Skip to main content
HR 1721 108th Congress House

Coral Reef and Coastal Marine Conservation Act of 2003

Official title: To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide for debt relief to developing countries who take action to protect critical coral reef habitats.

Introduced: April 10, 2003 See on congress.gov
International Affairs Caribbean areaCoastal zoneCongressCongress and foreign policy
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Congressional oversightCongressional reporting requirementsCoral reefsDebt agreementsDebt reliefDepartment of the TreasuryDeveloping countriesEconomics and Public FinanceEcosystem managementEnvironmental ProtectionExecutive reorganizationForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment trust fundsInternational environmental cooperationLatin AmericaMarine and coastal resources, fisheriesMarine resources conservationPresident and foreign policyPresidential appointmentsPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesRestoration ecologySustainable developmentTreaties
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 10, 2003
Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.
Apr 10, 2003
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action April 10, 2003

Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Coral Reef and Coastal Marine Conservation Act of 2003 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish in the Department of the Treasury the Coral Reef and Other Coastal Marine Resources Facility. Authorizes the President, through the exchange by the Facility of new obligations for outstanding obligations of an eligible Latin American or Caribbean country with a coral reef or other coastal marine resource meeting specified requirements, to reduce the amount owed by the country to the United States that is outstanding as of January 1, 1999, as a result of concessional loans. Authorizes the President to sell, reduce, or cancel such loans in order to facilitate a debt-for-nature swap or a debt buyback with an eligible purchaser or eligible country to support activities to conserve, maintain, and restore the country's coral reefs and other coastal marine resources. Authorizes appropriations.

Requires each beneficiary country that has entered into a Coral Reef and Other Coastal Marine Resources Agreement with the Secretary of State to establish a Coral Reef and Other Coastal Marine Resources Fund to receive payments of interest on new obligations undertaken by the country to provide grants to certain entities in such country to conserve, maintain, and restore its coral reefs and other coastal marine resources.

Requires the Enterprise for the Americas Board to carry out certain duties with respect to implementing this Act.

Requires the President to: (1) consult with the appropriate congressional committees on a periodic basis to review the operation of, and the eligibility of countries for benefits from, the Facility; and (2) report annually to Congress on Facility operations.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1721: Coral Reef and Coastal Marine Conservation Act of 2003. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1721/
MLA
"H.R. 1721: Coral Reef and Coastal Marine Conservation Act of 2003." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1721/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1721, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1721/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1721: Coral Reef and Coastal Marine Conservation Act of 2003](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1721/)
Report a problem