99–006 

112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 112–157 

AUTHORIZATION OF HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES SPECIFIC 

TO THE ARCTIC 

JULY 20, 2011.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, from the Committee on Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 295] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 295) to amend the Hydrographic Services Improvement 

Act of 1998 to authorize funds to acquire hydrographic data and 

provide hydrographic services specific to the Arctic for safe navigation, delineating the United States extended continental shelf, and 

the monitoring and description of coastal changes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and 

recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 295 is to amend the Hydrographic Services 

Improvement Act of 1998 to authorize funds to acquire hydrographic data and provide hydrographic services specific to the Arctic for safe navigation, delineating the United States extended continental shelf, and the monitoring and description of coastal 

changes. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Hydrographic surveys support a variety of maritime functions including safe navigation, port and harbor maintenance (dredging), 

coastal engineering (beach erosion and replenishment), coastal zone 

management, and offshore resource development. Data collected 

through surveys show water depth (bathymetry) and object detection. These surveys can also provide information on sea-floor texture and composition (sand, mud, and rocks) to assist in anchoring, 


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dredging, marine construction, pipeline and cable routing, 

tsunamis, and storm surge modeling. Hydrographic surveys can 

also support other National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) missions including fish habitat characterization, bottom type classification, and submerged cultural resources management. 

NOAA currently has the resources, between in-house and contract vessels, to conduct hydrographic surveys for 3,000 square 

nautical miles a year. This equates to less than 1 percent of Navigationally Significant area surveyed each year. At this pace, the 

Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) concluded that it 

would take 166 years to survey just the areas routinely transited 

by federal, commercial and recreational vessels. NOAA’s goal is to 

achieve the capacity to survey and process 10,000 square nautical 

miles annually. The HSRP reports that this would put the Navigationally Significant areas on a 50-year resurvey cycle—an inadequate, but achievable, survey schedule. 

NOAA is also required to survey the 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline. NOAA’s Shoreline Mapping budget has been relatively static 

for many years, hindering NOAA’s mapping efforts. NOAA currently maps only 3 percent of the 95,000 miles of U.S. open shoreline a year. NOAA and its contractors can evaluate and remap only 

12 percent of priority port area shoreline annually, short of NOAA’s 

20 percent program target. Forty percent of the U.S. shoreline has 

not been mapped by NOAA since 1960. 

Limited survey work has occurred in the Arctic. According to testimony given by NOAA, most Arctic waters that are charted were 

surveyed with obsolete technology, some dating back to the 1800s. 

In addition, the northern and western coasts of Alaska have not 

been mapped since 1960, if ever, and confidence in the region’s 

nautical charts is extremely low. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 295 was introduced on January 12, 2011, by Congressman 

Don Young (R–AK). The bill was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 

Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs. On May 12, 2011, 

the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs held a hearing on the bill. On June 15, 2011, the Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on 

Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs was discharged by 

unanimous consent. No amendments were offered, and the bill was 

ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by 

unanimous consent. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a compariVerDate Mar 15 2010 06:46 Jul 21, 2011 Jkt 099006 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR157.XXX HR157

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son by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 295—A bill to amend the Hydrographic Services Improvement 

Act of 1998 to authorize funds to acquire hydrographic data 

and provide hydrographic services specific to the Arctic for safe 

navigation, delineating the United States extended continental 

shelf, and the monitoring and description of coastal changes 

H.R. 295 would authorize the appropriation of $7 million in each 

of fiscal years 2012 and 2013 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct certain hydrographic activities (the measurement and description of features that affect 

maritime navigation). Enacting H.R. 295 would not affect direct 

spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not 

apply. Public Law 110–386 authorized the appropriation of $182 million 

for fiscal year 2012 for NOAA to carry out hydrographic activities. 

H.R. 295 would authorize NOAA to use a portion ($7 million) of 

those amounts in 2012 to carry out certain hydrographic activities 

in the Arctic. Spending of those amounts would have no impact on 

the federal budget because it would not increase amounts that are 

authorized to be appropriated under current law. The bill also would authorize the appropriation of $7 million in 

fiscal year 2013 to carry out hydrographic activities in the Arctic. 

CBO estimates that implementing that provision would cost $7 million over the 2013–2016 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amount. 

H.R. 295 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 

2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required by 

clause 3(c)(2) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, 

this bill does not contain any new spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 

The bill would authorize the appropriation of $7 million in fiscal 

year 2013 to carry out hydrographic activities in the Arctic. CBO 

estimates that implementing that provision would cost $7 million 

over the 2013–2016 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amount. Enacting H.R. 295 would not affect direct spending or 

revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. The performance 

goals and objectives of H.R. 295 are to amend the Hydrographic 

Services Improvement Act of 1998 to authorize funds to acquire hyVerDate Mar 15 2010 06:46 Jul 21, 2011 Jkt 099006 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR157.XXX HR157

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drographic data and provide hydrographic services specific to the 

Arctic for safe navigation, delineating the United States extended 

continental shelf, and the monitoring and description of coastal 

changes. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 

9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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