S.Amdt. 2908

SA 2908, submitted by Mr. Schatz, aims to add a section to bill S. 2296 regarding a working group on marine biosecurity at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

The purpose of this amendment is to require the Secretary of the Navy to participate in good faith with a working group composed of the following members:

• The United States Fish and Wildlife Service
• The United States Geological Survey
• The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources
• The Hawaii Invasive Species Council
• The University of Hawaii
• The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
• Williams College
• Any other entities the Secretary of the Navy determines are necessary or expedient

The amendment specifies that the working group can be a new entity or an existing one with substantially the same members.

Additionally, the Secretary of the Navy must seek a memorandum of agreement with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. This agreement must include the commitment of the Department of Defense to:

• Work collaboratively and in good faith with all working group members
• Eradicate invasive corals discovered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in 2020
• Support the health of Hawaii's coastal and marine ecosystem
• Create a mechanism for an independent third party, approved by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, to verify and potentially oversee the Department of Defense's efforts to eradicate those invasive corals