,i  #aai? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #ffd  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(            
,,repres5tatives  ,janu>y #bc1 #bjbe,mr4
 ,case 7= himself1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,ms4 
,norton1 & ,ms4 ,tlaib7 introduc$ !     
foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to !          
,committee on ,natural ,res\rces  ,a    
,,bill  ,to prohibit c]ta9 m9+          
activities on ! deep seab$ & ,out]      
,cont95tal ,%elf1 & = o!r purposes4  #a4
 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z !  
,am]ican ,seab$ ,protection ,act4  #b4  
,prohibition ( c]ta9 m9+ activities on  
deep seab$ & ,out] ,cont95tal ,%elf  7a7
 ,f9d+s ,congress f9ds ! foll[+3  7#a7  
,z det]m9$ by ! ,unit$ ,nations1 mo/    
rec5tly 9 its ,su/a9able ,developm5t    
,goals report1 our _w's oceans are at   
great risk f a numb] ( factors1 includ+ 
atmosph]ic *ange1 res\rce extraction1 & 
pollution4  7#b7 ,! ,unit$ ,nation's    
#bjcj ,ag5da = ,su/a9able ,developm5t1  
laun*$ by ! #bjae ,,un ,summit 9 ,new   
,york e/abli%$ ,su/a9able ,developm5t   
,goal #ad 7,,sds #ad71 to cons]ve &     

su/a9ably use ! oceans1 seas1 & m>9e    
res\rces4 ,t>get #b ( ,,sds #ad commits 
,/ates to su/a9ably manage m>9e         
ecosy/ems to avoid significant adv]se   
impacts & /r5g!n _! resili5ce4  7#c7 ,! 
int]national m>9e sci5tific & policy    
cons5sus is t deep seab$ m9+ pres5ts a  
major risk to ! m>9e environm5t1        
includ+-- 7,a7 ! direct loss ( unique & 
ecologically important species2  7,b7   
l>ge s$im5t plumes t w negatively affect
 ecosy/ems well beyond ! actual m9+     
sites2  7,c7 noise pollution t w cause  
physiological & behavioral /ress to m>9e
 species2  7,d7 likely contam9ation (   
comm]cially important species ( food    
fi%2 &  7,e7 likely negative impacts on 
c>bon seque/ration dynamics & deep-ocean
 c>bon /orage4  7#d7 ,! ,unit$ ,nations 
,conv5tion on ,biological ,div]sity1    
#ae? ,conf]5ce ( ,p>ties1 ,decision     
#ae_/bd enc\rages memb] ,/ates to ensure
 t1 be=e deep seab$ m9]al exploitation  
is p]mitt$1 ! relat$ impacts on ! m>9e  
environm5t & biodiv]sity are suffici5tly

 rese>*$1 ! risks to ! m>9e ecosy/em are
 suffici5tly und]/ood1 & suffici5t      
regulation & conditions are impos$ to   
ensure t exploitation does n cause      
h>mful effects to ! m>9e environm5t &   
biodiv]sity4  7#e7 ,! #bjbb ,unit$      
,nations ,environm5t ,programme         
,f9ancial ,initiative report on deep    
seab$ m9+ /ates t ! f9anc+ ( su*        
activities is n consi/5t ) ,su/a9able   
,blue ,economy ,f9ance ,pr9ciples4  7#f7
 ,!re is curr5tly insuffici5t sci5tific 
in=mation on ! deep sea & relat$ m>9e   
ecosy/ems to fully & accurately assess !
 risks & impacts ( deep seab$ m9+       
activities4  7b7 ,prohibition ( c]ta9   
m9+ activities on deep seab$ & ,out]    
,cont95tal ,%elf  7#a7 ,deep seab$      
,not)/&+ any provision ( ! ,deep ,seab$ 
,h>d ,m9]al ,res\rces ,act 7#cj         
,u4,s4,c4 #adja et seq471 no lic5se1    
p]mit1 or o!r au?orization may be issu$ 
= exploration or comm]cial recov]y4     
7#b7 ,out] ,cont95tal ,%elf ,not)/&+ any
 provision ( ! ,out] ,cont95tal ,%elf   

,l&s ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acja et seq471
 no lic5se1 p]mit1 or o!r au?orization  
may be issu$ = exploration1 developm5t1 
or production ( a h>drock m9]al on !    
,out] ,cont95tal ,%elf4  7#c7 ,exception
 = sci5tific rese>* ,p>agraphs 7#a7 &   
7#b7 %all n apply to ! issuance ( a     
lic5se1 p]mit1 or o!r au?orization to   
c>ry out sci5tific rese>* activities4   
7c7 ,assessm5t ( environm5tal impacts ( 
m9+ activities on deep seab$ & ,out]    
,cont95tal ,%elf  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,n lat] 
?an #ij days aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t ( 
?is section1 ! ,secret>y %all seek to   
ent] into an agreem5t ) ! ,national     
,academies ( ,sci5ce1 ,eng9e]+1 &       
,m$ic9e to conduct a compreh5sive /udy (
 ! environm5tal impacts ( m9+ activities
 on ! deep seab$ & ,out] ,cont95tal     
,%elf4  7#b7 ,submission ( assessm5t ,! 
,secret>y %all submit to ! appropriate  
,congressional committees a report      
reg>d+ ! f9d+s ( ! /udy describ$ 9      
p>agraph 7#a74  7#c7 ,cont5ts ,! /udy   
describ$ 9 p>agraph 7#a7 %all include ! 

foll[+3 7,a7 ,a *>act]ization (         
ecosy/ems--  7i7 on ! deep seab$ & ,out]
 ,cont95tal ,%elf2  7ii7 9 ! ov]ly+ wat]
 columns ( ! deep seab$ & ,out]         
,cont95tal ,%elf2 &  7iii7 on seam\nts &
 hydro!rmal v5ts4  7,b7 ,an assessm5t ( 
! pot5tial impacts associat$ ) m9+      
activities on ! deep seab$ & ,out]      
,cont95tal ,%elf on--  7i7 habitats &   
species on ! deep seab$ & ,out]         
,cont95tal ,%elf & 9 ! ov]ly+ wat]      
columns ( ! deep seab$ & ,out]          
,cont95tal ,%elf1 includ+-- 7,i7 an     
approximate quantification ( ! spatial  
ext5t & timescale ( su* impacts2 &      
7,,ii7 ! pot5tial = ! recov]y ( su*     
habitats & species f su* impacts2  7ii7 
! capacity ( deep sea & op5 ocean       
processes & ecosy/ems to seque/]        
gre5h\se gases2  7iii7 us]s ( ! m>9e    
environm5t1 includ+-- 7,i7 comm]cial &  
recreational fi%]ies2  7,,ii7           
recreational us]s2  7,,iii7 aquaculture 
op]ations2 &  7,,iv7 develop]s ( subsea 
infra/ructure2 &  7iv7 indig5\s peoples 

& cultures l9k$ to m>9e species & ! m>9e
 environm5t4  7,c7 ,an assessm5t ( !    
pot5tial impacts ( s$im5t plumes f      
di/urbance ( ! deep seab$ & ,out]       
,cont95tal ,%elf & collector vessel     
dis*>ge on pelagic species & food webs4 
7,d7 ,an approximate quantification ( ! 
gre5h\se gas emissions associat$ ) m9+  
activities on ! deep seab$ & ,out]      
,cont95tal ,%elf1 includ+ su* emissions 
t may result f ! alt]ation ( ! biology1 
geology1 or *emi/ry ( ! s$im5t on or !  
ov]ly+ wat] column ( ! deep seab$ &     
,out] ,cont95tal ,%elf4  7,e7 ,an       
assessm5t ( ! viability ( alt]natives to
 ! use ( m9]als f\nd on ! deep seab$ &  
,out] ,cont95tal ,%elf1 includ+-- 7i7   
develop+ a great] capacity = & promot+ !
 reuse & recycl+ ( su* m9]als 9         
circulation2  7ii7 develop+ & promot+ ! 
use ( sub/itute m9]als & mat]ials t h   
few] or less sev]e environm5tal impacts 
associat$ ) su* use2 &  7iii7 develop+  
me?ods to r$uce ! environm5tal impacts (
 t]re/rial m9+ practices & o!r simil>   

initiatives4  7d7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is    
section3 7#a7 ,appropriate              
,congressional committees ,! t]m        
appropriate ,congressional committees   
means--  7,a7 ) respect to ! ,h\se (    
,repres5tatives-- 7i7 ! ,committee on   
,=eign ,affairs2 &  7ii7 ! ,committee on
 ,natural ,res\rces2 &  7,b7 ) respect  
to ! ,s5ate--  7i7 ! ,committee on      
,comm]ce1 ,sci5ce1 & ,transportation2   
7ii7 ! ,committee on ,en]gy & ,natural  
,res\rces2 &  7iii7 ! ,committee on     
,=eign ,relations4  7#b7 ,comm]cial     
recov]y ,! t]m comm]cial recov]y has !  
mean+ giv5 ! t]m 9 section #d ( ! ,deep 
,seab$ ,h>d ,m9]al ,res\rces ,act 7#cj  
,u4,s4,c4 #adjc74  7#c7 ,deep seab$ ,!  
t]m deep seab$ has ! mean+ giv5 ! t]m 9 
section #d ( ! ,deep ,seab$ ,h>d ,m9]al 
,res\rces ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #adjc74   
7#d7 ,developm5t ,! t]m developm5t has !
 mean+ giv5 ! t]m 9 section #b ( ! ,out]
 ,cont95tal ,%elf ,l&s ,act 7#dc        
,u4,s4,c4 #acca74  7#e7 ,exploration ,! 
t]m exploration-- 7,a7 :5 us$ ) respect 

to ! deep seab$1 has ! mean+ giv5 ! t]m 
9 section #d ( ! ,deep ,seab$ ,h>d      
,m9]al ,res\rces ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4    
#adjc72 &  7,b7 :5 us$ ) respect to !   
,out] ,cont95tal ,%elf1 has ! mean+ giv5
 ! t]m 9 section #b ( ! ,out] ,cont95tal
 ,%elf ,l&s ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acca74 
7#f7 ,out] ,cont95tal ,%elf ,! t]m ,out]
 ,cont95tal ,%elf has ! mean+ giv5 ! t]m
 out] ,cont95tal ,%elf 9 section #b ( ! 
,out] ,cont95tal ,%elf ,l&s ,act 7#dc   
,u4,s4,c4 #acca74  7#g7 ,production ,!  
t]m production has ! mean+ giv5 ! t]m 9 
section #b ( ! ,out] ,cont95tal ,%elf   
,l&s ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acca74  7#h7  
,secret>y ,! t]m ,secret>y means !      
,secret>y ( ,comm]ce1 act+ ?r\gh !      
,adm9i/rator ( ! ,national ,oceanic &   
,atmosph]ic ,adm9i/ration4