108TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2280

AN ACT

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.

Passed the Senate November 16, 2004.

Attest:

Secretary.
108TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2280

AN ACT

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