115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 221 

AN ACT 

To reauthorize the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act 

of 1998, 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, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hydrographic Services 

3 Improvement Amendments Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES 

5 IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1998. 

6 (a) REAUTHORIZATIONS.—Section 306 of the Hydro7 graphic Services Improvement Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 

8 892d) is amended— 

9 (1) by inserting before ‘‘There are authorized’’ 

10 the following: ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’; 

11 (2) in subsection (a) (as designated by para12 graph (1))— 

13 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘sur14 veys—’’ and all that follows through the end of 

15 the paragraph and inserting ‘‘surveys, 

16 $70,814,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 

17 through 2023.’’; 

18 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘ves19 sels—’’ and all that follows through the end of 

20 the paragraph and inserting ‘‘vessels, 

21 $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 

22 through 2023.’’; 

23 (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘Admin24 istration—’’ and all that follows through the 

25 end of the paragraph and inserting ‘‘Adminis-
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•HR 221 EH

1 tration, $29,932,000 for each of fiscal years 

2 2019 through 2023.’’; 

3 (D) in paragraph (4), by striking 

4 ‘‘title—’’ and all that follows through the end 

5 of the paragraph and inserting ‘‘title, 

6 $26,800,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 

7 through 2023.’’; and 

8 (E) in paragraph (5), by striking 

9 ‘‘title—’’ and all that follows through the end 

10 of the paragraph and inserting ‘‘title, 

11 $30,564,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 

12 through 2023.’’; and 

13 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub14 section: 

15 ‘‘(b) ARCTIC PROGRAMS.—Of the amount authorized 

16 by this section for each fiscal year— 

17 ‘‘(1) $10,000,000 is authorized for use to ac18 quire hydrographic data, provide hydrographic serv19 ices, conduct coastal change analyses necessary to 

20 ensure safe navigation, and improve the manage21 ment of coastal change in the Arctic; and 

22 ‘‘(2) $2,000,000 is authorized for use to ac23 quire hydrographic data and provide hydrographic 

24 services in the Arctic necessary to delineate the 

25 United States extended Continental Shelf.’’. 
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1 (b) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES FOR

2 SURVEYS.—Section 306 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 892d) is 

3 further amended by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(c) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

5 FOR SURVEYS.—Of amounts authorized by this section for 

6 each fiscal year for hydrographic surveys, not more than 

7 5 percent is authorized for administrative costs.’’. 

8 SEC. 3. GAO STUDY. 

9 The Comptroller General of the United States shall, 

10 by not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 

11 of this Act— 

12 (1) conduct a study comparing the unit costs of 

13 hydrographic surveys conducted by the National 

14 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the 

15 unit costs of procuring performance of such surveys; 

16 and 

17 (2) report to the Congress on the findings of 

18 such study. 

Passed the House of Representatives June 25, 2018. 

Attest: 

Clerk. 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 221 

AN ACT 

To reauthorize the Hydrographic Services 

Improvement Act of 1998, and for other purposes.