II 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3160 

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, and Mr. 

KERRY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transporation 

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’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REFERENCES. 

7 Except as otherwise expressly provided therein, when8 ever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in 

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

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


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1 a section or other provision of the National Sea Grant Col2 lege Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.). 

3 SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

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

5 is amended— 

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

7 paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 

8 ‘‘(D) encourage the development of prepa9 ration, forecast, analysis, mitigation, response, 

10 and recovery systems for coastal hazards; 

11 ‘‘(E) understand global environmental 

12 processes and their impacts on ocean, coastal, 

13 and Great Lakes resources; and’’; 

14 (2) by striking ‘‘program of research, edu15 cation,’’ in paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘program of 

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

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

18 following: 

19 ‘‘(6) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

20 Administration, through the national sea grant col21 lege program, offers the most suitable locus and 

22 means for such commitment and engagement 

23 through the promotion of activities that will result in 

24 greater such understanding, assessment, develop25 ment, management, and conservation of ocean, 


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1 coastal, and Great Lakes resources. The most cost2 effective way to promote such activities is through 

3 continued and increased Federal support of the es4 tablishment, development, and operation of pro5 grams and projects by sea grant colleges, sea grant 

6 institutes, and other institutions, including strong 

7 collaborations between Administration scientists and 

8 research and outreach personnel at academic institu9 tions.’’. 

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

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

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

13 promote integrated research, education, training, and ex14 tension services and activities’’. 

15 (c) TERMINOLOGY.—Subsections (a) and (b) of sec16 tion 202 (15 U.S.C. 1121(a) and (b)) are amended by 

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

18 ‘‘management,’’. 

19 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

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

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

22 and inserting ‘‘management,’’; 

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

24 services’’ and inserting ‘‘extension services’’; 


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

2 striking ‘‘(33 U.S.C. 1126)’’; and 

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

4 ‘‘(17) The term ‘regional research and informa5 tion plan’ means a plan developed by one or more 

6 sea grant colleges or sea grant institutes that identi7 fies regional priorities.’’. 

8 SEC. 5. NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM. 

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

10 U.S.C. 1123(b)) is amended— 

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

12 follows: 

13 ‘‘(1) sea grant programs that comprise a na14 tional sea grant college program network, including 

15 international projects conducted within such pro16 grams and regional and national projects conducted 

17 among such programs;’’; 

18 (2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as fol19 lows: 

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

21 college program and this title by the national sea 

22 grant office and the Administration;’’; and 

23 (3) by amending paragraph (4) to read as fol24 lows: 


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1 ‘‘(4) any regional or national strategic invest2 ments in fields relating to ocean, coastal, and Great 

3 Lakes resources developed in consultation with the 

4 Board and with the approval of the sea grant col5 leges and the sea grant institutes.’’. 

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

7 (33 U.S.C. 1123(c)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘Within 

8 6 months of the date of enactment of the National Sea 

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

10 and inserting ‘‘The’’. 

11 (c) FUNCTIONS OF DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SEA

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

13 1123(d)) is amended— 

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

15 range’’; 

16 (2) in paragraph (3)(A)— 

17 (A) by striking ‘‘(A)(i) evaluate’’ and in18 serting ‘‘(A) evaluate and assess’’; 

19 (B) by striking ‘‘activities; and’’ and in20 serting ‘‘activities;’’; and 

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

22 (3) in paragraph (3)(B)— 

23 (A) by redesignating clauses (ii) through 

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

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


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1 ‘‘(ii) encourage collaborations among 

2 sea grant colleges and sea grant institutes 

3 to address regional and national priorities 

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

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

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

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

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

9 (1) by striking ‘‘States or regions.’’ in sub10 section (a)(2) and inserting ‘‘States, regions, or the 

11 Nation.’’; and 

12 (2) by striking the matter following paragraph 

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

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

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

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

17 total funds appropriated for such year under section 

18 212.’’. 

19 SEC. 7. EXTENSION SERVICES BY SEA GRANT COLLEGES 

20 AND SEA GRANT INSTITUTES. 

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

22 each of paragraphs (2)(B) and (3)(B) by striking ‘‘advi23 sory services’’ and inserting ‘‘extension services’’. 

24 SEC. 8. FELLOWSHIPS. 

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


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

2 date of the enactment of the National Sea Grant 

3 College Program Act Amendments of 2002, and 

4 every 2 years thereafter,’’ in subsection (a) and in5 serting ‘‘Every 2 years,’’; and 

6 (2) by striking ‘‘year.’’ in subsection (b) and in7 serting ‘‘year and is not subject to Federal cost 

8 share requirements.’’. 

9 SEC. 9. NATIONAL SEA GRANT ADVISORY BOARD. 

10 (a) REDESIGNATION OF SEA GRANT REVIEW PANEL

11 AS BOARD.— 

12 (1) REDESIGNATION.—The sea grant review 

13 panel established by section 209 of the National Sea 

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

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

16 is redesignated as the National Sea Grant Advisory 

17 Board. 

18 (2) MEMBERSHIPNOT AFFECTED.—An indi19 vidual serving as a member of the sea grant review 

20 panel immediately before the enactment of this Act 

21 may continue to serve as a member of the National 

22 Sea Grant Advisory Board until the expiration of 

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

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


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

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

3 the United States to such sea grant review panel is 

4 deemed to be a reference to the National Sea Grant 

5 Advisory Board. 

6 (4) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

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

8 1128) is amended by striking so much as pre9 cedes subsection (b) and inserting the following: 

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

11 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There shall be an inde12 pendent committee to be known as the National Sea Grant 

13 Advisory Board.’’. 

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

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

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

17 Grant Advisory Board established under section 

18 209.’’; 

19 (C) OTHER PROVISIONS.—The following 

20 provisions are each amended by striking 

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

22 ‘‘Board’’: 

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

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

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


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

2 amended to read as follows: 

3 ‘‘(b) DUTIES.— 

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

5 Secretary and the Director concerning— 

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

7 college program to address the Nation’s highest 

8 priorities regarding the understanding, assess9 ment, development, management, and conserva10 tion of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes re11 sources; 

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

13 and sea grant institutes; and 

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

15 refers to the Board for review and advice. 

16 ‘‘(2) BIENNIAL REPORT.—The Board shall re17 port to the Congress every two years on the state of 

18 the national sea grant college program. The Board 

19 shall indicate in each such report the progress made 

20 toward meeting the priorities identified in the stra21 tegic plan in effect under section 204(c). The Sec22 retary shall make available to the Board such infor23 mation, personnel, and administrative services and 

24 assistance as it may reasonably require to carry out 

25 its duties under this title.’’. 


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

2 209(c)(1) (33 U.S.C. 1128(c)(1)) is amended— 

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

4 ‘‘resources management,’’; and 

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

6 ‘‘management,’’. 

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

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

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

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

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

12 once by up to 1 year.’’. 

13 (e) ESTABLISHMENT OF SUBCOMMITTEES.—Section 

14 209(c) (33 U.S.C. 1128(c)) is amended by adding at the 

15 end the following: 

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

17 are reasonably necessary to carry out its duties under sub18 section (b). Such subcommittees may include individuals 

19 who are not Board members.’’. 

20 SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

21 Section 212 of the National Sea Grant College Pro22 gram Act (33 U.S.C. 1131) is amended— 

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

24 the following: ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:56 Jun 24, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3160.IS S3160

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1 ized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out 

2 this title— 

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 (2) in subsection (a)(2)— 

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

11 zebra mussels and other important aquatic’’ in 

12 subparagraph (A) and inserting ‘‘biology, pre13 vention, and control of aquatic’’; and 

14 (B) by striking ‘‘blooms, including 

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

16 and inserting ‘‘blooms; and’’; 

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

18 under section 204(d)(3)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘perform19 ance assessments’’; and 

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

21 the following: 

22 ‘‘(2) regional or national strategic investments au23 thorized under section 204(b)(4);’’. 


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1 SEC. 11. REPEAL OF ANNUAL COORDINATION REPORT RE2 QUIREMENT. 

3 Section 9 of the National Sea Grant College Program 

4 Act Amendments of 2002 (33 U.S.C. 857–20) is repealed. 

Æ 


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