The Under Secretary, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall design and deploy a cost-effective, efficient, and results-oriented near real-time monitoring and mitigation program (referred to in this section as the “Program”) for threatened or endangered cetaceans.
The purpose of the Program shall be to reduce the risk to large cetaceans posed by vessel collisions and to minimize other impacts on large cetaceans through the use of near real-time location monitoring and location information.
In carrying out the Program, the Under Secretary shall first establish a pilot monitoring and mitigation project (referred to in this section as the “pilot project”) for North Atlantic right whales for the purposes of informing the Program.
Not later than 2 years after December 23, 2022, the Under Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and make available to the public, a preliminary report on the pilot project.
Not later than 6 years after December 23, 2022, the Under Secretary, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and make available to the public, a final report on the pilot project.
The Under Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of the Interior, and with input from affected stakeholders, shall develop and deploy mitigation protocols that make use of any monitoring system designed and deployed under this section to direct sector-specific mitigation measures that avoid and significantly reduce risk of serious injury and mortality to North Atlantic right whales.
The Under Secretary shall provide access to data generated by any monitoring system designed and deployed under this section for purposes of scientific research and evaluation and public awareness and education, including through the Right Whale Sighting Advisory System of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and WhaleMap or other successor public website portals, subject to review for national security considerations.
An activity may not be carried out under this section if the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Under Secretary, determines that the activity would negatively impact the defense readiness or the national security of the United States.
From funds otherwise appropriated to the Under Secretary $5,000,000 is authorized to support development, deployment, application, and ongoing maintenance of the Program and to otherwise carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.