To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to authorize grants to coastal States under that Act, and for other purposes.

February 27, 2003

Mr. SAXTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to authorize grants to coastal States under that Act, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Coastal Zone Management Act Reauthorization of 2003'.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT OF COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1972.

Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.).

SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE GRANTS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 306 (16 U.S.C. 1455) is amended by striking so much as precedes subsection (b) and inserting the following:

`ADMINISTRATIVE GRANTS

`SEC. 306. (a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary may make grants to any coastal State for the purpose of administering, amending, or modifying that State's management program, if the State matches any such grant--

`(1) except as provided in paragraph (2), in a ratio of 1 to 1 of Federal-to-State contributions; or

`(2) for programs approved after October 1, 2001, in a ratio of--

`(A) 4 to 1 for the first fiscal year;

`(B) 2.3 to 1 for the second fiscal year;

`(C) 1.5 to 1 for the third fiscal year; and

`(D) 1 to 1 for each fiscal year thereafter.'.

(b) ALLOCATION- Section 306(c) (16 U.S.C. 1455(c)) is amended to read as follows:

`(c) ALLOCATION OF GRANTS TO COASTAL STATES- (1) Grants under this section shall be allocated to coastal States with approved management programs based on rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary that take into account the extent and nature of the shoreline and area covered by such a program, the population of such area, and other relevant factors.

`(2)(A) The Secretary shall establish, after consulting with the coastal States, maximum and minimum grants for any fiscal year to promote equity between coastal States and effective coastal management.

`(B) In promoting equity, the Secretary shall consider the overall change in grant funding under this section from the preceding fiscal year and minimize the relative increases or decreases among all the eligible coastal States.

`(3)(A) The Secretary shall ensure that each eligible coastal State receives increased funding under this section in any fiscal year for which the total amount appropriated to carry out this section is greater than the total amount appropriated to carry out this section for the preceding fiscal year.

`(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply in any fiscal year that is the first full fiscal year for which an eligible State may receive assistance under this section.'.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

Section 318 (16 U.S.C. 1464) is amended--

(1) in subsection (a) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:

`(1) for grants under sections 306, 306A, and 309--

`(A) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;

`(B) $83,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;

`(C) $85,500,000 for fiscal year 2006;

`(D) $88,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and

`(E) $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;';

(2) in subsection (a) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting `; and', and by adding at the end the following:

`(3) for expenses incidental to the administration of this title, $6,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2008.';

(3) in subsection (c)--

(A) in the first sentence by striking `during the fiscal year, or during the second fiscal year after the fiscal year, for which' and inserting `within 3 years'; and

(B) in the second sentence by striking `under the section for such reverted amount was originally made available.' and inserting `to States under this title.'; and

(4) by adding at the end thereof the following:

`(d) RESTRICTION ON USE OF AMOUNTS FOR PROGRAM, ADMINISTRATIVE, OR OVERHEAD COSTS- Except for funds appropriated under subsection (a)(3), amounts appropriated under this section shall be available only for grants to States and shall not be available for other program, administrative, or overhead costs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Department of Commerce.

`(e) FUNDING OF COASTAL NONPOINT POLLUTION CONTROL PROGRAMS- The Secretary shall ensure that of the funds provided under paragraph (1) of subsection (a), no less than $10,000,000 or 14 percent, whichever is greater, is expended to implement State coastal nonpoint pollution control programs as approved under section 6217(c) of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 1455b(c)).

END