,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #cegi ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #ah1 #bjbe,mr4 ,sullivan 7for himself and ,ms4 ,murkowski7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation ,a ,,bill ,to address data and research gaps to improve marine environmental data collection1 particularly in the ,bering ,sea1 ,aleutian ,islands1 and ,gulf of ,alaska1 prioritize technology that supports research1 bycatch reduction1 and marine benthic habitat in ,alaska fisheries1 advance and streamline electronic monitoring and electronic reporting in ,united ,states fisheries1 and establish a fund to provide financial assistance for fishermen purchasing gear and technology aimed at reducing bycatch and marine benthic habitat contact from trawl fishing gear4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,bycatch ,reduction and ,research ,act of #bjbe4 #b4 ,research 7a7 ,reconstitution of the ,alaska ,salmon ,research ,task ,force 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration 7referred to in this ,act as the ,administrator7 shall reconstitute the membership of the ,alaska ,salmon ,research ,task ,force1 as described in the ,alaska ,salmon ,research ,task ,force ,act 7,public ,law #aag-cbh2 #acf ,stat4 #ebga74 7#b7 ,bycatch ,reduction and ,research ,task ,force ,the reconstituted membership described in paragraph 7#a7 shall be referred to as the ,bycatch ,reduction and ,research ,task ,force4 7#c7 ,members ,the ,secretary of ,commerce shall appoint an additional #b representatives who are academic experts in groundfish ecology and invertebrate ecology to the ,bycatch ,reduction and ,research ,task ,force4 7#d7 ,duties ,the ,bycatch ,reduction and ,research ,task ,force shall-- 7,a7 review all research conducted and reports published by the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration under this section2 and 7,b7 in consultation with the ,administrator1 provide priority recommendations for future work as described in subsection 7d77#b77;,b74 7#e7 ,inapplicability of ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act ,chapter #aj of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly known as the ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act71 shall not apply to the ,bycatch ,reduction and ,research ,task ,force4 7b7 ,salmon life history research 7#a7 ,salmon tagging 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall enter into public-private partnerships with ,state agencies1 nonprofit organizations1 institutions of higher education 7as defined in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a7771 ,indian ,tribes or ,tribal organizations 7as defined in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd771 and research institutions to research the marine life history of ,alaska origin salmon species in the ,bering ,sea1 ,aleutian ,islands1 and ,gulf of ,alaska4 7,b7 ,partnerships ,in entering into partnerships described in subparagraph 7,a71 the ,administrator-- 7i7 shall involve a diverse group of ,alaska salmon experts1 including ,alaska ,natives1 fishing industry representatives1 commercial fishermen1 and individuals who possess personal knowledge of1 and direct experience with1 subsistence uses in ,alaska2 and 7ii7 may include cooperative research efforts with privately owned commercial or charter fishing vessel owners4 7,c7 ,research ,at a minimum1 the research required under subparagraph 7,a7 shall include satellite tagging or other intelligent tagging methodologies to better understand migration and distributions of ,alaska origin salmon during their marine life history in the ,bering ,sea1 ,aleutian ,islands1 or ,gulf of ,alaska4 7#b7 ,genetic sampling grant program ,the ,administrator shall conduct a competitive grant program to support improving the turnaround time of genetic analyses of biological samples collected at-sea or shoreside to provide real-time1 or near-real-time1 in-season genetic stock identification and age composition estimates of ,alaska origin salmon caught incidentally in commercial fisheries conducted in the exclusive economic zone 7as defined in section #c of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjb774 7#c7 ,reporting ,not later than #c years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall publish a report-- 7,a7 on the findings of the salmon life history research conducted under paragraph 7#a7 and the findings of the genetic analyses grant program conducted under paragraph 7#b7 that details how the research and genetic analyses can better inform ,alaska origin salmon stock status and distributions2 and 7,b7 that includes potential uses of artificial intelligence or machine learning technology to perform predictive modeling to inform potential ,alaska salmon bycatch avoidance areas4 7c7 ,ecosystem analyses 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall conduct-- 7,a7 research1 through studies and models that incorporate existing data1 literature1 and ongoing research1 of how contact from non-pelagic trawl and pelagic trawl gear impact shallow shelves or other marine benthic habitats in the ,bering ,sea1 ,aleutian ,islands1 and ,gulf of ,alaska2 7,b7 a review of existing data1 literature1 and ongoing research efforts on fluctuations in ,bering ,sea1 ,aleutian ,islands1 and ,gulf of ,alaska marine ecosystems that may affect the survivability or energetic condition of commercially or culturally important wild marine and anadromous species1 including examining-- 7i7 harmful algal blooms2 7ii7 marine heatwaves2 7iii7 in-river temperatures2 7iv7 sea ice extent and thickness2 7v7 ocean acidification2 7vi7 diseases2 7vii7 nutrient or prey availability2 7viii7 density dependence2 7ix7 shifting stock distributions2 7x7 impacts from hatchery released species1 with particular attention to foreign hatchery releases2 and 7xi7 predator-prey interactions2 and 7,c7 new research1 using the review of data1 literature1 and ongoing research efforts under subparagraph 7,b71 to prioritize data collection that support conservation of commercially or culturally important wild marine and anadromous species4 7#b7 ,diverse group involvement ,in conducting research under paragraph 7#a71 the ,administrator shall-- 7,a7 enter into public-private partnerships with relevant entities1 such as ,state agencies1 nonprofit organizations1 institutions of higher education 7as defined in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a7771 and ,indian ,tribes or ,tribal organizations 7as defined in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd772 and 7,b7 include a framework that involves a diverse group of experts in commercially or culturally important wild marine and anadromous species1 including ,alaska ,natives1 fishing industry representatives1 commercial fishermen1 and individuals who possess personal knowledge of1 and direct experience with1 subsistence uses in ,alaska4 7d7 ,reports 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall publish interim annual reports and a final report 7not later than #c years after the date of enactment of this ,act7-- 7,a7 on findings and results of the research and review conducted under subsection 7c77#a71 and the status of milestones reached for all research initiatives under this section2 7,b7 on the results from the salmon tagging and genetic sampling research under subsection 7b71 including modeled ,alaska origin salmon migration routes and potential applications to inform how best to minimize ,alaska salmon bycatch2 and 7,c7 that includes results from the ecosystem analyses under subsection 7c74 7#b7 ,recommendations2 findings ,the reports described under paragraph 7#a7 shall include-- 7,a7 recommendations for applying the results from the ecosystem analyses review to model potential impacts on commercially or culturally important wild marine and anadromous species in the ,bering ,sea1 ,aleutian ,islands1 and ,gulf of ,alaska to support informed management actions2 and 7,b7 other findings and recommendations for future work under this section4 #c4 ,flume tank 7a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall enter into a public-private partnership to build a flume tank for the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration1 the fishing industry1 and other researchers to test technology and improved fishing gear aimed at reducing bycatch and contact with ,bering ,sea1 ,aleutian ,islands1 and ,gulf of ,alaska marine benthic habitats4 7b7 ,flume ,tank ,assistance ,fund ,the ,administrator shall establish a ,flume ,tank ,assistance ,fund to provide grants or other financial assistance to support entities that wish to test their innovative technology1 including approaches that support prototype development and associated devices1 instruments1 sensors1 or fishing gear designs aimed at reducing bycatch in fisheries and ,bering ,sea1 ,aleutian ,islands1 and ,gulf of ,alaska marine benthic habitat contact from non-pelagic trawl and pelagic trawl gear1 including workforce and training programs on such technology or gear4 #d4 ,observer coverage 7a7 ,electronic monitoring and reporting ,the ,administrator shall-- 7#a7 create a timeline and process for reviewing and approving exempted fishing permits to support innovating fishing gear types and technology for reducing bycatch and reducing marine habitat disturbances1 including streamlining exempted fishing permits for fishermen and owners and operators of commercial fishing vessels who purchase or modify fishing gear1 equipment1 or technology with financial assistance provided under the ,bycatch ,mitigation and ,habitat ,protection ,assistance ,fund1 established under section #cbb of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act1 if approving such permits does not interfere with fishery conservation objectives2 7#b7 streamline the approval process for experimental or exempted fishing permits for electronic monitoring pilot projects1 if approving such permits does not interfere with fishery conservation objectives2 7#c7 facilitate cooperative research programs and regional pilot frameworks2 7#d7 conduct a public stakeholder consultation process not less often than once every #c years1 which shall include public notice1 listening sessions1 and a written comment period of not less than #fj days1 and solicit input from stakeholders1 including service providers1 regional management council technical teams1 fishery industry participants1 and data scientists1 on-- 7,a7 revisions to electronic monitoring and electronic reporting technical standards or operational guidance2 7,b7 improvements to cost-effectiveness or usability2 and 7,c7 barriers to electronic monitoring adoption1 particularly among small-scale fleets2 and 7#e7 provide a data integration strategy that-- 7,a7 incorporates electronic monitoring data directly into regional science center workflows and stock assessment models2 7,b7 aligns electronic monitoring data review and retention timelines and quality control protocols with those used in traditional observer data streams2 7,c7 reduces latency between data collection and management application2 and 7,d7 supports the development of interoperable databases that facilitate real-time or near-real-time analysis and decision making4 7b7 ,transparency ,the ,administrator shall require the regional offices of the ,national ,marine ,fisheries ,service to publish1 online and in layman's terms1 up-to-date observer coverage category requirements for high-volume ,federal fisheries specifying the ,federal fishery under their jurisdiction1 including prohibited species catch 7bycatch7 for each observer program category4 7c7 ,reporting 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #c years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall publish a report on how the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration and ,regional ,fishery ,management ,councils can improve and integrate the use of observer and electronic monitoring data to better inform spatio-temporal fishing activity and impacts to harvested and incidentally harvested populations1 while ensuring the protection of proprietary information4 7#b7 ,report to ,congress ,the ,administrator shall submit a report to ,congress and publish the report on the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration's website that includes the data integration strategy for increasing data review efficiency and uniformity described in subsection 7a77#e74 7#c7 ,recommendations ,the reports required under paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 shall include recommendations-- 7,a7 for the use of any technologies identified as effective for sharing real-time1 or near-real-time1 catch information to identify bycatch hotspots and bycatch avoidance areas2 and 7,b7 to minimize commercially or culturally important wild marine and anadromous species in the ,bering ,sea1 ,aleutian ,islands1 and ,gulf of ,alaska origin salmon bycatch4 #e4 ,bycatch reduction and mitigation 7a7 ,reauthorization of ,bycatch ,reduction ,engineering ,program ,section #caf of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfe7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7e7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary to carry out this section #d1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbg through #bjca4 4 7b7 ,bycatch ,mitigation and ,habitat ,protection ,assistance ,fund ,title ,,iii of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahea et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #cbb4 ,bycatch ,mitigation and ,habitat ,protection ,assistance ,fund 7a7 ,in general ,there is established in the general fund of the ,treasury of the ,united ,states an account to be known as the ,bycatch ,mitigation and ,habitat ,protection ,assistance ,fund1 which shall-- 7#a7 be administered by the ,foundation2 and 7#b7 consist of donations of amounts accepted pursuant to subsection 7c74 7b7 ,use ,the ,foundation shall use the amounts in the ,fund to reduce or mitigate bycatch1 and reduce marine benthic habitat contact from non-pelagic and pelagic trawl gear1 including by providing financial assistance to fishermen and owners and operators of commercial fishing vessels to purchase or modify fishing gear1 equipment1 and technology1 including innovative technology1 prototypes1 instruments1 or sensors4 7c7 ,donations ,the ,foundation may solicit and accept donations of amounts for deposit into the ,fund4 7d7 ,consultation ,in administering the ,fund1 the ,foundation shall consult with the ,secretary1 acting through the ,administrator of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration1 each ,council1 and each of the regional science centers of the ,national ,marine ,fisheries ,service to ensure that1 to the maximum extent practicable1 amounts in the ,fund are used in an efficient and cost-effective manner4 7e7 ,report ,not later than #c years after the date of enactment of this section1 and biennially thereafter1 the ,foundation shall publish and post online in a manner available to the public information regarding the use of the ,fund during-- 7#a7 with respect to the first publication of information1 the preceding #c years2 and 7#b7 with respect to each subsequent publication of information1 the preceding #b years4 7f7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,foundation ,the term ,foundation means the ,national ,fish and ,wildlife ,foundation4 7#b7 ,fund ,the term ,fund means the ,bycatch ,mitigation and ,habitat ,protection ,assistance ,fund established under subsection 7a74 4