National Oceanographic Partnership Act

Summary: National Oceanographic Partnership Act - Establishes the National Oceanographic Partnership Program.  Sets forth the purposes of the program. 
Establishes the:  (1) National Ocean Research Leadership Council; (2) Ocean Research Partnership Coordinating Group; and (3) Ocean Research Advisory Panel under the program.  Sets forth the composition of membership and specified duties of each.  Mandates certain annual reports. 
Authorizes appropriations for the National Oceanographic Partnership Program for FY 1997 and requires that a certain amount be available for the operations of the partnership program office for such fiscal year.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Oceanographic Partnership 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The oceans and coastal areas of the United States are 
        among the Nation's most valuable natural resources, making 
        substantial contributions to economic growth, quality of life, 
        and national security.
            (2) Oceans drive global and regional climate. Hence, they 
        contain information affecting agriculture, fishing, and the 
        prediction of severe weather.
            (3) Understanding of the oceans through basic and applied 
        research is essential for using the oceans wisely and 
        protecting their limited resources. Therefore, the United 
        States should maintain its world leadership in oceanography as 
        one key to its competitive future.
            (4) Ocean research and education activities take place 
        within Federal agencies, academic institutions, and industry. 
        These entities often have similar requirements for research 
        facilities, data, and other resources (such as oceanographic 
        research vessels).
            (5) The need exists for a formal mechanism to coordinate 
        existing partnerships and establish new partnerships for the 
        sharing of resources, intellectual talent, and facilities in 
        the ocean sciences and education, so that optimal use can be 
        made of this most important natural resource for the well-being 
        of all Americans.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Program Required.--(1) Subtitle C of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by adding after chapter 663 the following new chapter:

       ``CHAPTER 665--NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

``Sec.
``7901. National Oceanographic Partnership Program.
``7902. National Ocean Research Leadership Council.
``7903. Ocean Research Partnership Coordinating Group.
``7904. Ocean Research Advisory Panel.
``Sec. 7901. National Oceanographic Partnership Program
    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Navy shall establish a 
program to be known as the `National Oceanographic Partnership 
Program'.
    ``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of the program are as follows:
            ``(1) To promote the national goals of assuring national 
        security, advancing economic development, protecting quality of 
        life, and strengthening science education and communication 
        through improved knowledge of the ocean.
            ``(2) To coordinate and strengthen oceanographic efforts in 
        support of those goals by--
                    ``(A) identifying and carrying out partnerships 
                among Federal agencies, academia, industry, and other 
                members of the oceanographic scientific community in 
                the areas of data, resources, education, and 
                communication; and
                    ``(B) reporting annually to Congress on the 
                program.
``Sec. 7902. National Ocean Research Leadership Council
    ``(a) Council.--There is a National Ocean Research Leadership 
Council (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the ``Council'').
    ``(b) Membership.--The Council is composed of the following 
members:
            ``(1) The Secretary of the Navy, who shall be the chairman 
        of the Council.
            ``(2) The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration, who shall be the vice chairman of 
        the Council.
            ``(3) The Director of the National Science Foundation.
            ``(4) The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 
        Space Administration.
            ``(5) The Deputy Secretary of Energy.
            ``(6) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency.
            ``(7) The Commandant of the Coast Guard.
            ``(8) The Director of the Geological Survey of the 
        Department of the Interior.
            ``(9) The Director of the Defense Advanced Research 
        Projects Agency.
            ``(10) The Director of the Minerals Management Service of 
        the Department of the Interior.
            ``(11) The President of the National Academy of Sciences, 
        the President of the National Academy of Engineering, and the 
        President of the Institute of Medicine.
            ``(12) The Director of the Office of Science and 
        Technology.
            ``(13) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
            ``(14) One member appointed by the Chairman from among 
        individuals who will represent the views of ocean industries.
            ``(15) One member appointed by the Chairman from among 
        individuals who will represent the views of State governments.
            ``(16) One member appointed by the Chairman from among 
        individuals who will represent the views of academia.
            ``(17) One member appointed by the Chairman from among 
        individuals who will represent such other views as the Chairman 
        considers appropriate.
    ``(c) Term of Office.--The term of office of a member of the 
Council appointed under paragraph (14), (15), (16), or (17) of 
subsection (b) shall be two years, except that any person appointed to 
fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which 
his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of 
such term.
    ``(d) Responsibilities.--The Council shall have the following 
responsibilities:
            ``(1) To establish the Ocean Research Partnership 
        Coordinating Group as provided in section 7903.
            ``(2) To establish the Ocean Research Advisory Panel as 
        provided in section 7904.
            ``(3) To submit to Congress an annual report pursuant to 
        subsection (e).
    ``(e) Annual Report.--Not later than March 1 of each year, the 
Council shall submit to Congress a report on the National Oceanographic 
Partnership Program. The report shall contain the following:
            ``(1) A description of activities of the program carried 
        out during the fiscal year before the fiscal year in which the 
        report is prepared. The description also shall include a list 
        of the members of the Ocean Research Partnership Coordinating 
        Group, the Ocean Research Advisory Panel, and any working 
        groups in existence during the fiscal year covered.
            ``(2) A general outline of the activities planned for the 
        program during the fiscal year in which the report is prepared.
            ``(3) A summary of projects continued from the fiscal year 
        before the fiscal year in which the report is prepared and 
        projects expected to be started during the fiscal year in which 
        the report is prepared and during the following fiscal year.
            ``(4) A description of the involvement of the program with 
        Federal interagency coordinating entities.
            ``(5) The amounts requested, in the budget submitted to 
        Congress pursuant to section 1105(a) of title 31 for the fiscal 
        year following the fiscal year in which the report is prepared, 
        for the programs, projects, and activities of the program and 
        the estimated expenditures under such programs, projects, and 
        activities during such following fiscal year.
``Sec. 7903. Ocean Research Partnership Coordinating Group
    ``(a) Establishment.--The Council shall establish an entity to be 
known as the `Ocean Research Partnership Coordinating Group' 
(hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the `Coordinating Group').
    ``(b) Membership.--The Coordinating Group shall consist of members 
appointed by the Council, with one member appointed from each Federal 
department or agency having an oceanographic research or development 
program.
    ``(c) Chairman.--The Council shall appoint the Chairman of the 
Coordinating Group.
    ``(d) Responsibilities.--Subject to the authority, direction, and 
control of the Council, the Coordinating Group shall have the following 
responsibilities:
            ``(1) To prescribe policies and procedures to implement the 
        National Oceanographic Partnership Program.
            ``(2) To review, select, and identify and allocate funds 
        for partnership projects for implementation under the program, 
        based on the following criteria:
                    ``(A) Whether the project addresses critical 
                research objectives or operational goals, such as data 
                accessibility and quality assurance, sharing of 
                resources, education, or communication.
                    ``(B) Whether the project has broad participation 
                within the oceanographic community.
                    ``(C) Whether the partners have a long-term 
                commitment to the objectives of the project.
                    ``(D) Whether the resources supporting the project 
                are shared among the partners.
                    ``(E) Whether the project has been subjected to 
                adequate peer review.
            ``(3) To promote participation in partnership projects by 
        each Federal department and agency involved with oceanographic 
        research and development by publicizing the program and by 
        prescribing guidelines for participation in the program.
            ``(4) To submit to the Council an annual report pursuant to 
        subsection (i).
    ``(e) Partnership Program Office.--The Coordinating Group shall 
establish, using competitive procedures, and oversee a partnership 
program office to carry out such duties as the Chairman of the 
Coordinating Group considers appropriate to implement the National 
Oceanographic Partnership Program, including the following:
            ``(1) To establish and oversee working groups to propose 
        partnership projects to the Coordinating Group and advise the 
        Group on such projects.
            ``(2) To manage peer review of partnership projects 
        proposed to the Coordinating Group and competitions for 
        projects selected by the Group.
            ``(3) To submit to the Coordinating Group an annual report 
        on the status of all partnership projects and activities of the 
        office.
    ``(f) Contract and Grant Authority.--The Coordinating Group may 
authorize one or more of the departments or agencies represented in the 
Group to enter into contracts and make grants, using funds appropriated 
pursuant to an authorization for the National Oceanographic Partnership 
Program, for the purpose of implementing the program and carrying out 
the Coordinating Group's responsibilities.
    ``(g) Forms of Partnership Projects.--Partnership projects selected 
by the Coordinating Group may be in any form that the Coordinating 
Group considers appropriate, including memoranda of understanding, 
cooperative research and development agreements, and similar 
instruments.
    ``(h) Annual Report.--Not later than February 1 of each year, the 
Coordinating Group shall submit to the Council a report on the National 
Oceanographic Partnership Program. The report shall contain, at a 
minimum, copies of any recommendations or reports to the Coordinating 
Group by the Ocean Research Advisory Panel.
``Sec. 7904. Ocean Research Advisory Panel
    ``(a) Establishment.--The Council shall appoint an Ocean Research 
Advisory Panel (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the 
`Advisory Panel') consisting of not less than 10 and not more than 18 
members.
    ``(b) Membership.--Members of the Advisory Panel shall be appointed 
from among persons who are eminent in the fields of marine science or 
marine policy, or related fields, and who are representative, at a 
minimum, of the interests of government, academia, and industry.
    ``(c) Responsibilities.--(1) The Coordinating Group shall refer to 
the Advisory Panel, and the Advisory Panel shall review, each proposed 
partnership project estimated to cost more than $500,000. The Advisory 
Panel shall make any recommendations to the Coordinating Group that the 
Advisory Panel considers appropriate regarding such projects.
    ``(2) The Advisory Panel shall make any recommendations to the 
Coordinating Group regarding activities that should be addressed by the 
National Oceanographic Partnership Program that the Advisory Panel 
considers appropriate.''.
    (2) The table of chapters at the beginning of subtitle C of title 
10, United States Code, and at the beginning of part IV of such 
subtitle, are each amended by inserting after the item relating to 
chapter 663 the following:

``665. National Oceanographic Partnership Program...........    7901''.

    (b) Initial Appointments of Council Members.--The Secretary of the 
Navy shall make the appointments required by section 7902(b) of title 
10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), not later than 
December 1, 1996.
    (c) Initial Appointments of Advisory Panel Members.--The National 
Ocean Research Leadership Council established by section 7902 of title 
10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), shall make the 
appointments required by section 7904 of such title not later than 
January 1, 1997.
    (d) First Annual Report of National Ocean Research Leadership 
Council.--The first annual report required by section 7902(e) of title 
10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), shall be 
submitted to Congress not later than March 1, 1997. The first report 
shall include, in addition to the information required by such section, 
information about the terms of office, procedures, and responsibilities 
of the Ocean Research Advisory Panel established by the Council.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $30,000,000 for the National Oceanographic Partnership 
Program for fiscal year 1997.
    (f) Required Funding for Program Office.--Of the amount 
appropriated for the National Oceanographic Partnership Program for 
fiscal year 1997, at least $500,000, or 3 percent of the amount 
appropriated, whichever is greater, shall be available for operations 
of the partnership program office established pursuant to section 
7903(e) of title 10, United States Code, for such fiscal year.