Endangered Species, Fisheries, NOAA Sexual Harrassment, Aquifer Monitoring, and Electronic Permitting Legislation

House Natural Resources Committee
   Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
1334 Longworth

25/10/2023 at 02:15PM

On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 2:15 p.m. in room 1334 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

  • H.R. 520 (Rep. McClintock), To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that artificially propagated animals shall be treated the same under that Act as naturally propagated animals;
  • H.R. 2990 (Rep. Bonamici), “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2023”;
  • H.R. 5103 (Rep. Donalds), “Fishery Improvement to Streamline untimely regulatory Hurdles post Emergency Situation Act” or the “FISHES Act”;
  • H.R. 5504 (Rep. Newhouse), To require the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to withdraw proposed rules relating to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes;
  • H.R. 5509 (Rep. Porter), “Electronic Permitting Modernization Act”;
  • H.R. 5874 (Rep. Ciscomani), “Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program Act” or the “TAAP Act”; and
  • Discussion Draft of H.R. ___ (Rep. Graves of Louisiana), To prohibit the implementation of certain documents until the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries of the National Marine Fisheries Service issues documents relating to the Rice’s whale.

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

  • Gary Frazer, Assistant Director for Ecological Services, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior
  • Dr. Richard Spinrad, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere & NOAA Administrator, Department of Commerce [invited]
  • Shalanda Young, Director, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D.C. [invited]
  • Jonathan Wood, Vice President of Law and Policy, Property and Environment Research Center
  • Dr. Alex Loureiro, Scientific Director, EnerGeo Alliance
  • Dr. Sharon B. Megdal, Director, Water Resources Research Center, The University of Arizona
  • Robert E. Beal, Executive Director, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
  • Tom Birmingham, Water Policy Expert
  • Dr. Barbara Taylor, Red List Coordinator for the Cetacean Specialist Group, International Union for the Conservation of Nature, San Diego, CA [Minority Witness]
  • Stephen Roady, Senior Lecturing Fellow, Duke University School of Law, Professor of the Practice, Duke School of the Environment [Minority Witness]