PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Version 36 · Passed House amended · Mar 19, 2010
Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act - (Sec. 4) Directs the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish the Environmental Literacy Grant Program, a competitive grant program that provides financial assistance to: (1) expand the adoption of coastal, ocean, Great Lakes, and climate on all time scales education; (2) build administrative and technical capacity with coastal, ocean, and watershed communities and stakeholder groups to enhance their effectiveness; (3) encourage water- and wildlife-dependent and other outdoor recreation, experiential learning, and hands-on involvement with coastal and watershed resources as a method of promoting stewardship and sustainable economic development of those resources; and (4) develop and implement new approaches to advance coastal, ocean, Great Lakes, and climate on all time scales and education and environmental literacy.
Requires the Administrator to: (1) give priority, in awarding environmental literacy grants, to innovative, strategic, high-leverage projects that demonstrate strong potential for being sustained; and (2) publish guidelines regarding implementation of the Environmental Literacy Grant Program.
(Sec. 5) Directs the Administrator to conduct the Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program, including each of the regional programs conducted or under active consideration for creation under the B-WET Program. Authorizes the Administrator to create new regional programs under the B-WET Program. Requires the Administrator to issue and report to Congress on a strategy for establishing such new regional programs. Requires the Administrator, in creating new regional programs, to give priority to the needs of U.S. territories, the Great Lakes states, Alaska, and the mid-Atlantic region.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Authorizes the Administrator to modify or realign regional B-WET programs, based on specified factors. Makes the Administrator responsible for the selection, appointment, and replacement of regional program managers. Establishes managers' duties.
Requires the Administrator to create B-WET Program guidelines through which managers may: (1) enter into contracts to support projects to design, demonstrate, evaluate, or disseminate practices, methods, or techniques related to bay-watershed education and training; and (2) provide grants or a cooperative agreement to support projects that advance environmental literacy, develop public awareness and appreciation of the economic, social, recreational, and environmental benefits of coastal watersheds, and emphasize stewardship of critical coastal and marine resources.
Requires managers, in awarding grants under the B-WET Program, to give priority to projects that will: (1) promote bay-watershed education throughout the region concerned; (2) advance strategic initiatives to incorporate bay-watershed education into education systems; (3) build capacity within bay-watershed education communities and stakeholder groups for expanding and strengthening their work; (4) build bay-watershed education into professional development or training activities for educators; (5) broadly replicate existing, proven bay-watershed education programs; (6) be conducted by or benefit under-served communities and any community that has an inability to draw on other funding sources because of its small population or low income; and (7) require a federal share not exceeding 75% of the aggregate cost of such project.
Requires NOAA's Office of Education to work with managers on the following regional B-WET Program functions: (1) strategic planning efforts; (2) integration and coordination of programs; (3) coordination of national evaluation efforts; (4) promotion of network-wide communications; (5) selection of new managers; and (6) management, tracking, and oversight of the B-WET Program.
(Sec. 6) Requires the Administrator to report biennially to Congress on grant programs.
(Sec. 7) Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2015 for the Environmental Literacy Grant Program and the B-WET Program. Prohibits such appropriated funds from being used for congressional earmarks.
People & committees
Rep. Capps, Lois [D-CA-23] · D–CA
Legislative record
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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 passage Passed by recorded vote: 244 - 170 (Roll no. 142).
House roll call 142 · Individual votesPassed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 244 - 170 (Roll no. 142).
House roll call 142 · Individual votesOn motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 200 - 215 (Roll no. 141).
House roll call 141 · Individual votesThe previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H1685)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Chaffetz motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with sundry amendments which include adding a new paragraph to examine the impacts of natural gas and oil seeps on ocean, beaches, air quality, and the coastal environment and the possibility of mitigation of those impacts through resource and energy development. Also the motion adds a new section pertaining to limitation on use of funds.
Mr. Chaffetz moved to recommit with instructions to Natural Resources. (consideration: CR H1684-1686; text: CR H1684)
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H1684)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Flake amendment to the Capps amendment in the nature of a substitute.
DEBATE - The House proceeded with 20 minutes of debate on the Capps amendment in the nature of a substitute.
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 3644.
Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3644 and H.R. 1612. It shall be in order to consider in the House, H.R. 3644 and H.R. 1612. All points of order against consideration of each bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Natural Resources now printed in each bill shall be considered as adopted. The bills, as amended, shall be considered read. Further amendments are in order. Each bill shall be debatable for one hour.
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1192. (consideration: CR H1669-1674, H1675-1676, H1676-1686; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H1669-1671)
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1192 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3644 and H.R. 1612. It shall be in order to consider in the House, H.R. 3644 and H.R. 1612. All points of order against consideration of each bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Natural Resources now printed in each bill shall be considered as adopted. The bills, as amended, shall be considered read. Further amendments are in order. Each bill shall be debatable for one hour.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 229.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 111-392.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 111-392.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 22 - 13.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Discharged.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife.
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
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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