I

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1213

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 27, 1998

Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees

on Science, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

AN ACT

To establish a National Ocean Council, a Commission on

Ocean Policy, 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 Act of 1997’’.
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1 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS; PURPOSE AND OBJEC2 TIVES.

3 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress makes the following

4 findings:

5 (1) Covering more than two-thirds of the

6 Earth’s surface, the oceans and Great Lakes play a

7 critical role in the global water cycle and in regulat8 ing climate, sustain a large part of Earth’s biodiver9 sity, provide an important source of food and a

10 wealth of other natural products, act as a frontier

11 to scientific exploration, are critical to national secu12 rity, and provide a vital means of transportation.

13 The coasts, transition between land and open ocean,

14 are regions of remarkably high biological productiv15 ity, contribute more than 30 percent of the Gross

16 Domestic Product, and are of considerable impor17 tance for recreation, waste disposal, and mineral ex18 ploration.

19 (2) Ocean and coastal resources are susceptible

20 to change as a direct and indirect result of human

21 activities, and such changes can significantly impact

22 the ability of the oceans and Great Lakes to provide

23 the benefits upon which the Nation depends.

24 Changes in ocean and coastal processes could affect

25 global climate patterns, marine productivity and bio26 diversity, environmental quality, national security,
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1 economic competitiveness, availability of energy, vul2 nerability to natural hazards, and transportation

3 safety and efficiency.

4 (3) Ocean and coastal resources are not infi5 nite, and human pressure on them is increasing. One

6 half of the Nation’s population lives within 50 miles

7 of the coast, ocean and coastal resources once con8 sidered inexhaustible are now threatened with deple9 tion, and if population trends continue as expected,

10 pressure on and conflicting demands for ocean and

11 coastal resources will increase further as will vulner12 ability to coastal hazards.

13 (4) Marine transportation is key to United

14 States participation in the global economy and to

15 the wide range of activities carried out in ocean and

16 coastal regions. Inland waterway and ports are the

17 link between marine activities in ocean and coastal

18 regions and the supporting transportation infra19 structure ashore. International trade is expected to

20 triple by 2020. The increase has the potential to

21 outgrow—

22 (A) the capabilities of the marine transpor23 tation system to ensure safety; and

24 (B) the existing capacity of ports and wa25 terways.
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1 (5) Marine technologies hold tremendous prom2 ise for expanding the range and increasing the util3 ity of products from the oceans and Great Lakes,

4 improving the stewardship of ocean and coastal re5 sources, and contributing to business and manufac6 turing innovations and the creation of new jobs.

7 (6) Research has uncovered the link between

8 oceanic and atmospheric processes and improved un9 derstanding of world climate patterns and forecasts.

10 Important new advances, including availability of

11 military technology, have made feasible the explo12 ration of large areas of the ocean which were inac13 cessible several years ago. In designating 1998 as

14 ‘‘The Year of the Ocean’’, the United Nations high15 lights the value of increasing our knowledge of the

16 oceans.

17 (7) It has been 30 years since the Commission

18 on Marine Science, Engineering, and Resources

19 (known as the Stratton Commission) conducted a

20 comprehensive examination of ocean and coastal ac21 tivities that led to enactment of major legislation

22 and the establishment of key oceanic and atmos23 pheric institutions.

24 (8) A review of existing activities is essential to

25 respond to the changes that have occurred over the
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1 past three decades and to develop an effective new

2 policy for the twenty-first century to conserve and

3 use, in a sustainable manner, ocean and coastal re4 sources, protect the marine environment, explore

5 ocean frontiers, protect human safety, and create

6 marine technologies and economic opportunities.

7 (9) Changes in United States laws and policies

8 since the Stratton Commission, such as the enact9 ment of the Coastal Zone Management Act, have in10 creased the role of the States in the management of

11 ocean and coastal resources.

12 (10) While significant Federal and State ocean

13 and coastal programs are underway, those Federal

14 programs would benefit from a coherent national

15 ocean and coastal policy that reflects the need for

16 cost-effective allocation of fiscal resources, improved

17 interagency coordination, and strengthened partner18 ships with State, private, and international entities

19 engaged in ocean and coastal activities.

20 (b) PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES.—The purpose of this

21 Act is to develop and maintain, consistent with the obliga22 tions of the United States under international law, a co23 ordinated, comprehensive, and long-range national policy

24 with respect to ocean and coastal activities that will assist

25 the Nation in meeting the following objectives:
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1 (1) The protection of life and property against

2 natural and manmade hazards.

3 (2) Responsible stewardship, including use, of

4 fishery resources and other ocean and coastal re5 sources.

6 (3) The protection of the marine environment

7 and prevention of marine pollution.

8 (4) The enhancement of marine-related com9 merce and transportation, the resolution of conflicts

10 among users of the marine environment, and the en11 gagement of the private sector in innovative ap12 proaches for sustainable use of marine resources.

13 (5) The expansion of human knowledge of the

14 marine environment including the role of the oceans

15 in climate and global environmental change and the

16 advancement of education and training in fields re17 lated to ocean and coastal activities.

18 (6) The continued investment in and develop19 ment and improvement of the capabilities, perform20 ance, use, and efficiency of technologies for use in

21 ocean and coastal activities.

22 (7) Close cooperation among all government

23 agencies and departments to ensure—

24 (A) coherent regulation of ocean and coast25 al activities;
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1 (B) availability and appropriate allocation

2 of Federal funding, personnel, facilities, and

3 equipment for such activities; and

4 (C) cost-effective and efficient operation of

5 Federal departments, agencies, and programs

6 involved in ocean and coastal activities.

7 (8) The enhancement of partnerships with

8 State and local governments with respect to oceans

9 and coastal activities, including the management of

10 ocean and coastal resources and identification of ap11 propriate opportunities for policy-making and deci12 sion-making at the State and local level.

13 (9) The preservation of the role of the United

14 States as a leader in ocean and coastal activities,

15 and, when it is in the national interest, the coopera16 tion by the United States with other nations and

17 international organizations in ocean and coastal ac18 tivities.

19 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

20 As used in this Act—

21 (1) The term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Com22 mission on Ocean Policy.

23 (2) The term ‘‘Council’’ means the National

24 Ocean Council.

25 (3) The term ‘‘marine environment’’ includes—
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1 (A) the oceans, including coastal and off2 shore waters and the adjacent shore lands;

3 (B) the continental shelf;

4 (C) the Great Lakes; and

5 (D) the ocean and coastal resources there6 of.

7 (4) The term ‘‘ocean and coastal activities’’ in8 cludes activities related to oceanography, fisheries

9 and other ocean and coastal resource stewardship

10 and use, marine aquaculture, energy and mineral re11 source extraction, marine transportation, recreation

12 and tourism, waste management, pollution mitiga13 tion and prevention, and natural hazard reduction.

14 (5) The term ‘‘ocean and coastal resource’’

15 means, with respect to the oceans, coasts, and Great

16 Lakes, any living or non-living natural resource (in17 cluding all forms of animal and plant life found in

18 the marine environment, habitat, biodiversity, water

19 quality, minerals, oil, and gas) and any significant

20 historic, cultural or aesthetic resource.

21 (6) The term ‘‘oceanography’’ means scientific

22 exploration, including marine scientific research, en23 gineering, mapping, surveying, monitoring, assess24 ment, and information management, of the oceans,

25 coasts, and Great Lakes—
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1 (A) to describe and advance understanding

2 of—

3 (i) the role of the oceans, coasts and

4 Great Lakes in weather and climate, natu5 ral hazards, and the processes that regu6 late the marine environment; and

7 (ii) the manner in which such role,

8 processes, and environment are affected by

9 human actions;

10 (B) for the conservation, management and

11 sustainable use of living and nonliving re12 sources; and

13 (C) to develop and implement new tech14 nologies related to sustainable use of the ma15 rine environment.

16 SEC. 4. NATIONAL OCEAN AND COASTAL POLICY.

17 (a) EXECUTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES.—The President,

18 with the assistance of the Council and the advice of the

19 Commission, shall—

20 (1) develop and maintain a coordinated, com21 prehensive, and long-range national policy with re22 spect to ocean and coastal activities consistent with

23 obligations of the United States under international

24 law; and
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1 (2) with regard to Federal agencies and depart2 ments—

3 (A) review significant ocean and coastal

4 activities, including plans, priorities, accom5 plishments, and infrastructure requirements;

6 (B) plan and implement an integrated and

7 cost-effective program of ocean and coastal ac8 tivities including, but not limited to, oceanog9 raphy, stewardship of ocean and coastal re10 sources, protection of the marine environment,

11 maritime transportation safety and efficiency,

12 marine recreation and tourism, and marine as13 pects of weather, climate, and natural hazards;

14 (C) designate responsibility for funding

15 and conducting ocean and coastal activities; and

16 (D) ensure cooperation and resolve dif17 ferences arising from laws and regulations ap18 plicable to ocean and coastal activities which re19 sult in conflicts among participants in such ac20 tivities.

21 (b) COOPERATION AND CONSULTATION.—In carrying

22 out responsibilities under this Act, the President may use

23 such staff, interagency, and advisory arrangements as the

24 President finds necessary and appropriate and shall con-
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1 sult with non-Federal organizations and individuals in2 volved in ocean and coastal activities.

3 SEC. 5. NATIONAL OCEAN COUNCIL.

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The President shall establish

5 a National Ocean Council and appoint a Chairman from

6 among its members. The Council shall consist of—

7 (1) the Secretary of Commerce;

8 (2) the Secretary of Defense;

9 (3) the Secretary of State;

10 (4) the Secretary of Transportation;

11 (5) the Secretary of the Interior;

12 (6) the Attorney General;

13 (7) the Administrator of the Environmental

14 Protection Agency;

15 (8) the Director of the National Science Foun16 dation;

17 (9) the Director of the Office of Science and

18 Technology Policy;

19 (10) the Chairman of the Council on Environ20 mental Quality;

21 (11) the Chairman of the National Economic

22 Council;

23 (12) the Director of the Office of Management

24 and Budget; and
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1 (13) such other Federal officers and officials as

2 the President considers appropriate.

3 (b) ADMINISTRATION.—

4 (1) The President or the Chairman of the

5 Council may from time to time designate one of the

6 members of the Council to preside over meetings of

7 the Council during the absence or unavailability of

8 such Chairman.

9 (2) Each member of the Council may designate

10 an officer of his or her agency or department ap11 pointed with the advice and consent of the Senate to

12 serve on the Council as an alternate in the event of

13 the unavoidable absence of such member.

14 (3) An executive secretary shall be appointed by

15 the Chairman of the Council, with the approval of

16 the Council. The executive secretary shall be a per17 manent employee of one of the agencies or depart18 ments represented on the Council and shall remain

19 in the employ of such agency or department.

20 (4) For the purpose of carrying out the func21 tions of the Council, each Federal agency or depart22 ment represented on the Council shall furnish nec23 essary assistance to the Council. Such assistance

24 may include—
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1 (A) detailing employees to the Council to

2 perform such functions, consistent with the pur3 poses of this section, as the Chairman of the

4 Council may assign to them; and

5 (B) undertaking, upon request of the

6 Chairman of the Council, such special studies

7 for the Council as are necessary to carry out its

8 functions.

9 (5) The Chairman of the Council shall have the

10 authority to make personnel decisions regarding any

11 employees detailed to the Council.

12 (c) FUNCTIONS.—The Council shall—

13 (1) assist the Commission in completing its re14 port under section 6;

15 (2) serve as the forum for developing an imple16 mentation plan for a national ocean and coastal pol17 icy and program, taking into consideration the Com18 mission report;

19 (3) improve coordination and cooperation, and

20 eliminate duplication, among Federal agencies and

21 departments with respect to ocean and coastal activi22 ties; and

23 (4) assist the President in the preparation of

24 the first report required by section 7(a).
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1 (d) SUNSET.—The Council shall cease to exist one

2 year after the Commission has submitted its final report

3 under section 6(h).

4 (e) SAVINGS PROVISION.—

5 (1) Council activities are not intended to super6 sede or interfere with other Executive Branch mech7 anisms and responsibilities.

8 (2) Nothing in this Act has any effect on the

9 authority or responsibility of any Federal officer or

10 agency under any other Federal law.

11 SEC. 6. COMMISSION ON OCEAN POLICY.

12 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—The President shall, within

14 90 days after the enactment of this Act, establish a

15 Commission on Ocean Policy. The Commission shall

16 be composed of 16 members including individuals

17 drawn from State and local governments, industry,

18 academic and technical institutions, and public inter19 est organizations involved with ocean and coastal ac20 tivities. Members shall be appointed for the life of

21 the Commission as follows:

22 (A) 4 shall be appointed by the President

23 of the United States.

24 (B) 4 shall be appointed by the President

25 chosen from a list of 8 proposed members sub-
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1 mitted by the Majority Leader of the Senate in

2 consultation with the Chairman of the Senate

3 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans4 portation.

5 (C) 4 shall be appointed by the President

6 chosen from a list of 8 proposed members sub7 mitted by the Speaker of the House of Rep8 resentatives in consultation with the Chairman

9 of the House Committee on Resources.

10 (D) 2 shall be appointed by the President

11 chosen from a list of 4 proposed members sub12 mitted by the Minority Leader of the Senate in

13 consultation with the Ranking Member of the

14 Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and

15 Transportation.

16 (E) 2 shall be appointed by the President

17 chosen from a list of 4 proposed members sub18 mitted by the Minority Leader of the House in

19 consultation with the Ranking Member of the

20 House Committee on Resources.

21 (2) FIRST MEETING.—The Commission shall

22 hold its first meeting within 30 days after it is es23 tablished.

24 (3) CHAIRMAN.—The President shall select a

25 Chairman from among such 16 members. Before se-
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1 lecting the Chairman, the President is requested to

2 consult with the Majority and Minority Leaders of

3 the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representa4 tives, and the Minority Leader of the House of Rep5 resentatives.

6 (4) ADVISORY MEMBERS.—In addition, the

7 Commission shall have 4 Members of Congress, who

8 shall serve as advisory members. One of the advisory

9 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the

10 House of Representatives. One of the advisory mem11 bers shall be appointed by the minority leader of the

12 House of Representatives. One of the advisory mem13 bers shall be appointed by the majority leader of the

14 Senate. One of the advisory members shall be ap15 pointed by the minority leader of the Senate. The

16 advisory members shall not participate, except in an

17 advisory capacity, in the formulation of the findings

18 and recommendations of the Commission.

19 (b) FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Com20 mission shall report to the President and the Congress on

21 a comprehensive national ocean and coastal policy to carry

22 out the purpose and objectives of this Act. In developing

23 the findings and recommendations of the report, the Com24 mission shall—
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1 (1) review and suggest any necessary modifica2 tions to United States laws, regulations, and prac3 tices necessary to define and implement such policy,

4 consistent with the obligations of the United States

5 under international law;

6 (2) assess the condition and adequacy of invest7 ment in existing and planned facilities and equip8 ment associated with ocean and coastal activities in9 cluding human resources, vessels, computers, sat10 ellites, and other appropriate technologies and plat11 forms;

12 (3) review existing and planned ocean and

13 coastal activities of Federal agencies and depart14 ments, assess the contribution of such activities to

15 development of an integrated long-range program for

16 oceanography, ocean and coastal resource manage17 ment, and protection of the marine environment,

18 and identify any such activities in need of reform to

19 improve efficiency and effectiveness;

20 (4) examine and suggest mechanisms to address

21 the interrelationships among ocean and coastal ac22 tivities, the legal and regulatory framework in which

23 they occur, and their inter-connected and cumulative

24 effects on the marine environment, ocean and coast-
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1 al resources, and marine productivity and biodiver2 sity;

3 (5) review the known and anticipated demands

4 for ocean and coastal resources, including an exam5 ination of opportunities and limitations with respect

6 to the use of ocean and coastal resources within the

7 exclusive economic zone, projected impacts in coastal

8 areas, and the adequacy of existing efforts to man9 age such use and minimize user conflicts;

10 (6) evaluate relationships among Federal,

11 State, and local governments and the private sector

12 for planning and carrying out ocean and coastal ac13 tivities and address the most appropriate division of

14 responsibility for such activities;

15 (7) identify opportunities for the development

16 of or investment in new products, technologies, or

17 markets that could contribute to the objectives of

18 this Act;

19 (8) consider the relationship of the ocean and

20 coastal policy of the United States to the United Na21 tions Convention on the Law of the Sea and other

22 international agreements, and actions available to

23 the United States to effect collaborations between

24 the United States and other nations, including the

25 development of cooperative international programs
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1 for oceanography, protection of the marine environ2 ment, and ocean and coastal resource management;

3 and

4 (9) engage in any other preparatory work

5 deemed necessary to carry out the duties of the

6 Commission pursuant to this Act.

7 (c) DUTIES OF CHAIRMAN.—In carrying out the pro8 visions of this subsection, the Chairman of the Commis9 sion shall be responsible for—

10 (1) the assignment of duties and responsibilities

11 among staff personnel and their continuing super12 vision; and

13 (2) the use and expenditures of funds available

14 to the Commission.

15 (d) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Each member of

16 the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the

17 Federal Government, or whose compensation is not pre18 cluded by a State, local, or Native American tribal govern19 ment position, shall be compensated at a rate equal to the

20 daily equivalent of the annual rate payable for Level IV

21 of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5,

22 United States Code, for each day (including travel time)

23 during which such member is engaged in the performance

24 of the duties of the Commission. All members of the Com25 mission who are officers or employees of the United States
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1 shall serve without compensation in addition to that re2 ceived for their services as officers or employees of the

3 United States.

4 (e) STAFF.—

5 (1) The Chairman of the Commission may,

6 without regard to the civil service laws and regula7 tions, appoint and terminate an executive director

8 who is knowledgeable in administrative management

9 and ocean and coastal policy and such other addi10 tional personnel as may be necessary to enable the

11 Commission to perform its duties. The employment

12 and termination of an executive director shall be

13 subject to confirmation by a majority of the mem14 bers of the Commission.

15 (2) The executive director shall be compensated

16 at a rate not to exceed the rate payable for Level

17 V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of

18 title 5, United States Code. The Chairman may fix

19 the compensation of other personnel without regard

20 to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III

21 of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating

22 to classification of positions and General Schedule

23 pay rates, except that the rate of pay for such per24 sonnel may not exceed the rate payable for GS–15,
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1 step 7, of the General Schedule under section 5332

2 of such title.

3 (3) Upon request of the Chairman of the Com4 mission, after consulting with the head of the Fed5 eral agency concerned, the head of any Federal

6 Agency shall detail appropriate personnel of the

7 agency to the Commission to assist the Commission

8 in carrying out its functions under this Act. Federal

9 Government employees detailed to the Commission

10 shall serve without reimbursement from the Commis11 sion, and such detailee shall retain the rights, sta12 tus, and privileges of his or her regular employment

13 without interruption.

14 (4) The Commission may accept and use the

15 services of volunteers serving without compensation,

16 and to reimburse volunteers for travel expenses, in17 cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized

18 by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code. Ex19 cept for the purposes of chapter 81 of title 5, United

20 States Code, relating to compensation for work inju21 ries, and chapter 171 of title 28, United States

22 Code, relating to tort claims, a volunteer under this

23 section may not be considered to be an employee of

24 the United States for any purpose.
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1 (5) To the extent that funds are available, and

2 subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the

3 Commission, the executive director of the Commis4 sion may procure the temporary and intermittent

5 services of experts and consultants in accordance

6 with section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, but

7 at rates not to exceed the daily rate payable

8 for GS–15, step 7, of the General Schedule under

9 section 5332 of title 5, United States Code.

10 (f) ADMINISTRATION.—

11 (1) All meetings of the Commission shall be

12 open to the public, except that a meeting or any por13 tion of it may be closed to the public if it concerns

14 matters or information described in section 552b(c)

15 of title 5, United States Code. Interested persons

16 shall be permitted to appear at open meetings and

17 present oral or written statement on the subject

18 matter of the meeting. The Commission may admin19 ister oaths or affirmations to any person appearing

20 before it.

21 (2) All open meetings of the Commission shall

22 be preceded by timely public notice in the Federal

23 Register of the time, place, and subject of the meet24 ing.
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1 (3) Minutes of each meeting shall be kept and

2 shall contain a record of the people present, a de3 scription of the discussion that occurred, and copies

4 of all statements filed. Subject to section 552 of title

5 5, United States Code, the minutes and records of

6 all meetings and other documents that were made

7 available to or prepared for the Commission shall be

8 available for public inspection and copying at a sin9 gle location in the offices of the Commission.

10 (4) The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5

11 U.S.C. App.) does not apply to the Commission.

12 (g) COOPERATION WITH OTHER FEDERAL ENTI13 TIES.—

14 (1) The Commission is authorized to secure di15 rectly from any Federal agency or department any

16 information it deems necessary to carry out its func17 tions under this Act. Each such agency or depart18 ment is authorized to cooperate with the Commis19 sion and, to the extent permitted by law, to furnish

20 such information to the Commission, upon the re21 quest of the Chairman of the Commission.

22 (2) The Commission may use the United States

23 mails in the same manner and under the same con24 ditions as other departments and agencies of the

25 United States.
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1 (3) The General Services Administration shall

2 provide to the Commission on a reimbursable basis

3 the administrative support services that the Commis4 sion may request.

5 (4) The Commission may enter into contracts

6 with Federal and State agencies, private firms, insti7 tutions, and individuals to assist the Commission in

8 carrying out its duties. The Commission may pur9 chase and contract without regard to section 303 of

10 the Federal Property and Administration Services

11 Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 253), section 18 of the Of12 fice of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C.

13 416), and section 8 of the Small Business Act (15

14 U.S.C. 637), pertaining to competition and publica15 tion requirements, and may arrange for printing

16 without regard to the provisions of title 44, United

17 States Code. The contracting authority of the Com18 mission under this Act is effective only to the extent

19 that appropriations are available for contracting

20 purposes.

21 (h) REPORT.—The Commission shall submit to the

22 President, via the Council, and to the Congress not later

23 than 18 months after the establishment of the Commis24 sion, a final report of its findings and recommendations.
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1 The Commission shall cease to exist 30 days after it has

2 submitted its final report.

3 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— There

4 are authorized to be appropriated to support the activities

5 of the Commission a total of up to $6,000,000 for fiscal

6 years 1998 and 1999. Any sums appropriated shall remain

7 available without fiscal year limitation until the Commis8 sion ceases to exist.

9 SEC. 7. REPORT AND BUDGET COORDINATION.

10 (a) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Beginning in January,

11 1999, the President shall transmit to the Congress bienni12 ally a report, which shall include—

13 (1) a comprehensive description of the ocean

14 and coastal activities (and budgets) and related ac15 complishments of all agencies and departments of

16 the United States during the preceding two fiscal

17 years; and

18 (2) an evaluation of such activities (and budg19 ets) and accomplishments in terms of the purpose

20 and objectives of this Act. Reports made under this

21 section shall contain such recommendations for legis22 lation as the President may consider necessary or

23 desirable.

24 (b) BUDGET COORDINATION.—
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1 (1) Each year the President shall provide gen2 eral guidance to each Federal agency or department

3 involved in ocean or coastal activities with respect to

4 the preparation of requests for appropriations.

5 (2) Each agency or department involved in such

6 activities shall include with its annual request for

7 appropriations a report which—

8 (A) identifies significant elements of the

9 proposed agency or department budget relating

10 to ocean and coastal activities; and

11 (B) specifies how each such element con12 tributes to the implementation of a national

13 ocean and coastal policy.

14 SEC. 8. REPEAL OF 1966 STATUTE.

15 The Marine Resources and Engineering Development

16 Act of 1966 (33 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is repealed.

Passed the Senate November 13, 1997.

Attest: GARY SISCO,

Secretary.