On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended

This bill revises and reauthorizes for seven years the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative and its Northwest Straits Advisory Commission. The initiative and the commission work to protect and restore marine waters, habitats, and species of the Northwest Straits region (i.e., the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and of Puget Sound from the Canadian border to the south end of Snohomish County in Washington state). Among other duties, the commission must provide resources and technical support for marine resources committees, develop scientifically sound restoration and protection recommendations, and serve as a public forum for informal policy discussions about the marine ecosystem of the Northwest Straits region.