Legislative Hearing: Hybrid WOW Legislative Hearing – July 29, 2021

Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee Date: Thursday, July 29, 2021 Time: 10:00 AM Location: Longworth House Office Building 1324 Presiding: The Honorable Jared Huffman, Chair

On Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. EDT, in room 1324 Longworth Hearing Room and online via Cisco Webex, the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife will hold a hybrid legislative hearing on the following bills: 

  • H.R. 273 (Rep. Don Young, R-AK), To prevent the escapement of genetically altered salmon in the United States, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Natural Resources. Prevention of Escapement of Genetically Altered Salmon in the United States Act.
  • H.R. 274 (Rep. Don Young, R-AK), To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce from authorizing commercial finfish aquaculture operations in the Exclusive Economic Zone except in accordance with a law authorizing such action. Keep Finfish Free Act.
  • H.R. 1569 (Rep. Jared Huffman, D-CA), To assist in the conservation of critically endangered species in foreign countries, and for other purposes. Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Act of 2021.
  • H.R. 1983 (Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-CA), To encourage and facilitate efforts by States and other stakeholders to conserve and sustain the western population of monarch butterflies, and for other purposes. MONARCH Act of 2021.
  • H.R. 2026 (Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY), To assist in the conservation of highly endangered amphibian species in foreign countries, and for other purposes. Global Amphibian Protection Act of 2021.
  • H.R. 2325 (Rep. Ted Lieu, D-CA), To conserve global bear populations by prohibiting the importation, exportation, and interstate trade of bear viscera and items, products, or substances containing, or labeled or advertised as containing, bear viscera, and for other purposes. Bear Protection Act of 2021.
  • H.R. 2773 (Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-MI), To amend the Pittman Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to make supplemental funds available for management of fish and wildlife species of greatest conservation need as determined by State fish and wildlife agencies, and for other purposes. Recovering America's Wildlife Act of 2021.
  • H.R. 2793 (Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-NY), To reauthorize the Highlands Conservation Act, to authorize States to use funds from that Act for administrative purposes, and for other purposes. Highlands Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2021.
  • H.R. 2848 (Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-FL), To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to reauthorize and modify the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, and for other purposes. Marine Mammal Research and Response Act of 2021.
  • H.R. 2872 (Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-PA), To establish an integrated national approach to respond to ongoing and expected effects of extreme weather and climate change by protecting, managing, and conserving the fish, wildlife, and plants of the United States, and to maximize Government efficiency and reduce costs, in cooperation with State, local, and Tribal Governments and other entities, and for other purposes. SAFE Act.
  • H.R. 3075 (Rep. Jared Huffman, D-CA), To address seafood slavery and combat illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing, and for other purposes. Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act.
  • H.R. 3128 (Rep. Don Young, R-AK), To establish the American Fisheries Advisory Committee to assist in the awarding of fisheries research and development grants, and for other purposes. American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act of 2021.
  • H.R. 3135 (Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-OR), To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit importation, exportation, transportation, sale, receipt, acquisition, and purchase in interstate or foreign commerce, or in a manner substantially affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or possession, of any live animal of any prohibited primate species. Captive Primate Safety Act.
  • H.R.3396 (Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-AZ), To create dedicated funds to conserve butterflies in North America, plants in the Pacific Islands, freshwater mussels in the United States, and desert fish in the Southwest United States, and for other purposes. Extinction Prevention Act of 2021.
  • H.R. 4458 (Rep. Jared Huffman, D-CA), To establish a grant program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of carrying out projects on the conservation, restoration, or management of kelp forest ecosystems. KELP Act

Witness List

Panel I: Congressional Panel

Representative Young

Representative Panetta

Representative Lieu

Representative Dingell

Representative Murphy

Representative Blumenauer

Panel II: Administration

Ms. Janet Coit (testimony)

Assistant Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service
Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and Deputy NOAA Administrator
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Mr. Stephen Guertin (testimony)

Deputy Director for Policy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Panel III: Invited Witnesses

Mr. Nathan Rickard (H.R. 3075) (testimony)

Trade Counsel
Southern Shrimp Alliance

Dr. Erika Zavaleta (H.R. 1569, H.R. 1983, H.R. 2026, H.R. 2773, H.R. 2872, and H.R. 3396) (testimony)

CAMINO Faculty Director
Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Faculty Director
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz

Mr. Collin O'Mara (H.R. 1983, H.R. 2773, H.R. 2848, H.R. 2872, H.R. 3396, HR. 4458) (testimony)

President and Chief Executive Officer
The National Wildlife Federation

Mr. Justin Jahnz (H.R. 1983) (testimony)

President and Chief Executive Officer East Central Energy