# § 6405. Coral reef stewardship partnerships
**(a)** **In general** To further community-based stewardship of coral reefs, coral reef stewardship partnerships for Federal and non-Federal coral reefs may be established in accordance with this section.
**(b)** **Standards and procedures** The Administrator shall develop and adopt—
**(1)** standards for identifying individual coral reefs and ecologically significant units of coral reefs; and
**(2)** processes for adjudicating multiple applicants for stewardship of the same coral reef or ecologically significant unit of a reef to ensure no geographic overlap in representation among stewardship partnerships authorized by this section.
**(c)** **Membership for Federal coral reefs** A coral reef stewardship partnership that has identified, as the subject of its stewardship activities, a coral reef or ecologically significant unit of a coral reef that is fully or partially under the management jurisdiction of any Federal agency specified in section 6402(c) of this title shall, at a minimum, include the following:
**(1)** That Federal agency, a representative of which shall serve as chairperson of the coral reef stewardship partnership.
**(2)** A State or county’s resource management agency to the extent that such partnership covers a reef within such States or county’s jurisdiction.
**(3)** A coral reef research center designated under section 6411(b) of this title.
**(4)** A nongovernmental organization.
**(5)** A covered Native entity culturally affiliated with the subject reef or ecologically significant unit, if any.
**(6)** Such other members as the partnership considers appropriate, such as interested stakeholder groups and covered Native entities.
**(d)** **Membership for non-Federal coral reefs**
**(1)** **In general** A coral reef stewardship partnership that has identified, as the subject of its stewardship activities, a coral reef or ecologically significant component of a coral reef that is not under the management jurisdiction of any Federal agency specified in section 6402(c) of this title shall, at a minimum, include the following:
**(A)** A State or county’s resource management agency or a covered Native entity, a representative of which shall serve as the chairperson of the coral reef stewardship partnership.
**(B)** A coral reef research center designated under section 6411(b) of this title.
**(C)** A nongovernmental organization.
**(D)** Such other members as the partnership considers appropriate, such as interested stakeholder groups.
**(2)** **Additional members**
**(A)** **In general** Subject to subparagraph (B), a coral reef stewardship partnership described in paragraph (1) may also include representatives of one or more Federal agencies.
**(B)** **Requests; approval** A representative of a Federal agency described in subparagraph (A) may become a member of a coral reef stewardship partnership described in paragraph (1) if—
**(i)** the representative submits a request to become a member to the chairperson of the partnership referred to in paragraph (1)(A); and
**(ii)** the chairperson consents to the request.
**1** **Nonapplicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act** [^1]
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to coral reef stewardship partnerships under this section.
See References in Text note below.
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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 106–562, title II, § 206, as added Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title C, § 10001(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3937.)
## Editorial Notes
### References in Text
The Federal Advisory Committee Act, referred to in subsec. (e), is , , , which was set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and was substantially repealed and restated in chapter 10 (§ 1001 et seq.) of Title 5 by , §§ 3(a), 7, , , 4361. For disposition of sections of the Act into chapter 10 of Title 5, see Disposition Table preceding .
### Prior Provisions
A prior section 6405, , , , related to emergency assistance, prior to repeal by , , .