II 

Calendar No. 573 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1252 

[Report No. 111–296] 

To promote ocean and human health and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 11, 2009 

Mr. ROCKEFELLER (for himself, Mr. INOUYE, and Ms. CANTWELL) introduced 

the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 

on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010 

Reported by Mr. ROCKEFELLER, with an amendment 

[Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To promote ocean and human health and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Oceans and Human 

5 Health Reauthorization Act of 2009’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY OCEANS AND HUMAN HEALTH RE2 SEARCH PROGRAM. 

3 (a) COORDINATION.—Subsection (a) of section 902 

4 of the Oceans and Human Health Act (33 U.S.C. 3101) 

5 is amended by striking ‘‘in human health.’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘, coasts, and Great Lakes in human health and deliver 

7 information, products, and services to assist the Nation 

8 in reducing public health risks, including those related to 

9 climate change, and enhancing health benefits from the 

10 ocean.’’. 

11 (b) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Subsection (b) of sec12 tion 902 of the Oceans and Human Health Act (33 U.S.C. 

13 3101) is amended— 

14 (1) by amending the matter preceding para15 graph (1) to read as follows: 

16 ‘‘(b) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Not later than 5 

17 years after the date of the enactment of the Oceans and 

18 Human Health Reauthorization Act of 2009, an Inter19 agency Oceans and Human Health Task Force or working 

20 group established by the National Science and Technology 

21 Council, through the Director of the Office of Science and 

22 Technology Policy, shall revise and update the 2007 

23 ‘Interagency Oceans and Human Health Research Imple24 mentation Plan’ and submit to the Congress the updated 

25 Plan. Nothing in this subsection is intended to duplicate 

26 or supersede the activities of the Inter-Agency Task Force 


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1 on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia established under 

2 section 603 of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Re3 search and Control Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383; 16 

4 U.S.C. 1451 note). The updated plan shall—’’; 

5 (2) in paragraph (1)— 

6 (A) by inserting ‘‘, surveillance, and fore7 casting’’ after ‘‘prediction’’; 

8 (B) by inserting ‘‘, including problems re9 lated to climate change,’’ after ‘‘health prob10 lems’’; 

11 (C) by inserting ‘‘and chemical’’ after ‘‘bio12 logical’’; and 

13 (D) by inserting ‘‘products for the preven14 tion and’’ after ‘‘new’’; 

15 (3) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and partici16 pation;’’ and all that follows through the end and in17 serting ‘‘participation in national and international 

18 research and outreach efforts, and outreach to the 

19 medical community and the public;’’; 

20 (4) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, including 

21 joint efforts,’’ after ‘‘departments’’; 

22 (5) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘preventive’’ 

23 and inserting ‘‘preventing’’; 

24 (6) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘Resources’’ 

25 after ‘‘the Ocean’’; 


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1 (7) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

2 end; 

3 (8) by amending paragraph (7) to read as fol4 lows: 

5 ‘‘(7) estimate funding needed for research, sur6 veillance, education, and outreach activities to be 

7 conducted within or supported by Federal agencies 

8 and departments under the program.’’; and 

9 (9) by at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(8) build on, and complement, the research, 

11 surveillance, and outreach activities of the National 

12 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Na13 tional Science Foundation, the National Institutes of 

14 Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Preven15 tion, the National Institute of Environmental Health 

16 Sciences, and other departments and agencies.’’. 

17 (c) PROGRAM SCOPE.—Subsection (c) of section 902 

18 of the Oceans and Human Health Act (33 U.S.C. 3101) 

19 is amended— 

20 (1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as fol21 lows: 

22 ‘‘(1) Interdisciplinary research among the 

23 ocean, atmospheric, and medical sciences, and co24 ordinated research and activities to improve under25 standing of processes within the ocean that may afVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:54 Sep 20, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S1252.RS S1252

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1 fect human and marine animal health and to explore 

2 the potential contribution of marine organisms to 

3 medicine and research, including— 

4 ‘‘(A) vector-, water-, and food-borne dis5 eases of humans and marine organisms, includ6 ing marine mammals, corals, and fish; 

7 ‘‘(B) health effects for both humans and 

8 marine animals associated with harmful algal 

9 blooms and hypoxia (in collaboration with the 

10 Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal 

11 Blooms and Hypoxia); 

12 ‘‘(C) health effects for humans and marine 

13 organisms associated with climate change im14 pacts in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes wa15 ters; 

16 ‘‘(D) marine-derived pharmaceuticals and 

17 other natural products; 

18 ‘‘(E) marine organisms and habitats as 

19 models for biomedical research and as indica20 tors of human health and well being and marine 

21 environmental health; 

22 ‘‘(F) marine environmental microbiology; 

23 ‘‘(G) legacy and emerging chemicals of 

24 concern, including bioaccumulative and endo25 crine-disrupting chemical contaminants; 


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1 ‘‘(H) predictive models based on indicators 

2 of marine environmental health or public health 

3 threats; and 

4 ‘‘(I) social, economic, and behavioral stud5 ies of relationships between the condition of 

6 oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes and human 

7 health and well-being.’’; 

8 (2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as fol9 lows: 

10 ‘‘(2) Coordination with any appropriate inter11 agency working group of the Joint Subcommittee on 

12 Ocean Science and Technology, or its successor 

13 body, through the National Science and Technology 

14 Council, to ensure that any integrated ocean and 

15 coastal observing system provides information nec16 essary to monitor and reduce marine public health 

17 problems, including climate change information, 

18 health-related data on biological populations, and de19 tection of toxins and contaminants in marine waters 

20 and seafood.’’; and 

21 (3) in paragraph (3)— 

22 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

23 ‘‘genomics and proteomics’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other 

25 related sciences’’; 


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1 (B) by amending subparagraph (C) to read 

2 as follows: 

3 ‘‘(C) in situ, laboratory, and remote sen4 sors— 

5 ‘‘(i) to detect, quantify, and predict 

6 the presence, distribution, concentration, 

7 toxicity, or virulence of infectious microbes, 

8 harmful algae, toxins, and chemical con9 taminants in ocean, coastal, and Great 

10 Lakes waters, sediments, organisms, and 

11 seafood; and 

12 ‘‘(ii) to identify new genetic resources 

13 for biomedical purposes;’’; and 

14 (C) in subparagraph (E), by striking 

15 ‘‘equipment and technologies’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘equipment, technologies, and methodologies’’. 

17 (d) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Subsection (d) of section 

18 902 of the Oceans and Human Health Act (33 U.S.C. 

19 3101) is amended— 

20 (1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘ANNUAL’’ and 

21 inserting ‘‘BIENNIAL’’; 

22 (2) in the material preceding paragraph (1)— 

23 (A) by striking ‘‘24 months after the date 

24 of enactment of this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘12 

25 months after the date of the enactment of the 


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1 Oceans and Human Health Reauthorization Act 

2 of 2009’’; 

3 (B) by striking ‘‘each year an annual’’ and 

4 inserting ‘‘alternate years a biennial’’; and 

5 (C) by striking ‘‘year,’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘years,’’; 

7 (3) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘year;’’ and 

8 inserting ‘‘years;’’; 

9 (4) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘that pre10 ceding fiscal year;’’ and inserting ‘‘the preceding two 

11 fiscal years;’’ and 

12 (5) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘, funding 

13 needs,’’ after ‘‘action’’. 

14 SEC. 3. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINIS15 TRATION OCEANS AND HUMAN HEALTH INI16 TIATIVE. 

17 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subsection (a) of section 903 

18 of the Oceans and Human Health Act (33 U.S.C. 3102) 

19 is amended— 

20 (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 

21 striking the second sentence, and inserting ‘‘In car22 rying out this section, the Secretary shall consult 

23 with other Federal agencies and departments con24 ducting integrated oceans and human health re25 search and disease surveillance activities and reVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:54 Sep 20, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S1252.RS S1252

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1 search in related areas, including the National 

2 Science Foundation, the National Institutes of 

3 Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Preven4 tion, the National Institute of Environmental Health 

5 Sciences, and other agencies and departments.’’; and 

6 (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘external’’ 

7 after ‘‘an’’. 

8 (b) ADVISORY PANEL.—Subsection (b) of section 903 

9 of the Oceans and Human Health Act (33 U.S.C. 3102) 

10 is amended— 

11 (1) by striking ‘‘is authorized to’’ and inserting 

12 ‘‘shall’’; and 

13 (2) by striking ‘‘sciences.’’ and inserting 

14 ‘‘sciences, including public health practitioners.’’. 

15 (c) NATIONAL CENTERS.—Subsection (c) of section 

16 903 of the Oceans and Human Health Act (33 U.S.C. 

17 3102) is amended— 

18 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘for’’; and 

19 (2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as fol20 lows: 

21 ‘‘(2) The centers shall focus on— 

22 ‘‘(A) areas related to agency missions, in23 cluding use of marine organisms and habitats 

24 as indicators for marine environmental health, 

25 impacts of climate change on ocean health 


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1 threats, ocean pollutants, marine toxins and 

2 pathogens, harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, sea3 food safety and quality, identification of poten4 tial marine products, and biology and 

5 pathobiology of marine mammals, corals, and 

6 other marine organisms; and 

7 ‘‘(B) supporting disciplines including ma8 rine genomics, marine environmental microbi9 ology, ecological chemistry, and conservation 

10 medicine.’’. 

11 (d) EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH GRANTS.—Subsection 

12 (d) of section 903 of the Oceans and Human Health Act 

13 (33 U.S.C. 3102) is amended by adding at the end the 

14 following: 

15 ‘‘(3) Grants under this subsection shall support 

16 research to improve understanding of processes with17 in the ocean that may affect human and marine ani18 mal health and to explore the potential contribution 

19 of marine organisms to medicine and research, in20 cluding— 

21 ‘‘(A) vector-, water-, and food-borne dis22 eases of humans and marine organisms, includ23 ing marine mammals, corals, and fish; 

24 ‘‘(B) health effects for humans and marine 

25 organisms associated with climate change imVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:54 Sep 20, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S1252.RS S1252

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1 pacts in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes wa2 ters; 

3 ‘‘(C) marine-derived pharmaceuticals and 

4 other natural products; 

5 ‘‘(D) marine organisms and habitats as 

6 models for biomedical research and as indica7 tors of human health and well being and marine 

8 environmental health; 

9 ‘‘(E) marine environmental microbiology; 

10 ‘‘(F) legacy and emerging chemicals of 

11 concern, including bioaccumulative and endo12 crine-disrupting chemical contaminants; 

13 ‘‘(G) predictive models based on indicators 

14 of marine environmental health or public health 

15 threats; 

16 ‘‘(H) cataloging and interpreting microbes 

17 and understanding microbial functions in eco18 systems and impacts on human and marine 

19 health; and 

20 ‘‘(I) social, economic, and behavioral stud21 ies of relationships between the condition of 

22 oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, and human 

23 health and well-being.’’. 

24 (e) DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS; COOPERATIVE

25 AGREEMENTS.—Section 903 of the Oceans and Human 


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1 Health Act (33 U.S.C. 3102) is amended by adding at 

2 the end the following: 

3 ‘‘(f) DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS.—The Secretary of 

4 Commerce is authorized to establish a competitive pro5 gram to recognize highly distinguished external scientists 

6 in any area of oceans and human health research and to 

7 involve those scientists in collaborative work with the 

8 Oceans and Human Health Initiative of the National Oce9 anic and Atmospheric Administration. 

10 ‘‘(g) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary of 

11 Commerce may execute and perform such contracts, 

12 leases, grants, or cooperative agreements as may be nec13 essary to carry out this section.’’. 

14 SEC. 4. PUBLIC INFORMATION AND OUTREACH. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 904 of 

16 the Oceans and Human Health Act (33 U.S.C. 3103) is 

17 amended by striking ‘‘program,’’ and inserting ‘‘and insti18 tutions of higher education,’’. 

19 (b) REPORT.—Subsection (b) of section 904 of the 

20 Oceans and Human Health Act (33 U.S.C. 3103) is 

21 amended to read as follows: 

22 ‘‘(b) REPORT.— 

23 ‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of Com24 merce shall submit to Congress a biennial report re25 viewing the results of the research, assessments, and 


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1 findings developed under the Oceans and Human 

2 Health Initiative of the National Oceanic and At3 mospheric Administration. Each such report shall— 

4 ‘‘(A) describe the projects, products, and 

5 programs funded under the Initiative; 

6 ‘‘(B) describe the work of the Advisory 

7 Committee and the manner in which the pro8 gram is meeting development and implementa9 tion recommendations for the program; and 

10 ‘‘(C) include recommendations for improv11 ing or expanding the program. 

12 ‘‘(2) COMBINED REPORTS.—Each report re13 quired by paragraph (1) may be combined with the 

14 National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s 

15 input to the biennial interagency report required by 

16 section 902(d).’’. 

17 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

18 Subsection (a) of section 905 of the Oceans and 

19 Human Health Act (33 U.S.C. 3104) is amended— 

20 (1) by striking ‘‘2005 through 2008’’ and in21 serting ‘‘2010 through 2014’’; and 

22 (2) by inserting ‘‘, distinguished scholar,’’ after 

23 ‘‘grant’’. 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; AMENDMENT OF OCEANS AND 

2 HUMAN HEALTH ACT. 

3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

4 ‘‘Oceans and Human Health Reauthorization Act of 2010’’. 

5 (b) AMENDMENT OF OCEANS AND HUMAN HEALTH

6 ACT.— 

7 Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in 

8 this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of 

9 an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, 

10 the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or 

11 other provision of the Oceans and Human Health Act (33 

12 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.). 

13 SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY OCEANS AND HUMAN HEALTH RE14 SEARCH PROGRAM. 

15 (a) COORDINATION.—Section 902(a) (33 U.S.C. 

16 3101(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘oceans in human health.’’ 

17 and inserting ‘‘oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes in human 

18 health and deliver information, products, and services to 

19 assist the Nation in reducing public health risks, and en20 hancing health benefits, from the ocean.’’. 

21 (b) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Section 902(b) (33 

22 U.S.C. 3101(b)) is amended— 

23 (1) by striking the matter preceding paragraph 

24 (1) and inserting the following: 

25 ‘‘(b) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Within 2 years after 

26 the date of the enactment of the Oceans and Human Health 


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1 Reauthorization Act of 2010, and every 5 years thereafter, 

2 the National Science and Technology Council, through the 

3 Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, 

4 shall revise and update the 2007 ‘Interagency Oceans and 

5 Human Health Research Implementation Plan’ and submit 

6 the updated plan to the Congress. The updated Plan shall 

7 define the roles of Federal agencies and departments in 

8 order to avoid duplication of activities and coordinate ef9 forts in support of the research program. Nothing in this 

10 subsection is intended to duplicate or supersede the activi11 ties of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal 

12 Blooms and Hypoxia established under section 603 of the 

13 Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control 

14 Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 1451 note). The updated Plan shall 

15 build on and complement the ongoing research, surveillance, 

16 and outreach activities of the National Oceanic and Atmos17 pheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, 

18 the National Institutes of Health (including the National 

19 Institute of Environmental Health Sciences), the Centers 

20 for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environ21 mental Protection Agency, and other Federal departments 

22 and agencies, and shall—’’; 

23 (2) in paragraph (1)— 


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1 (A) by striking ‘‘prediction’’ and inserting 

2 ‘‘prediction, surveillance, forecasting, and miti3 gation’’; 

4 (B) by inserting ‘‘and chemical’’ after ‘‘bio5 logical’’; and 

6 (C) by striking ‘‘treatments’’ and inserting 

7 ‘‘products for the prevention and treatment’’; 

8 (3) by striking ‘‘training’’ and all that follows in 

9 paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘Federal research cen10 ters, training, and support for scientists, and partici11 pation in national and international research and 

12 outreach efforts, including outreach to the medical 

13 community and the public;’’; 

14 (4) by striking ‘‘preventive’’ in paragraph (4) 

15 and inserting ‘‘preventing’’; 

16 (5) by inserting ‘‘Resources’’ in paragraph (5) 

17 after ‘‘the Ocean’’ ; and 

18 (6) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the 

19 following: 

20 ‘‘(7) estimate funding needed for research, sur21 veillance, education, and outreach activities to be con22 ducted within and supported by Federal agencies 

23 under the program.’’. 

24 (c) PROGRAM SCOPE.—Section 902(c) (33 U.S.C. 

25 3101(c)) is amended— 


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1 (1) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and in2 serting the following: 

3 ‘‘(1) Interdisciplinary research among the ocean, 

4 atmospheric, and medical sciences, and coordinated 

5 research and activities to improve understanding of 

6 processes within the ocean that may affect human 

7 health and to explore the potential contribution of 

8 marine organisms to medicine and research, includ9 ing— 

10 ‘‘(A) vector-, water-, and food-borne diseases 

11 of humans and marine organisms, including ma12 rine mammals, corals, fish, and shellfish; 

13 ‘‘(B) human health effects associated with 

14 harmful algal blooms and hypoxia (in collabora15 tion with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harm16 ful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia); 

17 ‘‘(C) marine-derived pharmaceuticals and 

18 other natural products; 

19 ‘‘(D) marine organisms and habitats as 

20 models for biomedical research and as indicators 

21 of human health and well being and marine en22 vironmental health; 

23 ‘‘(E) marine environmental microbiology 

24 linked to human health; 


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1 ‘‘(F) human health effects associated with 

2 legacy and emerging chemicals of concern, in3 cluding bioaccumulative and endocrine-dis4 rupting chemical contaminants; 

5 ‘‘(G) predictive models based on indicators 

6 of marine environmental health or public health 

7 threats; and 

8 ‘‘(H) social, economic, and behavioral stud9 ies of relationships between the condition of 

10 oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes and human 

11 health and well-being. 

12 ‘‘(2) Coordination with appropriate interagency 

13 working groups of the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean 

14 Science and Technology, or its successor body, through 

15 the National Science and Technology Council, to en16 sure that any integrated ocean and coastal observing 

17 system provides information necessary to monitor and 

18 reduce marine public health problems, including cli19 mate change information, health-related data on bio20 logical populations, and detection of toxins and con21 taminants in marine waters and seafood.’’; and 

22 (2) in paragraph (3)— 

23 (A) by striking ‘‘genomics and proteomics’’ 

24 in subparagraph (A) and inserting ‘‘genomics, 


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1 proteomics, metabolomics, and other related 

2 sciences’’; 

3 (B) by striking subparagraph (C) and in4 serting the following: 

5 ‘‘(C) in situ, laboratory, and remote sen6 sors— 

7 ‘‘(i) to detect, quantify, and predict the 

8 presence, distribution, concentration, tox9 icity, or virulence of infectious microbes, 

10 harmful algae, toxins, and chemical con11 taminants in ocean, coastal, and Great 

12 Lakes waters, sediments, organisms, and 

13 seafood; and 

14 ‘‘(ii) to identify new genetic resources 

15 for biomedical purposes;’’; and 

16 (C) by striking ‘‘equipment and tech17 nologies’’ in subparagraph (E) and inserting 

18 ‘‘equipment, technologies, and methodologies’’. 

19 (d) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Section 902(d) (33 U.S.C. 

20 3101(d)) is amended— 

21 (1) by striking ‘‘ANNUAL’’ in the heading and in22 serting ‘‘BIENNIAL’’; 

23 (2) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)— 

24 (A) by striking ‘‘Beginning with the first 

25 year occurring more than 24 months after the 


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1 date of enactment of the Act, the’’ and inserting 

2 ‘‘The’’; 

3 (B) by striking ‘‘each year an annual’’ and 

4 inserting ‘‘alternate years a biennial’’; and 

5 (C) by striking ‘‘year,’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘years,’’; 

7 (3) by striking ‘‘fiscal year;’’ in paragraph (1) 

8 and inserting ‘‘2 fiscal years;’’; 

9 (4) by striking ‘‘that preceding fiscal year;’’ in 

10 paragraph (4) and inserting ‘‘the preceding 2 fiscal 

11 years;’’ and 

12 (5) by striking ‘‘action’’ in paragraph (5) and 

13 inserting ‘‘action, funding needs,’’. 

14 SEC. 3. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINIS15 TRATION OCEANS AND HUMAN HEALTH PRO16 GRAM. 

17 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 903(a) (33 U.S.C. 

18 3102(a)) is amended to read as follows: 

19 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—As part of the interagency 

21 oceans and human health research program, the Sec22 retary of Commerce shall establish an Oceans and 

23 Human Health Program to coordinate and imple24 ment research and activities of the National Oceanic 

25 and Atmospheric Administration related to the role of 


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1 the oceans, the coasts, and the Great Lakes in human 

2 health. The program shall include linking research 

3 programs with operational activities focused on— 

4 ‘‘(A) forecasting to provide early warning 

5 and prediction of long-term health impacts; 

6 ‘‘(B) surveillance to recognize emerging 

7 threats to public health; 

8 ‘‘(C) assessment of risk perception, manage9 ment, and response; and 

10 ‘‘(D) developing ocean health products and 

11 services. 

12 ‘‘(2) COORDINATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES’ EF13 FORTS.—The Secretary shall consult with other Fed14 eral agencies conducting integrated oceans and 

15 human health research and disease surveillance ac16 tivities and research in related areas, including the 

17 National Science Foundation, the National Institutes 

18 of Health (including the National Institute of Envi19 ronmental Health Sciences), the Centers for Disease 

20 Control and Prevention, the National Institute of En21 vironmental Health Sciences, the U.S. Environmental 

22 Protection Agency, and other agencies and depart23 ments. NOAA shall develop a strategic implementa24 tion plan with defined goals and benchmarks for the 

25 program, including— 


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1 ‘‘(A) performance measurements to evaluate 

2 the effectiveness of the program; 

3 ‘‘(B) plans to transition research into pro4 gram operations; 

5 ‘‘(C) ocean and human health indices to 

6 quantify and track their changes over time; 

7 ‘‘(D) coordination of oceans and human 

8 health related programs across NOAA and with 

9 partner organizations; and 

10 ‘‘(E) prioritization of research. 

11 ‘‘(3) SUPPORT FUNCTION.—The Oceans and 

12 Human Health Program shall provide support for— 

13 ‘‘(1) centralized program and research co14 ordination; 

15 ‘‘(2) an external advisory panel; 

16 ‘‘(3) one or more National Oceanic and At17 mospheric Administration national centers of ex18 cellence; 

19 ‘‘(4) one or more diagnostic laboratories to 

20 provide processing of marine organism samples; 

21 ‘‘(5) transitioning scientific discoveries from 

22 research activities into applications; 

23 ‘‘(6) research grants; and 

24 ‘‘(7) distinguished scholars and training.’’. 


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1 (b) ADVISORY PANEL.—Section 903(b) (33 U.S.C. 

2 3102(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘sciences.’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘sciences, including public health professionals, veterinar4 ians, and other health professionals.’’. 

5 (c) NATIONAL CENTERS.—Section 903(c) (33 U.S.C. 

6 3102(c)) is amended— 

7 (1) by striking ‘‘for’’ in paragraph (1); and 

8 (2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 

9 following: 

10 ‘‘(2) The centers shall focus on areas related to 

11 agency missions and the program scope (as defined in 

12 section 902(c)).’’. 

13 (d) EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH GRANTS.—Section 

14 903(d) (33 U.S.C. 3102(d)) is amended by adding at the 

15 end the following: 

16 ‘‘(3) Grants under this subsection shall support 

17 research and activities within the program scope (as 

18 defined in section 902(c)).’’. 

19 (e) TRAINING PROGRAM.—Section 903(e) (33 U.S.C. 

20 3102(e)) is amended— 

21 (1) by striking the heading and inserting ‘‘(e) 

22 TRAINING PROGRAM.—’’; 

23 (2) by striking ‘‘program to provide traineeships, 

24 training,’’ and inserting ‘‘competitive program to 

25 provide training, exposure,’’; 


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1 (3) by striking ‘‘initiative.’’ and inserting 

2 ‘‘Ocean and Human Health Program.’’. 

3 (f) DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS; COOPERATIVE AGREE4 MENTS; COORDINATION; ETC.—Section 903 (33 U.S.C. 

5 3102) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(f) DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS.—The Secretary of 

7 Commerce is authorized to establish a competitive program 

8 to recognize highly distinguished external scientists in any 

9 area of oceans and human health research and to involve 

10 those scientists in collaborative work with the NOAA Oceans 

11 and Human Health Program. 

12 ‘‘(g) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary of 

13 Commerce may execute and perform such contracts, leases, 

14 grants, or cooperative agreements as may be necessary to 

15 carry out this section. 

16 ‘‘(h) COORDINATION.— 

17 ‘‘(1) INTEGRATED OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEM.— 

18 The Secretary shall ensure that the Oceans and 

19 Human Health Program and the Integrated Ocean 

20 Observing System work together to develop and deploy 

21 instruments for sensing and predicting ocean changes 

22 linked to health, develop an early warning system 

23 that detect biological and chemical indicators, and to 

24 support the data management and analysis functions 


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1 to develop forecasts for ocean conditions that threaten 

2 health. 

3 ‘‘(2) HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA.— 

4 The Secretary shall ensure that the Oceans and 

5 Human Health Program and Harmful Algal Blooms 

6 and Hypoxia Program work together to avoid dupli7 cation of activities and coordinate activities. 

8 ‘‘(3) OTHER PROGRAMS.—The Secretary shall 

9 ensure that the Program also coordinates its efforts 

10 across NOAA to support ocean and human health re11 search and programs. 

12 ‘‘(i) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Within 6 months after 

13 the date of enactment of the Oceans and Human Health 

14 Reauthorization Act of 2010, the Secretary shall report to 

15 the Congress on how NOAA plans to implement the rec16 ommendations of its Science Advisory Board Working 

17 Group on Oceans and Health. 

18 ‘‘(j) OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS.— 

19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce 

20 shall operate the NOAA Oceans and Human Health 

21 Program as an interdisciplinary research, develop22 ment, and application program spanning the agency 

23 and in partnership with the external scientific and 

24 health communities. 


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1 ‘‘(2) RESOURCES.—To achieve this vision and 

2 maximize potential for leveraging appropriations, 

3 NOAA may— 

4 ‘‘(A) apply for, accept, use, and spend Fed5 eral, State, and private funds and in-kind con6 tributions as necessary to further the mission of 

7 the program without regard to section 3302(b) of 

8 title 31, United States Code, and without regard 

9 to the source or of the period of availability of 

10 these funds; 

11 ‘‘(B) apply for and hold patents either sole12 ly or in partnership with others and receive roy13 alties from patents or licenses; and 

14 ‘‘(C) share personnel and facilities with 

15 public and private partners as well as provide 

16 and accept reimbursement for the sharing of such 

17 personnel and facilities.’’. 

18 SEC. 4. PUBLIC INFORMATION AND OUTREACH. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 904(a) (33 U.S.C. 3103(a)) 

20 is amended by striking ‘‘program,’’ and inserting ‘‘pro21 gram, relevant National Ocean Service and National Ma22 rine Fisheries Service programs, and institutions of higher 

23 education,’’. 

24 (b) REPORT.—Section 904(b) of section 904 (33 U.S.C. 

25 3103(b)) is amended to read as follows: 


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1 ‘‘(b) REPORT.— 

2 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—As part of this program, the 

3 Secretary of Commerce shall submit to Congress a bi4 ennial report describing— 

5 ‘‘(A) projects, products, and programs fund6 ed under the NOAA Oceans and Human Health 

7 Program; 

8 ‘‘(B) the work of the Advisory Panel; 

9 ‘‘(C) how the Program is meeting the goals 

10 and objectives of its strategic plan; and 

11 ‘‘(D) any recommendations the Secretary 

12 may have for improving or expanding the pro13 gram. 

14 ‘‘(2) COMBINED REPORTS.—The report required 

15 by paragraph (1) may be the same as the NOAA 

16 input for the interagency report required by section 

17 902(d).’’. 

18 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

19 Section 905 (33 U.S.C. 3104) is amended— 

20 (1) by striking ‘‘Initiative,’’, ‘‘initiative’’, and 

21 ‘‘Initiative.’’, and inserting ‘‘Program,’’, ‘‘Program’’, 

22 and ‘‘Program.’’, respectively; 

23 (2) by striking ‘‘2005 through 2008’’ and insert24 ing ‘‘2010 through 2014’’; and 


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1 (2) by striking ‘‘grant and traineeship’’ and in2 serting ‘‘grant, distinguished scholars, and training’’. 

3 SEC. 6. OCEANS DEFINED TO INCLUDE THE GREAT LAKES. 

4 The Act is amended by adding after section 905 the 

5 following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 906. OCEANS DEFINED. 

7 ‘‘In this title, the term ‘oceans’ includes the oceans, the 

8 Great Lakes, and the coastal areas appertainent thereto.’’. 


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Calendar No. 573 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1252 

[Report No. 111–296] 

A BILL 

To promote ocean and human health and for other 

purposes. 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010 

Reported with an amendment 


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