WASHINGTON — Coral reefs would receive stronger protections under a bill a Senate panel unanimously approved yesterday.

The bill, which would reauthorize a law enacted seven years ago, would make it illegal to damage corals. It would exempt scientific research, fishing, emergency responses and other activities authorized by federal and state laws.

The proposal, approved by the Senate Commerce Committee, also would create civil penalties for damaging or destroying coral reefs. While some reefs already have legal protections, there is no national standard.

The House passed a similar bill last week on a voice vote, but that bill didn't include the penalty provisions.

Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawai'i, the bill's sponsor and chairman of the committee, said he hopes the civil penalties, which would finance a special fund for repairing damage to coral reefs, will help move the bill through the Senate.

In May, the Bush administration called for greater protection of coral reefs, saying nearly 25 percent of the world's reefs are at risk of collapsing from man-made pressures. Nearly 20 percent have been destroyed already.

Administration officials commended the Commerce Committee in a letter Monday for its efforts to "significantly strengthen the protection of U.S. coral reefs."

The bill would give the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration more authority to deal with ships that run aground on coral reefs, and would reauthorize a conservation program that provides grants to research emerging threats to the reefs.

Reach Dennis Camire at dcamire@gns.gannett.com.