,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ebgc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,august #f1 #bjbf,ms4 ,murkowski 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,sullivan1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,mr4 ,schiff1 and ,mr4 ,van ,hollen7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation ,a ,,bill ,to improve fisheries stock assessments by incorporating e,d,n,a1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,fisheries ,science ,modernization ,act of #bjbf4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term ,administrator means the ,administrator of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration4 7#b7 e,d,n,a ,the term e,d,n,a means ,,dna or genetic material contained in samples of water or other environmental media4 7#c7 ,fishery-independent ,the term fishery-independent means observations not taken in the course of pursuing commercial fisheries activity4 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 ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network ,the term ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network means the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network established by section #bja4 7#f7 ,native ,hawaiian organization ,the term ,native ,hawaiian organization has the meaning given the term in section #fbjg of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #geag74 #c4 ,categorical exclusion for water1 air1 and sediment collection ,the collection of water1 air1 or sediment samples exclusively for e,d,n,a analysis shall not constitute a taking under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq47 or the ,marine ,mammal ,protection ,act of #aigb 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #acfa et seq474 ,i ,improving fisheries stock assessments by incorporating e,d,n,a #aja4 ,pilot study on use of e,d,n,a in stock assessments 7a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator1 acting through the ,national ,marine ,fisheries ,service1 shall carry out a multi-year pilot study-- 7#a7 to evaluate the applicability of e,d,n,a-based abundance estimation for a range of commercial fish stocks2 and 7#b7 to validate the use of e,d,n,a in ,federal fishery stock assessments4 7b7 ,locations ,the ,administrator shall carry out the pilot study required by subsection 7a7 in not less than #c federally managed fisheries representing diverse regions1 diverse stock structures1 or areas with limited survey coverage4 7c7 ,elements ,in carrying out the pilot study required by subsection 7a71 the ,administrator shall-- 7#a7 conduct comparisons of e,d,n,a sampling and data from existing fishery-independent survey approaches 7such as trawl1 acoustic1 longline1 and optical systems72 7#b7 incorporate e,d,n,a sampling into ongoing surveys to evaluate the potential for cost reductions and reduced uncertainty associated with stock assessments2 7#c7 integrate emerging technologies1 as feasible1 including autonomous or artificial intelligence-enabled e,d,n,a samplers or processing platforms to increase survey efficiencies2 7#d7 evaluate and document the performance of e,d,n,a-based methods for each fishery in which the pilot study is conducted1 including the conditions under which e,d,n,a could be used for stock assessments and management decisions2 7#e7 engage with the partners described in subsection 7d7 throughout study design1 sampling1 or analysis1 as appropriate2 and 7#f7 ensure transparency by documenting sampling protocols1 laboratory workflows1 reporting practices1 and quality-assurance and quality-control procedures used at each fishery4 7d7 ,partners ,the partners described in this subsection are-- 7#a7 the ,regional ,fishery ,management ,councils established under section #cjb7;a7 of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aheb7;a772 7#b7 the ,marine ,fisheries ,commissions1 as defined under section #c7bh7 of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjb7bh772 7#c7 ,indian ,tribes1 including ,alaska ,native ,corporations1 ,native ,hawaiian organizations1 and ,native ,pacific ,islander organizations in ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands2 7#d7 fishermen1 including cooperative research partnerships2 7#e7 entities eligible to participate in the western ,alaska community development quota program established under section #cje7;i77#a7 of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahee7;i77#a772 7#f7 academic institutions and cooperative institutes2 7#g7 private-sector e,d,n,a laboratories1 service providers1 and technology developers2 and 7#h7 ,state agencies and ,federal agencies outside of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration4 7e7 ,annual report ,not less frequently than annually until the pilot study required by subsection 7a7 concludes1 the ,administrator shall submit to ,congress a report describing-- 7#a7 the activities1 findings1 and challenges of the pilot study2 and 7#b7 next steps4 7f7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary4 #ajb4 ,implementation plan for evaluating and integrating e,d,n,a methods in federally managed fisheries 7a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall develop an implementation plan that builds on the results of the pilot study required under section #aja to provide a structured pathway for evaluating and1 where appropriate1 integrating e,d,n,a methods in federally managed fisheries4 7b7 ,elements ,the implementation plan required by subsection 7a7 shall include the following3 7#a7 ,a process and timeline for evaluating e,d,n,a suitability for fishery-independent abundance estimation in ,federal stock assessments4 7#b7 ,a prioritization framework for fisheries based on the economic or subsistence importance of the fishery1 the degree to which e,d,n,a may reduce uncertainty in assessments1 the degree to which the fishery is data deficient1 and geographic representation across all regions of the ,national ,marine ,fisheries ,service4 7#c7 ,an identification of workforce1 vessel1 laboratory1 and analytical capacity needs1 including opportunities to collaborate with private-sector or academic laboratories to encourage private-sector investment and to avoid unnecessary duplication4 7#d7 ,a plan for incorporating validated e,d,n,a data into stock assessment processes and methodologies1 consistent with scientific best practices and ongoing improvement initiatives of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration4 7#e7 ,support for cooperative research with fishermen to expand sampling opportunities and reduce operational costs4 7#f7 ,ongoing engagement with partners described in section #aja7;d71 as appropriate4 7#g7 ,alignment with the national standards developed by the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network under section #bja7;d74 7#h7 ,an identification of opportunities to improve the efficiency of surveys1 expand the coverage of surveys1 or develop early indicators of ecosystem change1 including invasive species1 in support of ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management4 7#i7 ,appropriate safeguards for the use of genetic information1 including guidance on the use of genetic stock identification4 7c7 ,report ,not later than #b years after the date on which the pilot study required by section #aja begins1 the ,administrator shall submit to ,congress a report that summarizes the progress and efficacy of e,d,n,a implementation in ,federal fishery management4 #ajc4 ,fisheries workforce and field capacity for e,d,n,a-enabled stock assessments 7a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall expand the workforce and field capacity of the ,national ,marine ,fisheries ,service1 in coordination with other ,line ,offices of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration1 to support the sampling and integration of e,d,n,a into fishery stock assessments4 7b7 ,activities ,in carrying out subsection 7a71 the ,administrator shall-- 7#a7 train and deploy survey technicians to collect e,d,n,a samples during fishery-independent surveys2 7#b7 expand cooperative research partnerships with fishermen to broaden spatial and temporal coverage of sample collection and analysis1 where feasible2 7#c7 develop field protocols aligned with the national standards developed by the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network under section #bja7;d72 7#d7 coordinate with the partners described in section #aja7;d7 for cost-effective processing and sample analysis2 7#e7 support training for personnel of the ,national ,marine ,fisheries ,service in e,d,n,a sample collection1 handling1 quality assurance and quality control procedures1 and modeling to maintain core expertise in producing1 interpreting1 and translating e,d,n,a data into information useful for stock assessments2 and 7#f7 evaluate emerging technologies1 including autonomous e,d,n,a samplers or processing platforms1 to increase methodological efficiencies4 #ajd4 ,routine collection of e,d,n,a samples in ongoing surveys 7a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall incorporate1 in accordance with subsection 7b71 the routine collection of e,d,n,a samples into ongoing fishery surveys to the extent-- 7#a7 such additional data improves fisheries assessments or reduces costs2 and 7#b7 does not disrupt core operations4 7b7 ,elements ,the collection of e,d,n,a samples carried out under subsection 7a7 shall-- 7#a7 use standards or best practices developed by the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network under section #bja7;d72 7#b7 be integrated into existing surveys2 7#c7 support the development of long-term e,d,n,a time series across regions and fisheries2 7#d7 include robust archival bio- and data-repositories1 fisheries and ecosystem relevant reference voucher databases1 and end-to-end data management systems2 and 7#e7 enable the evaluation of potential survey efficiencies and expanded coverage of surveys at minimal additional cost4 #aje4 ,amendments to ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7a7 ,in general ,the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahja et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #dji4 ,environmental ,,dna and other environmental nucleic acids-based methods ,the ,secretary shall1 to the extent practicable1 incorporate environmental ,,dna and other environmental nucleic acids-based methods into fisheries research1 fishery-independent surveys1 stock assessments1 and ecosystem monitoring-- 7#a7 based on the best scientific information available2 and 7#b7 guided by-- 7,a7 the implementation plan required by section #ajb of the ,fisheries ,science ,modernization ,act of #bjbf2 and 7,b7 the national standards developed by the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network under section #bja7;d7 of that ,act4 4 7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of contents at the beginning of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act is amended by adding at the end the following3 ,sec4 #dji4 ,environmental ,,dna and other environmental nucleic acids-based methods4 4 ,,ii ,enhancing ,united ,states competitiveness through e,d,n,a #bja4 ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network 7a7 ,establishment ,there is established a coordinated1 multi-agency initiative1 to be known as the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network 7in this section referred to as the ,network71 to improve the reliability and operational use of e,d,n,a across freshwater1 estuarine1 coastal1 and marine environments4 7b7 ,governance and structure 7#a7 ,lead agency ,the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration shall serve as the lead agency of the ,network4 7#b7 ,co-chairs ,the ,network shall be co-chaired by the ,administrator and a representative of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy4 7c7 ,participating agencies ,the ,network shall include one or more representatives from each of the following3 7#a7 ,the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration4 7#b7 ,the ,united ,states ,geological ,survey4 7#c7 ,the ,environmental ,protection ,agency4 7#d7 ,the ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service4 7#e7 ,the ,national ,science ,foundation4 7#f7 ,the ,department of ,agriculture and the ,forest ,service4 7#g7 ,the ,office of ,naval ,research4 7#h7 ,the ,bureau of ,indian ,affairs of the ,department of the ,interior4 7#i7 ,the ,smithsonian ,institution4 7#aj7 ,the ,bureau of ,ocean ,energy ,management4 7#aa7 ,the ,national ,institutes of ,health4 7#ab7 ,the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration4 7#ac7 ,the ,council on ,environmental ,quality4 7#ad7 ,the ,regional ,fishery ,management ,councils4 7#ae7 ,the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology4 7#af7 ,such other agencies as the co-chairs of the ,network may designate based on the roles of such agencies in aquatic or environmental monitoring1 scientific standard-setting1 or environmental review processes4 7d7 ,responsibilities ,the ,network shall coordinate ,federal e,d,n,a-related activities across the full aquatic continuum 7including lakes1 rivers1 reservoirs1 estuaries1 coastal waters1 and offshore environments71 including by-- 7#a7 developing national standards for the use of e,d,n,a across freshwater1 estuarine1 coastal1 and marine environments2 7#b7 developing a standardized approach for e,d,n,a sampling1 laboratory workflows1 reporting practices1 and analytical consistency2 7#c7 ensuring agencies use compatible methods and data formats1 enabling e,d,n,a results to be compared1 combined1 and jointly analyzed across programs and regions2 7#d7 designating pilot testbeds across the ,national ,estuarine ,research ,reserve ,system1 the ,national ,estuary ,program1 the ,national ,ecological ,observatory ,network1 the ,national ,aquatic ,resource ,surveys1 the ,integrated ,ocean ,observing ,system1 the ,national ,science ,foundation ,long-,term ,ecological ,research program1 and other similar programs1 to evaluate and intercalibrate methods under diverse environmental and operational conditions2 7#e7 establishing means of quality assurance and quality control training1 method verification1 proficiency testing1 shared reference materials1 and interagency calibration2 7#f7 coordinating with ,states1 ,indian ,tribes1 ,native ,hawaiian organizations1 ,native ,pacific ,islander organizations in ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 and regional partners to ensure broad applicability and uptake of national standards2 7#g7 developing open-access data practices with appropriate protections for ,tribal data sovereignty2 7#h7 identifying opportunities to reduce duplication1 integrate monitoring efforts1 and align ,federal investments in ,,dna-based monitoring tools2 and 7#i7 coordinating with existing national and international frameworks1 including observing systems1 communities of practice1 and established data-sharing and delivery systems4 7e7 ,annual meeting ,to gather information ,in addition to the responsibilities described in section 7d71 the ,network shall meet annually to gather information on non-aquatic applications of e,d,n,a and e,r,n,a methods1 including sampling of terrestrial and atmospheric environments4 7f7 ,annual report 7#a7 ,in general ,not less frequently than once each year1 the ,administrator shall submit a performance report to the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy4 7#b7 ,elements ,each report required by paragraph 7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7 ,progress on standards and protocols4 7,b7 ,updates on interagency coordination4 7,c7 ,results from testbeds and method validation4 7,d7 ,recommendations for future research and monitoring priorities4 7,e7 ,identified gaps or resource needs4 7,f7 ,identified non-aquatic applications of e,d,n,a and e,r,n,a methods as described in section 7e74 #bjb4 ,research1 innovation1 and technology transfer ,to support the development and operational use of reliable and cost-effective e,d,n,a tools1 the ,administrator1 in coordination with the agencies participating in the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network1 may carry out activities that-- 7#a7 facilitate scientific advancement in e,d,n,a methods1 including development of species detection markers1 improved field sampling tools1 maintenance and expansion of genetic reference libraries1 and analytical workflows aligned with the national standards developed by the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network under section #bja7;d72 7#b7 encourage methodological innovation leveraging ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration ocean engineering capabilities1 including exploration1 development1 and testing of autonomous1 automated1 or artificial intelligence-enabled e,d,n,a sampling technologies where those technologies may increase the efficiency of surveys or reduce costs2 7#c7 support technological innovation in the detection of ,,dna and ,,rna from environmental samples1 including the tools1 informatics pipelines1 and modeling that will be used for such innovation2 7#d7 promote bidirectional technology transfer among ,federal agencies1 academic researchers1 ,indian ,tribes1 ,native ,hawaiian organizations1 ,native ,pacific ,islander organizations in ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 and private-sector firms involved in sequencing1 sampling equipment1 bioinformatics1 and the provision of e,d,n,a services2 7#e7 develop and publish performance expectations1 including minimum reliability1 repeatability1 and quality assurance and quality control requirements1 to guide ,federal procurement of e,d,n,a tools and services and support market entry by ,united ,states innovators2 7#f7 ensure that research and innovation efforts support and reflect the national standards and best practices developed under section #bja7;d7 for sampling1 laboratory workflows1 metadata1 and bioinformatics2 and 7#g7 provide periodic updates to ,congress1 incorporated into the annual reports required by section #bja7;f71 summarizing research progress1 private-sector engagement1 and remaining scientific or operational gaps4 #bjc4 ,strengthening the capabilities of the laboratory and analytical workforce 7a7 ,in general ,to ensure the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration and ,federal partners can effectively use e,d,n,a and e,d,n,a-based monitoring tools while supporting the growth of ,united ,states e,d,n,a service providers1 the ,administrator1 in coordination with the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network1 may carry out activities that strengthen the capabilities of the laboratory and analytical workforce of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration4 7b7 ,activities ,activities carried out under subsection 7a7 may include-- 7#a7 supporting training programs and fellowships through the national sea grant college program maintained under section #bjd7;a7 of the ,national ,sea ,grant ,college ,program ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #aabc7;a77 and other academic institutions to build expertise in e,d,n,a sampling1 genomics1 molecular ecology1 and bioinformatics2 7#b7 establishing partnerships and cooperative agreements with private-sector e,d,n,a laboratories1 equipment manufacturers1 bioinformatics firms1 and technology developers-- 7,a7 to facilitate technical skill transfer2 7,b7 to train personnel of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration to be informed and capable clients2 7,c7 to ensure interoperability between public and private workflows2 and 7,d7 to develop fit-for-purpose uncrewed aquatic sampling technologies2 7#c7 expanding the in-house laboratory capacity of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration-- 7,a7 to receive and process samples at a basic operational level2 7,b7 to support method development and benchmarking aligned with the national standards developed by the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network under section #bja7;d72 and 7,c7 to maintain internal quality assurance and quality control expertise sufficient to verify vendor performance2 7#d7 encouraging the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration and partner agencies to contract with accredited external laboratories and service providers for routine e,d,n,a sample processing1 sequencing1 and interpretation1 when feasible1 cost-effective1 and consistent with the national standards developed by the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network under section #bja7;d72 and 7#e7 ensuring that any ,federal workforce or laboratory activities are fully interoperable with the national standards and protocols developed by the ,national ,aquatic ,biomolecular ,coordination ,network under section #bja7;d7 for sampling1 reporting1 and analytical consistency1 supporting shared reference materials1 proficiency testing1 and calibration across ,federal agencies and private partners4