivation2  7,c7 aquaculture          
production within land-based systems2   
and  7,d7 other forms of aquaculture    
production1 as determined by the        
,secretary1 in consultation with the    
,secretary of ,commerce and the heads of
 other ,federal agencies1 as applicable4
  7#d7 ,responsibilities ,the ,director 
shall be responsible for engaging in    

activities to carry out the mission of  
the ,office described in paragraph 7#c71
 including by-- 7,a7 overseeing programs
 of the ,department to develop and      
advance aquaculture best practices1     
using the best available science1 in    
consultation with agricultural producers
 and industry partners2  7,b7 providing 
technical assistance on best practices  
to aquaculture farmers and businesses1  
including for shellfish1 algae1 and     
land-based aquaculture systems1 using   
the best available science2  7,c7       
advising the ,secretary with respect to 
aquaculture practices and programs2     
7,d7 coordinating with the agencies and 
officials of the ,department to update  
and ensure support for aquaculture in   
relevant programs2  7,e7 engaging in    
stakeholder relations and developing    
external partnerships relating to       
aquaculture practices and programs2     
7,f7 identifying common ,state and      
municipal best practices for navigating 
local policies relating to aquaculture  

practices2  7,g7 overseeing extension   
and outreach efforts to support         
aquaculture producers and businesses2   
7,h7 collaborating and coordinating with
 other ,federal agencies1 including the 
,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric     
,administration1 the ,united ,states    
,fish and ,wildlife ,service1 the       
,environmental ,protection ,agency1 and 
the ,office of ,science and ,technology 
,policy1 with respect to aquaculture    
practices2  7,i7 convening a working    
group with relevant officials of the    
,department to coordinate programs and  
share knowledge2  7,j7 representing the 
,department on the ,subcommittee on     
,aquaculture of the ,national ,science  
and ,technology ,council2  7,k7         
gathering and issuing aquaculture       
production data1 in coordination with   
the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric 
,administration and other relevant      
,federal agencies2  7,l7 applying       
existing programs for risk mitigation as
 applicable to aquaculture1 including   

insurance and purchasing programs2 and  
7,m7 promoting aquaculture practices    
that provide environmental1 economic1   
and social benefits4  7c7 ,aquaculture  
,advisory ,committee  7#a7 ,in general  
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of enactment of the ,,shells ,act1 the 
,secretary shall establish an           
,aquaculture ,advisory ,committee to    
advise the ,secretary on-- 7,a7 the     
development of policies and outreach    
relating to sustainable aquaculture     
practices2  7,b7 the history1 use1 and  
preservation of ,indigenous and         
traditional aquaculture practices and   
ecological knowledge2 and  7,c7 any     
other aspects of the implementation of  
this section4  7#b7 ,membership  7,a7   
,in general ,the ,committee shall be    
composed of #ad members1 to be appointed
 by the ,secretary1 of whom-- 7i7 #a    
shall be a representative of the        
,department1 who shall serve as chair of
 the ,committee2  7ii7 #d shall be      
individuals who are aquaculture         

producers who employ best practices and 
limit adverse effects that result from  
the operations of the aquaculture       
producers2  7iii7 #b shall be           
representatives from an ,indian ,tribe1 
a ,tribal organization1 or a ,native    
,hawaiian organization2  7iv7 #a shall  
be a representative from a ,state or an 
interstate commission2  7v7 #a shall be 
a representative from an institution of 
higher education or extension program2  
7vi7 #a shall be an individual who      
represents a nonprofit organization1    
which may include a public health1      
environmental1 or community             
organization2  7vii7 #a shall be an     
individual who represents a relevant    
port1 coastal1 or waterfront community2 
7viii7 #a shall be an individual with   
supply chain experience1 which may      
include a food aggregator1 wholesale    
food distributor1 food hub1 or an       
individual who has direct-to-consumer   
market experience2  7ix7 #a shall be an 
individual with related experience or   

expertise in aquaculture production     
practices1 as determined by the         
,secretary2 and  7x7 #a shall be an     
individual who represents aquaculture   
end users1 including a chef1 member of  
the food service industry1 or grocer4   
7,b7 ,initial appointments ,the         
,secretary shall appoint the members of 
the ,committee not later than #ahj days 
after the date of enactment of this     
section4  7#c7 ,period of appointment2  
vacancies  7,a7 ,in general ,except as  
provided in subparagraph 7,b71 a member 
of the ,committee shall be appointed for
 a term of #c years4  7,b7 ,initial     
appointments ,of the members first      
appointed to the ,committee-- 7i7 #e of 
the members1 as determined by the       
,secretary1 shall be appointed for a    
term of #c years2  7ii7 #e of the       
members1 as determined by the           
,secretary1 shall be appointed for a    
term of #b years2 and  7iii7 #d of the  
members1 as determined by the           
,secretary1 shall be appointed for a    

term of #a year4  7,c7 ,vacancies ,any  
vacancy in the ,committee-- 7i7 shall   
not affect the powers of the ,committee2
 and  7ii7 shall be filled as soon as   
practicable in the same manner as the   
original appointment4  7,d7 ,consecutive
 terms ,an initial appointee of the     
,committee may serve an additional      
consecutive term if the member is       
reappointed by the ,secretary4  7#d7    
,meetings  7,a7 ,frequency ,the         
,committee shall meet not fewer than #c 
times per year4  7,b7 ,initial meeting  
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 on which the members are appointed     
under paragraph 7#b77;,b71 the          
,committee shall hold the first meeting 
of the ,committee4  7#e7 ,duties  7,a7  
,in general ,the ,committee shall-- 7i7 
develop recommendations and advise the  
,director on aquaculture policies1      
initiatives1 and outreach administered  
by the ,office2  7ii7 evaluate and      
review ongoing research and extension   
activities relating to aquaculture      

practices2  7iii7 identify new and      
existing barriers to successful         
aquaculture practices2 and  7iv7 provide
 additional assistance and advice to the
 ,director as appropriate4  7,b7        
,reports ,not later than #a year after  
the date on which the ,committee is     
established1 and every #b years         
thereafter through #bjbh1 the ,committee
 shall submit to the ,secretary1 the    
,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 
and ,forestry and the ,committee on     
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate1 and the ,committee on  
,agriculture and the ,committee on      
,natural ,resources of the ,house of    
,representatives1 a report describing   
the recommendations developed under     
subparagraph 7,a74  7#f7 ,personnel     
matters  7,a7 ,compensation ,a member of
 the ,committee shall serve without     
compensation4  7,b7 ,travel expenses ,a 
member of the ,committee shall be       
allowed travel expenses1 including per  
diem in lieu of subsistence1 in         

accordance with section #egjc of title  
#e1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#g7        
,termination  7,a7 ,in general ,subject 
to subparagraph 7,b71 the ,committee    
shall terminate on the date that is #e  
years after the date on which the       
members are appointed under paragraph   
7#b77;,b74  7,b7 ,extensions ,before the
 date on which the ,committee           
terminates1 the ,secretary may renew the
 ,committee for #a or more #b-year      
periods4  7d7 ,authorization of         
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to carry out this       
section #be1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal  
years #bjbd through #bjbh4  4  7b7      
,technical and conforming amendments    
7#a7 ,the ,department of ,agriculture   
,reorganization ,act of #aiid is amended
 by redesignating the first section #bbe
 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #fibe7 7relating to the  
,food ,access ,liaison7 as section      
#bbd;,a4  7#b7 ,section #bif7;b7 of the 
,department of ,agriculture             
,reorganization ,act of #aiid 7#g       

,u4,s4,c4 #gjad7;b77 is amended by      
adding at the end the following3  7#aa7 
,the authority of the ,secretary to     
carry out section #bag4  4