II

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 937

To reauthorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Chesapeake Bay Estuarine Resources Office, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 16 (legislative day, JUNE 5), 1995

Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Ms. MIKULSKI, and Mr. ROBB) introduced the

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

Commerce, Science, and Transportation

A BILL

To reauthorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chesapeake Bay Estuarine Resources Office, 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. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.

4 Section 2 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

5 Administration Marine Fisheries Program Authorization

6 Act (Public Law 98–210; 97 Stat. 1409) is amended—

7 (1) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the

8 following new subsection:
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1 ‘‘(e) CHESAPEAKE BAY ESTUARINE RESOURCES OF2 FICE.—

3 ‘‘(1) OPERATION OF CHESAPEAKE BAY ESTUA4 RINE RESOURCES OFFICE.—Of the sums authorized

5 under subsection (a), to operate the Chesapeake Bay

6 Estuarine Resources Office established under section

7 307 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad8 ministration Authorization Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C.

9 1511d), there are authorized to be appropriated—

10 ‘‘(A) $2,500,000 for each of fiscal years

11 1996 and 1997; and

12 ‘‘(B) $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years

13 1998 through 2000.

14 ‘‘(2) FUNDING FOR OYSTER DISEASE INVES15 TIGATIONS.—Of the sums authorized under sub16 section (a), to fund a program of investigations of

17 oyster disease described in subsection (f), there are

18 authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for each

19 of fiscal years 1996 through 2000.

20 ‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Not more

21 than 20 percent of the amounts authorized to be ap22 propriated under this subsection may be used for ad23 ministrative expenses of the Chesapeake Bay Estua24 rine Resources Office.’’; and
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1 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub2 section:

3 ‘‘(f) OYSTER DISEASE INVESTIGATIONS.—The

4 Chesapeake Bay Estuarine Resources Office established

5 under section 307 of the National Oceanic and Atmos6 pheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992 (15

7 U.S.C. 1511d) shall conduct a program of investigations

8 to—

9 ‘‘(1) improve the understanding of the etiology

10 of the diseases of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea

11 virginica); and

12 ‘‘(2) provide new scientific and management

13 tools to counteract the consequences of diseases of

14 oysters in the coastal waters of the United States,

15 with particular emphasis on diseases of oysters in

16 the Chesapeake Bay.’’.

17 SEC. 2. AUTHORITIES OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE CHESA18 PEAKE BAY ESTUARINE RESOURCES OFFICE.

19 Section 307(a) of the National Oceanic and Atmos20 pheric Administration Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 1511d(a))

21 is amended—

22 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and oper23 ate’’ after ‘‘establish’’; and

24 (2) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the

25 following new paragraph:
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1 ‘‘(3) To carry out this section, the Director may—

2 ‘‘(A) appoint such additional personnel as may

3 be necessary; and

4 ‘‘(B) transfer funds to another Federal depart5 ment or agency or provide financial assistance to a

6 department or agency of a State or political subdivi7 sion thereof or a nonprofit organization for conduct8 ing research, assessment, monitoring, data manage9 ment, or outreach activities.’’.

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