FISHES Act

Fishery Improvement to Streamline untimely regulatory Hurdles post Emergency Situation Act or the FISHES Act This act establishes procedures for the review of spend plans submitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by requesters seeking fishery resource disaster assistance funding. The act requires NOAA to review a spend plan within 10 days of its submission and determine whether it is complete. If such spend plan is not complete, NOAA must provide the requester (i.e., prospective grantee) with a detailed description of the information that is necessary for the spend plan to be determined complete. Further, NOAA must notify a requester when the spend plan has been determined to be complete. Under current law, fishery resource disaster assistance funds must be disbursed to approved grantees within 90 days after NOAA has received a completed spend plan. The act provides that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) may review a completed spend plan concurrently with NOAA, provided OMB's review does not delay the 90-day timeline for providing funds to the grantee.

Fishery Improvement to Streamline untimely regulatory Hurdles post Emergency Situation Act or the FISHES Act This bill establishes procedures for the review of spend plans submitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by requesters seeking fishery resource disaster assistance funding. The bill requires NOAA to review a spend plan within 10 days of its submission and determine whether it is complete. If such spend plan is not complete, NOAA must provide the requester (i.e., prospective grantee) with a detailed description of the information that is necessary for the spend plan to be determined complete. Further, NOAA must notify a requester when the spend plan has been determined to be complete. Under current law, fishery resource disaster assistance funds must be disbursed to approved grantees within 90 days after NOAA has received a completed spend plan. The bill provides that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) may review a completed spend plan concurrently with NOAA, provided OMB's review does not delay the 90-day timeline for providing funds to the grantee.

Fishery Improvement to Streamline untimely regulatory Hurdles post Emergency Situation Act or the FISHES Act This bill establishes deadlines for the approval of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requests for fishery resource disaster assistance funding. Specifically, the bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve or deny a spend plan (a type of funding request submitted to NOAA by a state, an Indian tribe, or other eligible requester with an affirmative fishery resource disaster determination) within 30 days of its receipt from NOAA. For any denial, OMB must return the plan to NOAA within 15 days of the denial with a description of the changes necessary for the spend plan to be approved. The bill provides that NOAA, in consultation with the requester, must make the necessary changes and resubmit the spend plan to OMB for approval. OMB must approve or deny a resubmitted spend plan within 15 days of its receipt. The bill also requires OMB to provide certain information regarding approved spend plans (e.g., the dates of the approval and each denial or resubmission) on its website.