### §3502. Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping

#### (a) In general

The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of the National Ocean Exploration Act,1 shall use the Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping in existence as of the date of the enactment of such Act to implement section 3501 of this title.

#### (b) Membership

The Working Group shall be comprised of senior-level representatives from Federal agencies with ocean and coastal mapping and surveying responsibilities. Membership shall include senior-level representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the Navy, the United States Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of the Department of the Interior, the Office of the Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife and Parks of the Department of the Interior, the National Science Foundation, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and other appropriate Federal agencies involved in ocean and coastal mapping.

#### (c) Co-Chairs

The Working Group shall be co-chaired by one representative from each of the following:

(1) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(2) The Department of the Interior.

#### (d) Subordinate groups

The co-chairs may establish such permanent or temporary subordinate groups as determined appropriate by the Working Group.

#### (e) Meetings

The Working Group shall meet on a quarterly basis, but each subordinate group shall meet on an as-needed basis.

#### (f) Coordination

The Working Group shall coordinate activities when appropriate, with—

(1) other Federal efforts;

(2) international mapping activities;

(3) coastal States;

(4) coastal Indian Tribes;

(5) data acquisition and user groups through workshops, partnerships, and other appropriate mechanisms; and

(6) representatives of nongovernmental entities.

#### (g) Support functions

The Working Group shall support the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council established under section 5405 of the National Ocean Exploration Act 1 and the Ocean Science and Technology Subcommittee of the Ocean Policy Committee established under section 8932(c) of title 10 on ocean mapping activities and associated technology development across the Federal Government, State governments, coastal Indian Tribes, private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and academia.

(Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, §12203, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1423; Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title CIII, §10307(b)(1)(B), (2)–(9), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3975, 3976.)

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### References in Text

The date of the enactment of the National Ocean Exploration Act, referred to in subsec. (a), probably means the date of enactment of Pub. L. 117–263, which was approved Dec. 23, 2022. Prior versions of the bill that was enacted into law as title CIII of div. J of Pub. L. 117–263 included such Short Title, but it was not enacted as part of Pub. L. 117–263.

Section 5405 of the National Ocean Exploration Act, referred to in subsec. (g), probably means section 10304 of Pub. L. 117–263, which established the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council and is classified to section 3408 of this title. Prior versions of the bill that was enacted into law as title CIII of div. J of Pub. L. 117–263 included such Short Title, but it was not enacted as part of Pub. L. 117–263. Pub. L. 117–263 does not contain a section 5405.

#### Amendments

2022—Pub. L. 117–263, §10307(b)(1)(B)(i), substituted "Working Group" for "committee" in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–263, §10307(b)(2), substituted "not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of the National Ocean Exploration Act, shall use the Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping in existence as of the date of the enactment of such Act to implement section 3501 of this title." for "within 30 days after March 30, 2009, shall convene or utilize an existing interagency committee on ocean and coastal mapping to implement section 3501 of this title."

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 117–263, §10307(b)(3), substituted "senior-level" for "senior" in two places, "the Department of the Navy" for "the Chief of Naval Operations", and "the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of the Department of the Interior, the Office of the Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife and Parks of the Department of the Interior" for "the Minerals Management Service" and struck out "The representatives shall be high-ranking officials of their respective agencies or departments and, whenever possible, the head of the portion of the agency or department that is most relevant to the purposes of this chapter." after "surveying responsibilities."

Pub. L. 117–263, §10307(b)(1)(B)(ii), substituted "Working Group" for "committee".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 117–263, §10307(b)(4), amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "The Committee shall be co-chaired by the representative of the Department of Commerce and a representative of the Department of the Interior."

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–263, §10307(b)(5), amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "The co-chairmen shall establish a subcommittee to carry out the day-to-day work of the Committee, comprised of senior representatives of any member agency of the committee. Working groups may be formed by the full Committee to address issues of short duration. The subcommittee shall be chaired by the representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The chairmen of the Committee may create such additional subcommittees and working groups as may be needed to carry out the work of Committee."

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 117–263, §10307(b)(1)(B)(iii), (6), substituted "Working Group" for "committee" and "each subordinate group" for "each subcommittee and each working group".

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 117–263, §10307(b)(7), added pars. (1) to (6) and struck out former pars. (1) to (5) which read as follows:

"(1) other Federal efforts, including the Digital Coast, Geospatial One-Stop, and the Federal Geographic Data Committee;

"(2) international mapping activities;

"(3) coastal states;

"(4) user groups through workshops and other appropriate mechanisms; and

"(5) representatives of nongovernmental entities."

Pub. L. 117–263, §10307(b)(1)(B)(iv), substituted "Working Group" for "committee" in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 117–263, §10307(b)(8), (9), added subsec. (g) and struck out former subsec. (g). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "The Administrator may convene an ocean and coastal mapping advisory panel consisting of representatives from non-governmental entities to provide input regarding activities of the committee in consultation with the interagency committee."

1 See References in Text note below.