Ocean Resource Partnership Act of 1990

Summary

Title I: General Provisions - Ocean Resources Partnership Act of 1990 - Sets forth the findings, purposes, and definitions of this Act. Title II: Resource and Environmental Assessment Consultation - Requires the Secretary of the Interior (in cooperation with the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science) to conduct a comprehensive research program to support U.S. seabed activities related to: (1) environmental assessment; (2) mapping and charting; and (3) evaluation of hard mineral resources. Mandates that such program include governmentally sponsored studies and the encouragement of private seabed studies. Requires the Under Secretary and the Assistant Secretary to prepare, and subsequently revise, a five-year plan to carry out such a program. Mandates that such program include: (1) a priorities schedule under which the commonwealths, territories, and possessions of the United States shall be treated equally with other States; and (2) public education and information. Requires the Secretary to establish, upon request, a task force for each coastal State to provide a forum for State and local consultation and advice associated with recovery of hard minerals from the U.S. seabed. Provides for regional cooperation and coordination, including the establishment of a multistate task force if the Under Secretary determines that two or more coastal States share regional interests. Directs the Under Secretary to establish criteria for designating: (1) preservational stable reference areas (SRAs); and (2) impact SRAs in connection with licenses or permits for commercial recovery. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements with any coastal State regarding seabed activities. Title III: Enforcement, Private Actions for Equitable Relief, and Administrative Procedure - Sets forth prohibited activities under this Act. Provides for: (1) enforcement of this Act, including liability in rem of vessels and civil forfeiture; (2) civil and criminal penalties for violations of such prohibited acts; and (3) private actions, including injunction and the awarding of attorney fees and costs, for equitable relief. Title IV: Miscellaneous - Provides for: (1) the promulgation of regulations; and (2) certain biennial reports by the Secretary to the Congress. States that this Act supersedes a specified provision of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act authorizing the leasing of minerals other than oil, gas, and sulfur in the Outer Continental Shelf. Recognizes the rights and duties of other nations under international law. Authorizes the Secretary of State to negotiate agreements under this Act upon the request of any freely associated State pursuant to a specified compact between the United States and the Governments of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. Authorizes agreements for joint actions between the Secretary and the Governor of an affected coastal State, including temporary agreements (with the concurrence of the Attorney General) in the event of a boundary dispute with respect to seabed areas. Restricts the issuance of exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits to certain research program completion stages. States that the issuance, but not the certification, of a license or permit is a major Federal action for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (thereby requiring an environmental impact statement). Requires notification and consultation with the Governor of each affected State at specified times during the licensing and permit issuing process. Provides for negotiation of disputes arising out of such consultations through the use of dispute mediation panels. Outlines the terms, conditions, and restrictions for exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits (including the payment of royalties for the recovery of hard mineral resources, and the distribution of revenues for administrative, environmental, and exploration mitigation purposes). Authorizes appropriations.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

No timeline events have been ingested for this record yet.

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

2 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 4 August 1990

  Open at official source

Sponsors

No sponsors or actors listed by the source.

Related records

No cross-record relationships stored yet.