II 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2280 

To establish a coordinated national ocean exploration program within the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 5, 2004 

Mr. STEVENS (for himself, Mr. HOLLINGS, and Mr. INOUYE) introduced the 

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

Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To establish a coordinated national ocean exploration program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

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 Ocean Explo5 ration Program Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 

7 The Secretary of Commerce, through the Adminis8 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis9 tration, shall, in consultation with the National Science 
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1 Foundation and other appropriate Federal agencies, es2 tablish a coordinated national ocean exploration program 

3 within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4 tion. 

5 SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 

6 The purposes of the program are the following: 

7 (1) To explore the physical, biological, chemical, 

8 geological, archaeological, temporal, and other re9 lated characteristics of the oceans to benefit, inform, 

10 and inspire the American people. 

11 (2) To create missions and scientific activities 

12 of discovery that will improve our understanding, ap13 preciation, and stewardship of the unique marine 

14 ecosystems, organisms, chemistry, and geology of the 

15 world’s oceans, and to enhance knowledge of sub16 merged maritime historical and archaeological sites. 

17 (3) To facilitate discovery of marine natural 

18 products from these ecosystems that may have po19 tential beneficial uses, including those that may help 

20 combat disease or provide therapeutic benefits. 

21 (4) To communicate such discoveries and 

22 knowledge to policymakers, regulators, researchers, 

23 educators, and interested nongovernmental entities 

24 in order to support policy decisions and to spur ad25 ditional scientific research and development. 
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1 (5) To maximize effectiveness by integrating 

2 multiple scientific disciplines, employing the diverse 

3 resources of the ocean science community, and mak4 ing ocean exploration data and information available 

5 in a timely and consistent manner. 

6 (6) To achieve heightened education, environ7 mental literacy, public understanding and apprecia8 tion of the oceans. 

9 SEC. 4. AUTHORITIES. 

10 In carrying out the program the Administrator of the 

11 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall— 

12 (1) conduct interdisciplinary exploration voy13 ages or other scientific activities in conjunction with 

14 other Federal agencies or academic or educational 

15 institutions, to survey little known areas of the ma16 rine environment, inventory, observe, and assess liv17 ing and nonliving marine resources, and report such 

18 findings; 

19 (2) give priority attention to deep ocean re20 gions, with a focus on surveying deep water marine 

21 systems that hold potential for important scientific 

22 and medical discoveries, such as hydrothermal vent 

23 communities and seamounts; 

24 (3) conduct scientific voyages to locate, define, 

25 and document historic shipwrecks, submerged sites, 
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1 and other ocean exploration activities that combine 

2 archaeology and oceanographic sciences; 

3 (4) develop, in consultation with the National 

4 Science Foundation, a transparent process for re5 viewing and approving proposals for activities to be 

6 conducted under this program; 

7 (5) enhance the technical capability of the 

8 United States marine science community by pro9 moting the development of improved oceanographic 

10 research, communication, navigation, and data col11 lection systems, as well as underwater platforms and 

12 sensors; 

13 (6) conduct public education and outreach ac14 tivities that improve the public understanding of 

15 ocean science, resources, and processes, in conjunc16 tion with relevant educational programs of the Na17 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 

18 National Science Foundation, and other agencies; 

19 (7) accept donations of property, data, and 

20 equipment to be applied for the purpose of exploring 

21 the oceans or increasing knowledge of the oceans; 

22 and 

23 (8) establish an ocean exploration forum to en24 courage partnerships and promote communication 

25 among experts and other stakeholders in order to 
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1 enhance the scientific and technical expertise and 

2 relevance of the national program. 

3 SEC. 5. EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUC4 TURE TASK FORCE. 

5 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra6 tion, in coordination with the National Aeronautics and 

7 Space Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey, Office 

8 of Naval Research, and relevant governmental, non-gov9 ernmental, academic, and other experts, shall convene an 

10 ocean technology and infrastructure task force to develop 

11 and implement a strategy— 

12 (1) to facilitate transfer of new exploration 

13 technology to the program; 

14 (2) to improve availability of communications 

15 infrastructure, including satellite capabilities, to the 

16 program; 

17 (3) to develop an integrated, workable and com18 prehensive data management information processing 

19 system that will make information on unique and 

20 significant features obtained by the program avail21 able for research and management purposes; and 

22 (4) to encourage cost-sharing partnerships with 

23 governmental and non-governmental entities that 

24 will assist in transferring exploration technology and 

25 technical expertise to the program. 
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1 SEC. 6. INTERAGENCY FINANCING. 

2 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra3 tion, the National Science Foundation, and other Federal 

4 agencies involved in the program, are authorized to par5 ticipate in interagency financing and share, transfer, re6 ceive and spend funds appropriated to any federal partici7 pant the program for the purposes of carrying out any 

8 administrative or programmatic project or activity under 

9 this section. Funds may be transferred among such de10 partments and agencies through an appropriate instru11 ment that specifies the goods, services, or space being ac12 quired from another Federal participant and the costs of 

13 the same. 

14 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

15 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Na16 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry 

17 out the program— 

18 (1) $45,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 

19 through 2010; and 

20 (2) $55,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 

21 through 2016. 

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