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Calendar No. 791

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2280

[Report No. 108–400] 

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, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. DODD, and Mr. 

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

to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

OCTOBER 11, 2004

Reported by Mr. MCCAIN, without amendment 

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’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 

2 The Secretary of Commerce, through the Adminis3 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis4 tration, shall, in consultation with the National Science 

5 Foundation and other appropriate Federal agencies, es6 tablish a coordinated national ocean exploration program 

7 within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra8 tion. 

9 SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 

10 The purposes of the program are the following: 

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

12 geological, archaeological, temporal, and other re13 lated characteristics of the oceans to benefit, inform, 

14 and inspire the American people. 

15 (2) To create missions and scientific activities 

16 of discovery that will improve our understanding, ap17 preciation, and stewardship of the unique marine 

18 ecosystems, organisms, chemistry, and geology of the 

19 world’s oceans, and to enhance knowledge of sub20 merged maritime historical and archaeological sites. 

21 (3) To facilitate discovery of marine natural 

22 products from these ecosystems that may have po23 tential beneficial uses, including those that may help 

24 combat disease or provide therapeutic benefits. 

25 (4) To communicate such discoveries and 

26 knowledge to policymakers, regulators, researchers, 
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1 educators, and interested nongovernmental entities 

2 in order to support policy decisions and to spur ad3 ditional scientific research and development. 

4 (5) To maximize effectiveness by integrating 

5 multiple scientific disciplines, employing the diverse 

6 resources of the ocean science community, and mak7 ing ocean exploration data and information available 

8 in a timely and consistent manner. 

9 (6) To achieve heightened education, environ10 mental literacy, public understanding and apprecia11 tion of the oceans. 

12 SEC. 4. AUTHORITIES. 

13 In carrying out the program the Administrator of the 

14 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall—

15 (1) conduct interdisciplinary exploration voy16 ages or other scientific activities in conjunction with 

17 other Federal agencies or academic or educational 

18 institutions, to survey little known areas of the ma19 rine environment, inventory, observe, and assess liv20 ing and nonliving marine resources, and report such 

21 findings; 

22 (2) give priority attention to deep ocean re23 gions, with a focus on surveying deep water marine 

24 systems that hold potential for important scientific 
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1 and medical discoveries, such as hydrothermal vent 

2 communities and seamounts; 

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

4 and document historic shipwrecks, submerged sites, 

5 and other ocean exploration activities that combine 

6 archaeology and oceanographic sciences; 

7 (4) develop, in consultation with the National 

8 Science Foundation, a transparent process for re9 viewing and approving proposals for activities to be 

10 conducted under this program; 

11 (5) enhance the technical capability of the 

12 United States marine science community by pro13 moting the development of improved oceanographic 

14 research, communication, navigation, and data col15 lection systems, as well as underwater platforms and 

16 sensors; 

17 (6) conduct public education and outreach ac18 tivities that improve the public understanding of 

19 ocean science, resources, and processes, in conjunc20 tion with relevant educational programs of the Na21 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 

22 National Science Foundation, and other agencies; 

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

24 equipment to be applied for the purpose of exploring 
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1 the oceans or increasing knowledge of the oceans; 

2 and 

3 (8) establish an ocean exploration forum to en4 courage partnerships and promote communication 

5 among experts and other stakeholders in order to 

6 enhance the scientific and technical expertise and 

7 relevance of the national program. 

8 SEC. 5. EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUC9 TURE TASK FORCE. 

10 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra11 tion, in coordination with the National Aeronautics and 

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

13 of Naval Research, and relevant governmental, non-gov14 ernmental, academic, and other experts, shall convene an 

15 ocean technology and infrastructure task force to develop 

16 and implement a strategy—

17 (1) to facilitate transfer of new exploration 

18 technology to the program; 

19 (2) to improve availability of communications 

20 infrastructure, including satellite capabilities, to the 

21 program; 

22 (3) to develop an integrated, workable and com23 prehensive data management information processing 

24 system that will make information on unique and 
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1 significant features obtained by the program avail2 able for research and management purposes; and 

3 (4) to encourage cost-sharing partnerships with 

4 governmental and non-governmental entities that 

5 will assist in transferring exploration technology and 

6 technical expertise to the program. 

7 SEC. 6. INTERAGENCY FINANCING. 

8 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra9 tion, the National Science Foundation, and other Federal 

10 agencies involved in the program, are authorized to par11 ticipate in interagency financing and share, transfer, re12 ceive and spend funds appropriated to any federal partici13 pant the program for the purposes of carrying out any 

14 administrative or programmatic project or activity under 

15 this section. Funds may be transferred among such de16 partments and agencies through an appropriate instru17 ment that specifies the goods, services, or space being ac18 quired from another Federal participant and the costs of 

19 the same. 

20 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

21 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Na22 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry 

23 out the program—

24 (1) $45,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 

25 through 2010; and 
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1 (2) $55,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 

2 through 2016. 
Calendar No. 791

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2280

[Report No. 108–400] 

A BILL

To establish a coordinated national ocean exploAtmospheric Administration. ration program within the National Oceanic and 

OCTOBER 11, 2004

Reported without amendment