PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 297.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Apr 10, 2003
Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Program to protect the environmental integrity of undeveloped coastal and estuarine areas. Authorizes the Secretary to make program grants to coastal States, except to ones that have lost less than one percent of their wetlands to development or conversion to other land uses, for the purpose of acquiring property interests. Prohibits any more than 75 percent of the grant funding from being derived from Federal sources.Authorizes the Secretary to provide $5 million for a regional watershed protection demonstration project that: (1) leverages land acquisition funding from other Federal conservation or acquisition programs; (2) involves partnerships with Federal, State, and non-governmental entities; (3) creates conservation corridors; (4) protects habitats under imminent threat of development or conversion; (5) provides water quality protection for areas under the National Estuarine Research Reserve program; and (6) provides a model for future regional watershed protection projects.Reserves 15 percent of program funds for acquisitions benefitting the National Estuarine Research Reserve.Specifies that when property is acquired under this program: (1) title will be held by the grant recipient; (2) property will be managed consistent with the purpose of the program; and (3) funds will be returned to the Secretary if the property is sold, exchanged, or divested.Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to allow the Secretary to enter into contracts or other arrangements with other Federal agencies (including interagency financing of Coastal America activities) as well as any other qualified person for the purposes of carrying out technical assistance and research to support coastal zone management. (Current law allows the Secretary to enter into such arrangements only with any qualified person).
People & committees
Sen. Hollings, Ernest F. [D-SC] · D–SC
Legislative record
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Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 297.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator McCain with an amendment. With written report No. 108-158.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator McCain with an amendment. With written report No. 108-158.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5187-5188)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5186-5187)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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