II 

Calendar No. 1091 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3160 

[Report No. 110–508] 

To reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 19, 2008 

Mr. INOUYE (for himself, Mr. STEVENS, Ms. CANTWELL, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. 

KERRY, and Mr. REED) introduced the following bill; which was read 

twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

SEPTEMBER 25 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 

Reported by Mr. INOUYE, without amendment 

A BILL 

To reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College 

Program Act, 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 ‘‘National Sea Grant 

5 College Program Amendments Act of 2008’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REFERENCES 

2 Except as otherwise expressly provided therein, when3 ever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in 

4 terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other 

5 provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to 

6 a section or other provision of the National Sea Grant Col7 lege Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.). 

8 SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

9 (a) FINDINGS.—Section 202(a) (33 U.S.C. 1121(a)) 

10 is amended— 

11 (1) by striking subparagraphs (D) and (E) of 

12 paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 

13 ‘‘(D) encourage the development of prepa14 ration, forecast, analysis, mitigation, response, 

15 and recovery systems for coastal hazards; 

16 ‘‘(E) understand global environmental 

17 processes and their impacts on ocean, coastal, 

18 and Great Lakes resources; and’’; 

19 (2) by striking ‘‘program of research, edu20 cation,’’ in paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘program of 

21 integrated research, education, extension,’’; and 

22 (3) by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the 

23 following: 

24 ‘‘(6) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

25 Administration, through the national sea grant col26 lege program, offers the most suitable locus and 


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1 means for such commitment and engagement 

2 through the promotion of activities that will result in 

3 greater such understanding, assessment, develop4 ment, management, and conservation of ocean, 

5 coastal, and Great Lakes resources. The most cost6 effective way to promote such activities is through 

7 continued and increased Federal support of the es8 tablishment, development, and operation of pro9 grams and projects by sea grant colleges, sea grant 

10 institutes, and other institutions, including strong 

11 collaborations between Administration scientists and 

12 research and outreach personnel at academic institu13 tions.’’. 

14 (b) PURPOSE.—Section 202(c) (33 U.S.C. 1121(c)) 

15 is amended by striking ‘‘to promote research, education, 

16 training, and advisory service activities’’ and inserting ‘‘to 

17 promote integrated research, education, training, and ex18 tension services and activities’’. 

19 (c) TERMINOLOGY.—Subsections (a) and (b) of sec20 tion 202 (15 U.S.C. 1121(a) and (b)) are amended by 

21 striking ‘‘utilization,’’ each place it appears and inserting 

22 ‘‘management,’’. 

23 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

24 Section 203 (33 U.S.C. 1122) is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (4) by striking ‘‘utilization,’’ 

2 and inserting ‘‘management,’’; 

3 (2) in paragraph (11) by striking ‘‘advisory 

4 services’’ and inserting ‘‘extension services’’; 

5 (3) in each of paragraphs (12) and (13) by 

6 striking ‘‘(33 U.S.C. 1126)’’; and 

7 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(17) The term ‘regional research and informa9 tion plan’ means a plan developed by one or more 

10 sea grant colleges or sea grant institutes that identi11 fies regional priorities.’’. 

12 SEC. 5. NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM. 

13 (a) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—Section 204(b) (33 

14 U.S.C. 1123(b)) is amended— 

15 (1) by amending in paragraph (1) to read as 

16 follows: 

17 ‘‘(1) sea grant programs that comprise a na18 tional sea grant college program network, including 

19 international projects conducted within such pro20 grams and regional and national projects conducted 

21 among such programs;’’; 

22 (2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as fol23 lows: 


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1 ‘‘(2) administration of the national sea grant 

2 college program and this title by the national sea 

3 grant office and the Administration;’’; and 

4 (3) by amending paragraph (4) to read as fol5 lows: 

6 ‘‘(4) any regional or national strategic invest7 ments in fields relating to ocean, coastal, and Great 

8 Lakes resources developed in consultation with the 

9 Board and with the approval of the sea grant col10 leges and the sea grant institutes.’’. 

11 (b) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Section 204(c)(2) 

12 (33 U.S.C. 1123(c)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘Within 

13 6 months of the date of enactment of the National Sea 

14 Grant College Program Reauthorization Act of 1998, the’’ 

15 and inserting ‘‘The’’. 

16 (c) FUNCTIONS OF DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SEA

17 GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM.—Section 204(d) (33 U.S.C. 

18 1123(d)) is amended— 

19 (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘long 

20 range’’; 

21 (2) in paragraph (3)(A)— 

22 (A) by striking ‘‘(A)(i) evaluate’’ and in23 serting ‘‘(A) evaluate and assess’’; 

24 (B) by striking ‘‘activities; and’’ and in25 serting ‘‘activities;’’; and 


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1 (C) by striking clause (ii); and 

2 (3) in paragraph (3)(B)— 

3 (A) by redesignating clauses (ii) through 

4 (iv) as clauses (iii) through (v), respectively, 

5 and by inserting after clause (i) the following: 

6 ‘‘(ii) encourage collaborations among 

7 sea grant colleges and sea grant institutes 

8 to address regional and national priorities 

9 established under subsection (c)(1);’’; and 

10 (B) in clause (iii) (as so redesignated) by 

11 striking ‘‘encourage’’ and inserting ‘‘ensure’’. 

12 SEC. 6. PROGRAM OR PROJECT GRANTS AND CONTRACTS. 

13 Section 205 (33 U.S.C. 1124) is amended— 

14 (1) by striking ‘‘States or regions.’’ in sub15 section (a)(2) and inserting ‘‘States, regions, or the 

16 Nation.’’; and 

17 (2) by striking the matter following paragraph 

18 (3) in subsection (b) and inserting the following: 

19 ‘‘The total amount that may be provided for grants under 

20 this subsection and subsection 208(b) during any fiscal 

21 year shall not exceed an amount equal to 5 percent of the 

22 total funds appropriated for such year under section 

23 212.’’. 


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1 SEC. 7. EXTENSION SERVICES BY SEA GRANT COLLEGES 

2 AND SEA GRANT INSTITUTES. 

3 Section 207(a) (33 U.S.C. 1126(a)) is amended in 

4 each of paragraphs (2)(B) and (3)(B) by striking ‘‘advi5 sory services’’ and inserting ‘‘extension services’’. 

6 SEC. 8. FELLOWSHIPS. 

7 Section 208(a) (33 U.S.C. 1127) is amended— 

8 (1) by striking ‘‘Not later than 1 year after the 

9 date of the enactment of the National Sea Grant 

10 College Program Act Amendments of 2002, and 

11 every 2 years thereafter,’’ in subsection (a) and in12 serting ‘‘Every 2 years,’’; and 

13 (2) by striking ‘‘year.’’ in subsection (b) and in14 serting ‘‘year and is not subject to Federal cost 

15 share requirements’’. 

16 SEC. 9. NATIONAL SEA GRANT ADVISORY BOARD. 

17 (a) REDESIGNATION OF SEA GRANT REVIEW PANEL

18 AS BOARD.— 

19 (1) REDESIGNATION.—The sea grant review 

20 panel established by section 209 of the National Sea 

21 Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1128), as in 

22 effect before the date of the enactment of this Act, 

23 is redesignated as the National Sea Grant Advisory 

24 Board. 

25 (2) MEMBERSHIP NOT AFFECTED.—An indi26 vidual serving as a member of the sea grant review 


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1 panel immediately before the enactment of this Act 

2 may continue to serve as a member of the National 

3 Sea Grant Advisory Board until the expiration of 

4 such member’s term under section 209(c) of such 

5 Act (33 U.S.C. 1128(c). 

6 (3) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, 

7 map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of 

8 the United States to such sea grant review panel is 

9 deemed to be a reference to the National Sea Grant 

10 Advisory Board. 

11 (4) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—Section 209 (33 U.S.C. 

13 1128) is amended by striking so much as pre14 cedes subsection (b) and inserting the following: 

15 ‘‘SEC. 209. NATIONAL SEA GRANT ADVISORY BOARD. 

16 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There shall be an inde17 pendent committee to be known as the National Sea Grant 

18 Advisory Board.’’. 

19 (B) DEFINITION.—Section 203(9) (33 

20 U.S.C. 1122(9)) is amended to read as follows: 

21 ‘‘(9) The term ‘Board’ means the National Sea 

22 Grant Advisory Board established under section 

23 209.’’; 

24 (C) OTHER PROVISIONS.—The following 

25 provisions are each amended by striking 


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1 ‘‘panel’’ each place it appears and inserting 

2 ‘‘Board’’: 

3 (i) Section 204 (33 U.S.C. 1123). 

4 (ii) Section 207 (33 U.S.C. 1126). 

5 (iii) Section 209 (33 U.S.C. 1128). 

6 (b) DUTIES.—Section 209(b) (33 U.S.C. 1128(b)) is 

7 amended to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘(b) DUTIES.— 

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall advise the 

10 Secretary and the Director concerning— 

11 ‘‘(A) strategies for utilizing the sea grant 

12 college program to address the Nation’s highest 

13 priorities regarding the understanding, assess14 ment, development, management, and conserva15 tion of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes re16 sources; 

17 ‘‘(B) the designation of sea grant colleges 

18 and sea grant institutes; and 

19 ‘‘(C) such other matters as the Secretary 

20 refers to the Board for review and advice. 

21 ‘‘(2) BIENNIAL REPORT.—The Board shall re22 port to the Congress every two years on the state of 

23 the national sea grant college program. The Board 

24 shall indicate in each such report the progress made 

25 toward meeting the priorities identified in the straVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:07 Sep 26, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3160.RS S3160

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1 tegic plan in effect under section 204(c). The Sec2 retary shall make available to the Board such infor3 mation, personnel, and administrative services and 

4 assistance as it may reasonably require to carry out 

5 its duties under this title.’’. 

6 (c) MEMBERSHIP, TERMS, AND POWERS.—Section 

7 209(c)(1) (33 U.S.C. 1128(c)(1)) is amended— 

8 (1) by inserting ‘‘coastal management,’’ after 

9 ‘‘resources management,’’; and 

10 (2) by striking ‘‘utilization,’’ and inserting 

11 ‘‘management,’’. 

12 (d) EXTENSION OF TERM.—Section 209(c)(2) (33 

13 U.S.C. 1128(c)(2)) is amended to read as follows: 

14 ‘‘(2) The term of office of a voting member of 

15 the Board shall be 4 years. The Director may extend 

16 the term of office of a voting member of the Board 

17 once by up to 1 year.’’. 

18 (e) ESTABLISHMENT OF SUBCOMMITTEES.—Section 

19 209(c) (33 U.S.C. 1128(c)) is amended by adding at the 

20 end the following: 

21 ‘‘(8) The Board may establish such subcommittees as 

22 are reasonably necessary to carry out its duties under sub23 section (b). Such subcommittees may include individuals 

24 who are not Board members.’’. 


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1 SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 Section 212 of the National Sea Grant College Pro3 gram Act (33 U.S.C. 1131) is amended— 

4 (1) by striking subsection (a)(1) and inserting 

5 the following: ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are author6 ized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out 

7 this title— 

8 ‘‘(A) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 

9 ‘‘(B) $105,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; 

10 ‘‘(C) $110,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; 

11 ‘‘(D) $115,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; 

12 ‘‘(E) $120,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; and 

13 ‘‘(F) $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2014.’’; 

14 (2) in subsection (a)(2)— 

15 (A) by striking ‘‘biology and control of 

16 zebra mussels and other important aquatic’’ in 

17 subparagraph (A) and inserting ‘‘biology, pre18 vention, and control of aquatic’’; and 

19 (B) by striking ‘‘blooms, including 

20 Pfiesteria piscicida; and’’ in subparagraph (C) 

21 and inserting ‘‘blooms; and’’; 

22 (3) in subsection (c)(1) by striking ‘‘rating 

23 under section 204(d)(3)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘perform24 ance assessments’’; 

25 (4) by striking subsection (c)(2) and inserting 

26 the following: 


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1 ‘‘(2) regional or national strategic investments au2 thorized under section 204(b)(4);’’. 

3 SEC. 11. REPEAL OF ANNUAL COORDINATION REPORT RE4 QUIREMENT. 

5 Section 9 of the National Sea Grant College Program 

6 Act Amendments of 2002 (33 U.S.C. 857-20) is repealed. 


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Calendar No. 1091 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3160 

[Report No. 110–508] 

A BILL 

To reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant 

College Program Act, and for other purposes. 

SEPTEMBER 25 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 

Reported without amendment 


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