Rhode Island Fishermen's Fairness Act of 2017

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Rhode Island Fishermen's Fairness Act along with my colleague, Senator Whitehouse. I am also pleased that my colleagues, Representatives James Langevin and David Cicilline, will be introducing a companion measure in the House of Representatives.

Our legislation will give Rhode Island voice and voting representation on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), which manages some of the most important fish stocks for our State's commercial fishing industry--chief among them squid. Indeed, the National Marine Fisheries Service reported that Rhode Island led Atlantic States in the harvest of squid in 2016, bringing in 22.5 million pounds and helping make Point Judith, Rhode Island one of the most productive and valuable commercial fishing ports in the United States. For years now, Rhode Island's landings of stocks managed by the MAFMC have outpaced the landings of those managed by the New England Fishery Management Council, where Rhode Island is represented. Moreover, Rhode Island has a larger stake in the Mid-Atlantic fishery than many of the States that currently hold seats on the MAFMC.

Because so much is at stake for our State in every decision the MAFMC makes, our bill would expand the MAFMC by two seats in Order to ensure that Rhode Island will have the minimum number of seats guaranteed to other States on the council. It will allow Rhode Island to continue to have representation on the New England Fishery Management Council, where it still has significant interests. This proposal is not unprecedented. In fact, it is modeled on a provision of the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act that added North Carolina to the MAFMC in 1996 while allowing it to retain its membership on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

Mr. President, this is a commonsense proposal and one that my colleagues and I will be working to advance either on its own or as part of the reauthorization the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined by Senators Collins, Cochran, Gillibrand, and Murkowski in introducing legislation to renew the law that expands the reach of libraries and museums and enables them to better serve their communities. These vital institutions educate, inform, engage, and connect people from all walks of life.

In 1996, Congress passed the Museum and Library Services Act, establishing the Institute of Museum and Library Services, IMLS, to house our Nation's library and museum programs together for the first time. My predecessor, the late Senator Claiborne Pell, a great champion for expanding educational and cultural opportunities to all communities, was instrumental in passage of this law. The Senate Committee report for this bill noted the ``great potential in an Institute that is focused on the combined roles that libraries and museums play in our community life, in support of research, learning, and entertainment, and in support of American culture and history.''

Over the last 21 years we have seen IMLS, with a relatively modest Federal investment, build the capacity to support and expand access to library and museum services at the State and local levels. IMLS has been the source of major Federal support for nearly 120,000 libraries, including public, academic, research, special, and tribal libraries, and 35,000 museums, including art, history, science and technology, children's, historical societies, tribal, planetariums, botanic gardens, and zoos. We have seen access to libraries and museums increase, and these institutions continue to evolve as community hubs, advancing the growth and vitality of the areas they serve.

In Rhode Island, IMLS funding for the grants to States program under the Library Services and Technology Act, LSTA, has supported improved online resources; literacy initiatives, including a summer reading program; and the provision of talking books to residents with visual impairments and disabilities. Providence Public Library was awarded a recent grant to provide underserved teens with learning opportunities, leading to digital credentials, academic credit, exposure to work, and entry into education and career pathways. IMLS has also supported and elevated the work of Rhode Island museums. For instance, the Tomaquag Museum in Exeter was one of ten recipients nationally to be recognized with a 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The Providence Children's Museum and the Preservation Society of Newport County also received grants to support their work in recent years.

I have been proud to continue the work of Senator Pell in supporting robust funding for libraries and museums and authoring the last two renewals of the Museum and Library Services Act. I have seen firsthand the impact libraries and museums have had on our communities in Rhode Island and the residents and visitors they serve, making our State stronger because of the services and experiences that these institutions provide.

The museum and library communities have provided invaluable input in helping us craft this bipartisan legislation. I would especially like to thank the Rhode Island library community for hosting me at libraries across the state and convening a roundtable discussion last year to delve deeper into the programs libraries are providing and ways to improve how they serve their communities.

In response to the input and insight offered by the library and museum communities, the bill we are introducing today, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2017, strengthens the use of data-driven tools to measure the impact and maximize the effectiveness of library and museum services and better tailor local services to address and meet community needs. The legislation provides for technical support and assistance to improve data collection. It also enhances IMLS's collaborative efforts with an expanded number of Federal agencies in order to fully leverage the benefits libraries and museums provide to Americans.

This legislation also amends LSTA to highlight the role of libraries as community hubs, equipped to provide services and programming in such areas as literacy, education, lifelong learning, workforce development, economic and business development, digital literacy skills, critical thinking, financial literacy skills, and new and emerging technology. The bill provides greater emphasis on recruiting and training the next generation of library and information science professionals from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. Additionally, it focuses leadership grant funds on activities that serve a range of library types and geographically diverse areas; have evaluation, analysis, and dissemination components; and involve, impact, or have future applicability in libraries. And, in the aftermath of this past year's devastating hurricanes and wildfires, the bill clarifies that grant funds can be used to help libraries get resources back online as communities face the challenge of recovering from a disaster.

The Museum and Library Services Act of 2017 also builds on the over 40-year legacy of Federal support for improving and expanding access to museum services. It addresses the critical need for professional development and recruiting and preparing the next generation of museum professionals, emphasizing diversity so that museums better reflect the communities they serve. The legislation also highlights the educational role of museums and the diverse ways that museums engage their communities, and it encourages partnerships with other agencies, professional networks, and community-based organizations to expand and enhance access to museum services.

The Museum and Library Services Act of 2017 will continue our tradition of supporting our communities through their museums and libraries, while looking ahead and providing flexibility for these vital institutions to respond to changing demands and missions. Our bill has the support of the American Library Association and the American Alliance of Museums and many of their affiliated associations. I thank my colleagues for supporting this endeavor

and look forward to more joining us as we work together to urge swift action to adopt this important legislation.

Mr. President, I rise to join my colleague from Rhode Island, Senator Reed, in introducing the Museum and Library Services Act of 2017. This bill would reauthorize the core programs administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which support libraries and museums in Maine and across the country. This bill includes important updates to improve the abilities of libraries and museums to meet the needs of local communities.

The Museum and Library Services Act represents a commitment to supporting libraries and museums that enrich our communities. Libraries provide not only a wonderful learning tool, full of books, public documents, and internet access, but also are community hubs where citizens can meet to share and explore ideas. Likewise, great museums do more than accumulate artifacts--they tell stories. The programs reauthorized in this bill would help libraries and museums across Maine and the United States better serve the public by helping with research, planning, and programming.

The Museum and Library Services Act would make important improvements to IMLS's ability to collaborate with states and communities. It would reauthorize the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the only federal program that helps public libraries meet their community's needs, enhance their services through technology, reach underserved and rural populations, and recruit new professionals to the library field. Ensuring that federal resources reach our rural communities is particularly important to me, and I am pleased that this bill highlights support for rural and tribal areas.

Every state in our country receives its share of the LSTA, which leverages the federal investment with a state and local funding match. In Maine, the LSTA has helped libraries lend books and other materials by mail to reach residents in communities that do not have libraries nearby or who are homebound. It has helped Maine libraries serve individuals with disabilities through access to book recordings and special media players, including braille and audio downloads. It has helped my state improve online access to magazines, newspapers, and reference books, and spurred innovative collaborations with schools statewide.

The bill would also reauthorize the Museum Services Act, providing support for museums to collaborate with schools, libraries, and colleges and universities, and to encourage new technologies to extend the reach of programs and museum collections. As with the LSTA, museums are incentivized to leverage other sources of support to match the federal investment.

This reauthorization underscores the role that libraries and museums play in community revitalization. Libraries are important information centers for workforce development, health information, and digital and financial literacy. Museums are also vital community partners that work to connect our communities to the cultural, historical, natural, and scientific pieces of our heritage.

From providing job search resources and free internet access to exposing children and families to enriching literary and educational experiences, libraries and museums serve vital roles in our communities. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Rhode Island Fishermen's Fairness Act along with my colleague, Senator Whitehouse. I am also pleased that my colleagues, Representatives James Langevin and David Cicilline, will be introducing a companion measure in the House of Representatives.

Our legislation will give Rhode Island voice and voting representation on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), which manages some of the most important fish stocks for our State's commercial fishing industry--chief among them squid. Indeed, the National Marine Fisheries Service reported that Rhode Island led Atlantic States in the harvest of squid in 2016, bringing in 22.5 million pounds and helping make Point Judith, Rhode Island one of the most productive and valuable commercial fishing ports in the United States. For years now, Rhode Island's landings of stocks managed by the MAFMC have outpaced the landings of those managed by the New England Fishery Management Council, where Rhode Island is represented. Moreover, Rhode Island has a larger stake in the Mid-Atlantic fishery than many of the States that currently hold seats on the MAFMC.

Because so much is at stake for our State in every decision the MAFMC makes, our bill would expand the MAFMC by two seats in Order to ensure that Rhode Island will have the minimum number of seats guaranteed to other States on the council. It will allow Rhode Island to continue to have representation on the New England Fishery Management Council, where it still has significant interests. This proposal is not unprecedented. In fact, it is modeled on a provision of the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act that added North Carolina to the MAFMC in 1996 while allowing it to retain its membership on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

Mr. President, this is a commonsense proposal and one that my colleagues and I will be working to advance either on its own or as part of the reauthorization the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.