A bill to establish a Science and Technology Scholarship Program to award scholarships to recruit and prepare students for careers in the National Weather Service and in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine research, atmospheric research, and satellite programs and for other purposes.

Summary: NOAA Scholarship Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a Science and Technology Scholarship Program to award scholarships to students at institutions of higher education to recruit and prepare them for careers in the National Weather Service and in NOAA marine research, atmospheric research, and satellite programs. Sets forth provisions governing such Program.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``NOAA Scholarship Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator is authorized to 
        establish a Science and Technology Scholarship Program to award 
        scholarships to individuals to recruit and prepare students for 
        careers in the National Weather Service and in Administration 
        marine research, atmospheric research, and satellite programs.
            (2) Competitive process.--Individuals shall be selected to 
        receive scholarships under the scholarship program through a 
        competitive process primarily on the basis of academic merit, 
        with consideration given to financial need and the goal of 
        promoting the participation of individuals described in section 
        33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b) in the scholarship program.
            (3) Service agreements.--To carry out the scholarship 
        program, the Administrator shall enter into contractual 
        agreements with individuals selected under paragraph (2) under 
        which the individuals agree to serve as full-time employees of 
        the Administration, for the period described in subsection 
        (f)(1), in positions needed by the Administration in fields 
        described in paragraph (1) and for which the individuals are 
        qualified, in exchange for receiving a scholarship.
    (b) Scholarship Eligibility.--In order to be eligible to 
participate in the scholarship program, an individual shall--
            (1) be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a full-time 
        student at an institution of higher education in an academic 
        program or field of study described in the list made available 
        under subsection (d);
            (2) be a citizen or permanent resident of the United 
        States; and
            (3) at the time of the initial scholarship award, not be an 
        employee (as that term is defined in section 2105 of title 5, 
        United States Code) of the United States.
    (c) Application Required.--An individual seeking a scholarship 
under the scholarship program shall submit an application to the 
Administrator at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information, agreements, or assurances as the Administrator may require 
to carry out this section.
    (d) Eligible Academic Programs.--The Administrator shall make 
publicly available a list of academic programs and fields of study for 
which scholarships may be utilized in fields described in subsection 
(a)(1), and shall update the list as necessary.
    (e) Scholarship Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator may provide a 
        scholarship under the scholarship program for an academic year 
        if the individual applying for the scholarship has submitted to 
        the Administrator, as part of the application required under 
        subsection (c), a proposed academic program leading to a degree 
        in a program or field of study on the list made available under 
        subsection (d).
            (2) Duration of eligibility.--An individual may not receive 
        a scholarship under the scholarship program for more than 4 
        academic years, unless the Administrator grants a waiver.
            (3) Scholarship amount.--The dollar amount of a scholarship 
        under the scholarship program for an academic year shall be 
        determined under regulations issued by the Administrator, but 
        may not exceed the cost of attendance, as described in 
        paragraph (4).
            (4) Authorized uses.--A scholarship provided under the 
        scholarship program may be expended for tuition, fees, and 
        other authorized expenses as established by the Administrator 
        by regulation.
            (5) Contracts regarding direct payments to institutions.--
        The Administrator may enter into a contractual agreement with 
        an institution of higher education under which the amounts 
        provided for a scholarship under this section for tuition, 
        fees, and other authorized expenses are paid directly to the 
        institution with respect to which the scholarship is provided.
    (f) Period of Obligated Service.--
            (1) Duration of service.--Except as provided in subsection 
        (h)(2), the period of service for which an individual shall be 
        obligated to serve as an employee of the Administration shall 
        be 24 months for each academic year for which a scholarship 
        under the scholarship program is provided.
            (2) Schedule for service.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), obligated service under paragraph (1) shall begin 
                not later than 60 days after the individual obtains the 
                educational degree for which the scholarship was 
                provided.
                    (B) Deferral.--The Administrator may defer the 
                obligation of an individual to provide a period of 
                service under paragraph (1) if the Administrator 
                determines that such a deferral is appropriate. The 
                Administrator shall prescribe the terms and conditions 
                under which a service obligation may be deferred 
                through regulation.
    (g) Penalties for Breach of Scholarship Agreement.--
            (1) Failure to complete academic training.--Scholarship 
        recipients who fail to maintain a high level of academic 
        standing, as defined by the Administrator by regulation, who 
        are dismissed from their educational institutions for 
        disciplinary reasons, or who voluntarily terminate academic 
        training before graduation from the educational program for 
        which the scholarship was awarded, shall be in breach of their 
        contractual agreement and, in lieu of any service obligation 
        arising under such agreement, shall be liable to the United 
        States for repayment not later than 1 year after the date of 
        default of all scholarship funds paid to them and to the 
        institution of higher education on their behalf under the 
        agreement, except as provided in subsection (h)(2). The 
        repayment period may be extended by the Administrator when 
        determined to be necessary, as established by regulation.
            (2) Failure to begin or complete the service obligation or 
        meet the terms and conditions of deferment.--Except as provided 
        in subsection (h), an individual who receives a scholarship 
        under the scholarship program and who, for any reason, fails to 
        begin or complete a service obligation under this section after 
        completion of academic training, or fails to comply with the 
        terms and conditions of deferment established by the 
        Administrator pursuant to subsection (f)(2)(B), shall be in 
        breach of the contractual agreement. Such an individual shall 
        be liable to the United States for an amount equal to--
                    (A) the total amount received by the individual 
                under the scholarship program; plus
                    (B) the amount of interest that would have been 
                earned on such amount, at the maximum legal prevailing 
                rate as determined by the Treasurer of the United 
                States, during the period between the date the amount 
                was awarded to the individual and the date of the 
                breach of the agreement.
    (h) Waiver or Suspension of Obligation.--
            (1) Death of individual.--Any obligation of an individual 
        incurred under the scholarship program (or a contractual 
        agreement thereunder) for service or payment shall be canceled 
        upon the death of the individual.
            (2) Impossibility or extreme hardship.--The Administrator 
        shall by regulation provide for the partial or total waiver or 
        suspension of any obligation of service or payment incurred by 
        an individual under the scholarship program (or a contractual 
        agreement thereunder) whenever compliance by the individual is 
        impossible or would involve extreme hardship to the individual, 
        or if enforcement of such obligation with respect to the 
        individual would be contrary to the best interests of the 
        United States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
     (a) Administration.--The term ``Administration'' means the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
    (b) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the Under 
Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere of the Department of Commerce.
    (c) Cost of Attendance.--The term ``cost of attendance'' has the 
meaning given that term in section 472 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ll).
    (d) Institution of Higher Education.--The term ``institution of 
higher education'' has the meaning given that term in section 101(a) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
    (e) Scholarship Program.--The term ``scholarship program'' means 
the Science and Technology Scholarship Program established under 
section 2(a).