republic-os/legal/us/code/title-16/chapter-31/section-1421c.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, corpus, kind, title_number, title_name, chapter_number, chapter_name, section, citation, status, release_point, release_date, source, source_url, source_identifier, source_file, source_hash, raw_snapshot_hash, text_hash, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	corpus	kind	title_number	title_name	chapter_number	chapter_name	section	citation	status	release_point	release_date	source	source_url	source_identifier	source_file	source_hash	raw_snapshot_hash	text_hash	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
LegalText	16 U.S.C. § 1421c	Unusual mortality event response	us	united_states_code	code_section	16	CONSERVATION	31	MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION	1421c	16 U.S.C. § 1421c	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc16@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t16/s1421c	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-16/usc16.xml	ad25b1906de3101572187df972f20846ffa84e6973b0da474c12a85db62de23c	7be8950da5a93cac7c98e4576ce00340f2aba5e8e46d29915382c203c421d503	6624b174c3b47f66e6a15885e479558979762736761e5a07fd65a3b23350b831	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

16 U.S.C. § 1421c - Unusual mortality event response

Text

(a) Response (1) Working group (A) The Secretary, acting through the Office, shall establish, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, a marine mammal unusual mortality event working group, consisting of individuals with knowledge and experience in marine science, marine mammal science, marine mammal veterinary and husbandry practices, marine conservation, and medical science, to provide guidance to the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior for—

(i) determining whether an unusual mortality event is occurring;

(ii) determining, after an unusual mortality event has begun, if response actions with respect to that event are no longer necessary; and

(iii) developing the contingency plan in accordance with subsection (b), to assist the Secretary in responding to unusual mortality events.

(B) Chapter 10 of title 5 shall not apply to the marine mammal unusual mortality event working group established under this paragraph.

(2) Response timing The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall to the extent necessary and practicable—

(A) within 24 hours after receiving notification from a stranding network participant that an unusual mortality event might be occurring, contact as many members as is possible of the unusual mortality event working group for guidance; and

(B) within 48 hours after receiving such notification—

(i) make a determination as to whether an unusual mortality event is occurring;

(ii) inform the stranding network participant of that determination; and

(iii) if the Secretary has determined an unusual mortality event is occurring, designate an Onsite Coordinator for the event, in accordance with subsection (c).

(b) Contingency plan (1) In general The Secretary shall, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and the unusual mortality event working group, and after an opportunity for public review and comment, issue a detailed contingency plan for responding to any unusual mortality event.

(2) Contents The contingency plan required under this subsection shall include—

(A) a list of persons, including stranding network participants, at a regional, State, and local level, who can assist the Secretary in implementing a coordinated and effective response to an unusual mortality event;

(B) the types of marine mammal tissues and analyses necessary to assist in diagnosing causes of unusual mortality events;

(C) training, mobilization, and utilization procedures for available personnel, facilities, and other resources necessary to conduct a rapid and effective response to unusual mortality events; and

(D) such requirements as are necessary to—

(i) minimize death of marine mammals in the wild and provide appropriate care of marine mammals during an unusual mortality event;

(ii) assist in identifying the cause or causes of an unusual mortality event;

(iii) determine the effects of an unusual mortality event on the size estimates of the affected populations of marine mammals; and

(iv) identify any roles played in an unusual mortality event by physical, chemical, and biological factors, including contaminants.

(c) Onsite coordinators (1) Designation (A) The Secretary shall, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, designate one or more Onsite Coordinators for an unusual mortality event, who shall make immediate recommendations to the stranding network participants on how to proceed with response activities.

(B) An Onsite Coordinator so designated shall be one or more appropriate Regional Directors of the National Marine Fisheries Service or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or their designees.

(C) If, because of the wide geographic distribution, multiple species of marine mammals involved, or magnitude of an unusual mortality event, more than one Onsite Coordinator is designated, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, designate which of the Onsite Coordinators shall have primary responsibility with respect to the event.

(2) Functions (A) An Onsite Coordinator designated under this subsection shall coordinate and direct the activities of all persons responding to an unusual mortality event in accordance with the contingency plan issued under subsection (b), except that—

(i) with respect to any matter that is not covered by the contingency plan, an Onsite Coordinator shall use his or her best professional judgment; and

(ii) the contingency plan may be temporarily modified by an Onsite Coordinator, consulting as expeditiously as possible with the Secretary, the Secretary of the Interior, and the unusual mortality event working group.

(B) An Onsite Coordinator may delegate to any qualified person authority to act as an Onsite Coordinator under this subchapter.

(Pub. L. 92–522, title IV, § 404, formerly title III, § 304, as added Pub. L. 102–587, title III, § 3003(a), Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5062; renumbered title IV, § 404, Pub. L. 103–238, § 24(b), Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 565; amended Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(111), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4317.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2022—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted “Chapter 10 of title 5” for “The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 App. U.S.C.)”.