PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 881.
Congressional Research Service
Version 01 · Reported to Senate with amendment(s) · Jul 15, 2008
Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments of 2008 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to require the collection and updating of existing practices and procedures for rescuing and rehabilitating stranded or entangled (currently, only stranded) marine mammals. Authorizes entanglement response agreements. Deems authorized responders to be government employees for purposes of specified tort claims procedures provisions.
Renames the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program as the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Funding Program and revises provisions, including adding providing for stranding events requiring emergency assistance to the program's duties. Authorizes the program to be carried out through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or other agreements or arrangements.
Authorizes appropriations through FY2010 to carry out the Program. Revises provisions concerning administrative costs and expenses.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Establishes in the Treasury the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Emergency Fund to provide for the recovery or treatment of marine mammals, the collection of data from living or dead stranded marine mammals for scientific research regarding marine mammal health, directly related facility operation costs, and stranding events requiring emergency assistance. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) enter into grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or other appropriate agreements; and (2) solicit, accept, receive, hold, administer, and use gifts, devises, and bequests.
Limits support for a project under the provisions amended by this paragraph to $200,000 per year. (Current law limits support to 100,000 and makes no reference to the limit being per year.) Defines the term "emergency assistance" as: (1) assistance for a stranding event that is not an unusual mortality event, leads to an immediate increase in required costs in excess of regularly scheduled costs, may be cyclical or endemic, and may involve out-of-habitat animals; or (2) is determined by the Secretary to qualify for such assistance.
Authorizes appropriations through FY2010 to the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund.
People & committees
Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large] · R–AK
Legislative record
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Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 881.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Inouye with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-421.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Inouye with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-421.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2634-2635)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H2634-2635)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1006.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2634-2635)
Mr. Grijalva moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans.
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E336)
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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Analyze H.R.1006 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
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