S.Amdt. 4052

SA 4052. Mr. MERKLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill H.R. 4016, making appropriations for the Department
of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE.

(a) In General.--The National Marine Fisheries Service
shall maintain staffing levels to carry out its statutory
obligations, including to--
(1) ensure timely completion of consultations required
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) and Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C.
1361 et seq.);
(2) adequately address the backlog of consultations
required under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 for the
permitting of infrastructure projects; and
(3) ensure timely completion of fishery stock assessments
under Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.
(b) Hiring Assessment.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter,
the Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service shall
submit to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations
of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee
on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, an
assessment of the milestones, timelines, and service-level
expectations required for the hiring and timely on-boarding
of employees of the National Marine Fisheries Service.
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