“(a) Definitions.—In this section:“(1) Administrator.—The term ‘Administrator’ means the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“(2) Commission.—The term ‘Commission’ means the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission.
“(3) Director.—The term ‘Director’ means the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
“(4) Program.—The term ‘program’ means the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology program established under this section.
“(b) Establishment of Program.—“(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [July 6, 2012], the Administrator, in consultation with the Director, shall establish the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology program to carry out research, observation, and monitoring to support, to the maximum extent practicable, the long-term sustainability of the ecosystem, fish stocks, fish habitat, and the recreational, commercial, and charter fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico.
“(2) Expenditure of funds.—For each fiscal year, amounts made available to carry out this subsection may be expended for, with respect to the Gulf of Mexico—“(A) marine and estuarine research;
“(B) marine and estuarine ecosystem monitoring and ocean observation;
“(C) data collection and stock assessments;
“(D) pilot programs for—“(i) fishery independent data; and
“(ii) reduction of exploitation of spawning aggregations; and
“(E) cooperative research.
“(3) Cooperation with the commission.—For each fiscal year, amounts made available to carry out this subsection may be transferred to the Commission to establish a fisheries monitoring and research program, with respect to the Gulf of Mexico.
“(4) Consultation.—The Administrator and the Director shall consult with the Regional Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the Commission in carrying out the program.
“(c) Species Included.—The research, monitoring, assessment, and programs eligible for amounts made available under the program shall include all marine, estuarine, aquaculture, and fish species in State and Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
“(d) Research Priorities.—In distributing funding under this subsection, priority shall be given to integrated, long-term projects that—“(1) build on, or are coordinated with, related research activities; and
“(2) address current or anticipated marine ecosystem, fishery, or wildlife management information needs.
“(e) Duplication.—In carrying out this section, the Administrator, in consultation with the Director, shall seek to avoid duplication of other research and monitoring activities.
“(f) Coordination With Other Programs.—The Administrator, in consultation with the Director, shall develop a plan for the coordination of projects and activities between the program and other existing Federal and State science and technology programs in the States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, as well as between the centers of excellence.
“(g) Limitation on Expenditures.—“(1) In general.—Not more than 3 percent of funds provided in subsection (h) shall be used for administrative expenses.
“(2) NOAA.—The funds provided in subsection (h) may not be used—“(A) for any existing or planned research led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, unless agreed to in writing by the grant recipient;
“(B) to implement existing regulations or initiate new regulations promulgated or proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; or
“(C) to develop or approve a new limited access privilege program (as that term is used in section 303A of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1853a)) for any fishery under the jurisdiction of the South Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, New England, or Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils.
“(h) Funding.—Of the total amount made available for each fiscal year for the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund established under section 1602, 2.5 percent shall be available to carry out the program.
“(i) Sunset.—The program shall cease operations when all funds in the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund established under section 1602 have been expended.