House-Passed National Defense Authorization Acts Includes Hirono Bills to Protect Coral Reefs, Reconnect Families Separated by Korean War
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), secured the text of two bills she sponsored in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (FY23 NDAA), which passed the House earlier this week by a vote of 350-80 and now heads to the Senate for consideration, where it is expected to pass with broad support and become law. The NDAA includes the text of Senator Hirono’s Coral Reef Sustainability Through Innovation Act, bipartisan legislation to help protect coral reef ecosystems, as well as the text of her Korean War Divided Families Reunification Act, bipartisan legislation to establish a formal process to help Korean American families reunite with family members that remain in North Korea.
As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Hirono also secured numerous defense-related provisions in the FY23 NDAA, including $1 billion for the closure of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on Oahu, as well as nearly $800 million for other military infrastructure projects across Hawaii.
Introduced earlier this month, Senator Hirono’s Coral Reef Sustainability Through Innovation Act is a bipartisan bill to help protect coral reef ecosystems in Hawaii and across the nation from increasing threats such as climate change, pollution, and direct damage from humans. The legislation directs the federal agencies that are members of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to establish, individually or with one or more other agencies, a coral health prize competition in order to spur innovative solutions to preserve, sustain, and restore coral reef ecosystems at no additional cost to taxpayers.
“Coral reefs are critical to Hawaii’s environment and provide tens of billions of dollars in economic value to the American people,” said Senator Hirono. “With threats like climate change and pollution endangering the continued existence of coral reefs, it’s critical we invest in innovative solutions to protect and revive these vital marine ecosystems. The federal prize competitions this bill creates will help protect our coral reefs while advancing our understanding of these ecosystems and the best way to preserve them into the future.”
The NDAA also included the Korean War Divided Families Reunification Act, which she introduced in August. This bipartisan legislation directs the U.S. Secretary of State to establish a formal process to help Korean American families reunite with family members that remain in North Korea.
“Although the hostilities of the Korean War ended nearly seventy years ago, many Korean American families in Hawaii and across our country continue to suffer its consequence and are unable to see or connect with family members still in North Korea,” said Senator Hirono. “Family separation is wrong, and these families deserve the opportunity to reconnect with their loved ones. I’m glad we were able to take this meaningful step in this year’s NDAA.”
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