IB 

Union Calendar No. 91 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2364 

[Report No. 109–151] 

To establish a Science and Technology Scholarship Program to award scholarships to recruit and prepare students for careers in the National Weather 

Service and in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine 

research, atmospheric research, and satellite programs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 16, 2005 

Mr. ROHRABACHER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Science 

JUNE 23, 2005 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

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

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 16, 2005] 

A BILL 

To establish a Science and Technology Scholarship Program 

to award scholarships to recruit and prepare students 

for careers in the National Weather Service and in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine 

research, atmospheric research, and satellite programs. 
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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP 

4 PROGRAM. 

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator is author7 ized to establish a Science and Technology Scholar8 ship Program to award scholarships to individuals 

9 that is designed to recruit and prepare students for 

10 careers in the National Weather Service and in Ad11 ministration marine research, atmospheric research, 

12 and satellite programs. 

13 (2) COMPETITIVE PROCESS.—Individuals shall 

14 be selected to receive scholarships under this section 

15 through a competitive process primarily on the basis 

16 of academic merit, with consideration given to finan17 cial need and the goal of promoting the participation 

18 of individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the 

19 Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act 

20 (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b), including those from 

21 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and in22 stitutions serving a large proportion of Hispanics, 

23 Native Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, or other 

24 underrepresented populations. 
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1 (3) SERVICE AGREEMENTS.—To carry out the 

2 scholarship program, the Administrator shall enter 

3 into contractual agreements with individuals selected 

4 under paragraph (2) under which the individuals 

5 agree to serve as full-time employees of the Adminis6 tration, for the period described in subsection (f)(1), 

7 in positions needed by the Administration in fields 

8 described in paragraph (1) and for which the individ9 uals are qualified, in exchange for receiving a scholar10 ship. 

11 (b) SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY.—In order to be eligi12 ble to participate in the scholarship program, an individual 

13 shall— 

14 (1) be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a 

15 full-time student at an institution of higher education 

16 in an academic program or field of study described 

17 in the list made available under subsection (d); 

18 (2) be a United States citizen or permanent resi19 dent; and 

20 (3) at the time of the initial scholarship award, 

21 not be a Federal employee as defined in section 2105 

22 of title 5 of the United States Code. 

23 (c) APPLICATION REQUIRED.—An individual seeking 

24 a scholarship under this section shall submit an application 

25 to the Administrator at such time, in such manner, and 
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1 containing such information, agreements, or assurances as 

2 the Administrator may require to carry out this section. 

3 (d) ELIGIBLE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS.—The Adminis4 trator shall make publicly available a list of academic pro5 grams and fields of study for which scholarships may be 

6 utilized in fields described in subsection (a)(1), and shall 

7 update the list as necessary. 

8 (e) SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENT.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may pro10 vide a scholarship under the scholarship program for 

11 an academic year if the individual applying for the 

12 scholarship has submitted to the Administrator, as 

13 part of the application required under subsection (c), 

14 a proposed academic program leading to a degree in 

15 a program or field of study on the list made available 

16 under subsection (d). 

17 (2) DURATION OF ELIGIBILITY.—An individual 

18 may not receive a scholarship under this section for 

19 more than 4 academic years, unless the Administrator 

20 grants a waiver. 

21 (3) SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT.—The dollar amount 

22 of a scholarship under this section for an academic 

23 year shall be determined under regulations issued by 

24 the Administrator, but shall in no case exceed the cost 

25 of attendance. 
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1 (4) AUTHORIZED USES.—A scholarship provided 

2 under this section may be expended for tuition, fees, 

3 and other authorized expenses as established by the 

4 Administrator by regulation. 

5 (5) CONTRACTS REGARDING DIRECT PAYMENTS

6 TO INSTITUTIONS.—The Administrator may enter 

7 into a contractual agreement with an institution of 

8 higher education under which the amounts provided 

9 for a scholarship under this section for tuition, fees, 

10 and other authorized expenses are paid directly to the 

11 institution with respect to which the scholarship is 

12 provided. 

13 (f) PERIOD OF OBLIGATED SERVICE.— 

14 (1) DURATION OF SERVICE.—Except as provided 

15 in subsection (h)(2), the period of service for which an 

16 individual shall be obligated to serve as an employee 

17 of the Administration shall be 24 months for each 

18 academic year for which a scholarship under this sec19 tion is provided. 

20 (2) SCHEDULE FOR SERVICE.— 

21 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

22 subparagraph (B), obligated service under para23 graph (1) shall begin not later than 60 days 

24 after the individual obtains the educational de25 gree for which the scholarship was provided. 
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1 (B) DEFERRAL.—The Administrator may 

2 defer the obligation of an individual to provide 

3 a period of service under paragraph (1) if the 

4 Administrator determines that such a deferral is 

5 appropriate. The Administrator shall prescribe 

6 the terms and conditions under which a service 

7 obligation may be deferred through regulation. 

8 (g) PENALTIES FOR BREACH OF SCHOLARSHIP

9 AGREEMENT.— 

10 (1) FAILURE TO COMPLETE ACADEMIC TRAIN11 ING.—Scholarship recipients who fail to maintain a 

12 high level of academic standing, as defined by the Ad13 ministrator by regulation, who are dismissed from 

14 their educational institutions for disciplinary rea15 sons, or who voluntarily terminate academic training 

16 before graduation from the educational program for 

17 which the scholarship was awarded, shall be in breach 

18 of their contractual agreement and, in lieu of any 

19 service obligation arising under such agreement, shall 

20 be liable to the United States for repayment not later 

21 than 1 year after the date of default of all scholarship 

22 funds paid to them and to the institution of higher 

23 education on their behalf under the agreement, except 

24 as provided in subsection (h)(2). The repayment pe-
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1 riod may be extended by the Administrator when de2 termined to be necessary, as established by regulation. 

3 (2) FAILURE TO BEGIN OR COMPLETE THE SERV4 ICE OBLIGATION OR MEET THE TERMS AND CONDI5 TIONS OF DEFERMENT.—A scholarship recipient who, 

6 for any reason, fails to begin or complete a service ob7 ligation under this section after completion of aca8 demic training, or fails to comply with the terms and 

9 conditions of deferment established by the Adminis10 trator pursuant to subsection (f)(2)(B), shall be in 

11 breach of the contractual agreement. When a recipient 

12 breaches an agreement for the reasons stated in the 

13 preceding sentence, the recipient shall be liable to the 

14 United States for an amount equal to— 

15 (A) the total amount of scholarships re16 ceived by such individual under this section; 

17 plus 

18 (B) the interest on the amounts of such 

19 awards which would be payable if at the time 

20 the awards were received they were loans bearing 

21 interest at the maximum legal prevailing rate, 

22 as determined by the Treasurer of the United 

23 States. 

24 (h) WAIVER OR SUSPENSION OF OBLIGATION.— 
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1 (1) DEATH OF INDIVIDUAL.—Any obligation of 

2 an individual incurred under the scholarship pro3 gram (or a contractual agreement thereunder) for 

4 service or payment shall be canceled upon the death 

5 of the individual. 

6 (2) IMPOSSIBILITY OR EXTREME HARDSHIP.— 

7 The Administrator shall by regulation provide for the 

8 partial or total waiver or suspension of any obliga9 tion of service or payment incurred by an individual 

10 under the scholarship program (or a contractual 

11 agreement thereunder) whenever compliance by the 

12 individual is impossible or would involve extreme 

13 hardship to the individual, or if enforcement of such 

14 obligation with respect to the individual would be 

15 contrary to the best interests of the Government. 

16 (i) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act the following definitions 

17 apply: 

18 (1) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra19 tion’’ means the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

20 Administration. 

21 (2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis22 trator’’ means the Administrator of the National Oce23 anic and Atmospheric Administration. 

24 (3) COST OF ATTENDANCE.—The term ‘‘cost of 

25 attendance’’ has the meaning given that term in sec-
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1 tion 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

2 U.S.C. 1087ll). 

3 (4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

4 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the mean5 ing given that term in section 101(a) of the Higher 

6 Education Act of 1965; and 

7 (5) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘schol8 arship program’’ means the Science and Technology 

9 Scholarship Program established under this section. 
Union Calendar No. 91 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2364 

[Report No. 109–151] 

A BILL 

To establish a Science and Technology Scholarship 

mospheric research, and satellite programs. mospheric Administration marine research, atWeather Service and in National Oceanic and Atprepare students for careers in the National Program to award scholarships to recruit and 

JUNE 23, 2005 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,