II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1179 

To amend the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 to modify the membership of the Arctic Research Commission, to establish an Arctic Executive 

Steering Committee, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 11, 2019 

Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself, Mr. SCHATZ, and Mr. SULLIVAN) introduced the 

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

Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To amend the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 to 

modify the membership of the Arctic Research Commission, to establish an Arctic Executive Steering Committee, 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 ‘‘Arctic Policy Act of 

5 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP OF ARCTIC RESEARCH COMMISSION. 

2 Section 103 of the Arctic Research and Policy Act 

3 of 1984 (15 U.S.C. 4102) is amended by striking sub4 section (b) and inserting the following: 

5 ‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

6 ‘‘(1) APPOINTED MEMBERS.—The Commission 

7 shall be comprised of 9 members, to be appointed by 

8 the President, of whom— 

9 ‘‘(A) 4 shall be appointed from among in10 dividuals from academic or other research insti11 tutions with expertise in areas of research relat12 ing to the Arctic, including the physical, biologi13 cal, health, environmental, social, and behav14 ioral sciences; 

15 ‘‘(B) 3 shall be appointed from among in16 digenous residents of the Arctic who are rep17 resentative of the needs and interests of Arctic 

18 residents; and 

19 ‘‘(C) 2 shall be appointed from among in20 dividuals familiar with the Arctic who are rep21 resentative of the needs and interests of private 

22 industry undertaking resource development in 

23 the Arctic. 

24 ‘‘(2) CHAIRPERSON.—The President shall des25 ignate 1 of the members of the Commission apVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:49 Apr 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1179.IS S1179

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1 pointed under paragraph (1) to be chairperson of 

2 the Commission. 

3 ‘‘(3) EX OFFICIO MEMBER.—The Director of 

4 the National Science Foundation shall serve as a 

5 nonvoting, ex officio member of the Commission.’’. 

6 SEC. 3. ARCTIC EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

8 (1) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The term ‘‘Advi9 sory Committee’’ means the Arctic Advisory Com10 mittee established under subsection (c)(1). 

11 (2) ADVISORY GROUP.—The term ‘‘Advisory 

12 Group’’ means the Bering Sea Regional Tribal Advi13 sory Group established under subsection (b)(6)(A). 

14 (3) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 

15 meaning given the term in section 551 of title 5, 

16 United States Code. 

17 (4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

18 of Alaska. 

19 (5) STEERING COMMITTEE.—The term ‘‘Steer20 ing Committee’’ means the Arctic Executive Steering 

21 Committee established by subsection (b)(1). 

22 (b) STEERING COMMITTEE.— 

23 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a 

24 steering committee, to be known as the ‘‘Arctic Ex25 ecutive Steering Committee’’— 


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1 (A) to provide guidance to agencies with 

2 respect to Arctic issues; 

3 (B) to enhance coordination of Federal 

4 Arctic policies across agencies; and 

5 (C) to collaborate with State, local, and 

6 Alaska Native Tribal governments and similar 

7 Alaska Native organizations, academic and re8 search institutions, and the private and non9 profit sectors, as appropriate, with respect to 

10 Arctic issues. 

11 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Steering Committee 

12 shall be comprised of— 

13 (A) the Secretary of Homeland Security; 

14 (B) the heads of each of— 

15 (i) the Office of Science and Tech16 nology Policy; 

17 (ii) the Council on Environmental 

18 Quality; 

19 (iii) the Domestic Policy Council; 

20 (iv) the National Economic Council; 

21 (v) the Council of Economic Advisers; 

22 and 

23 (vi) the National Security Council; 


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1 (C) the Executive Officer of the Steering 

2 Committee, who shall be designated by the 

3 Chair of the Steering Committee; and 

4 (D) a senior official holding the rank of 

5 Deputy Secretary or higher (or an equivalent 

6 officer) from each of— 

7 (i) the Department of Agriculture; 

8 (ii) the Department of Commerce; 

9 (iii) the Department of Defense; 

10 (iv) the Department of Energy; 

11 (v) the Department of Health and 

12 Human Services; 

13 (vi) the Department of the Interior; 

14 (vii) the Department of Justice; 

15 (viii) the Department of Labor; 

16 (ix) the Department of State; 

17 (x) the Department of Transportation; 

18 (xi) the Office of the Director of Na19 tional Intelligence; 

20 (xii) the Environmental Protection 

21 Agency; 

22 (xiii) the National Aeronautics and 

23 Space Administration; 

24 (xiv) the National Science Founda25 tion; 


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1 (xv) the Arctic Research Commission; 

2 (xvi) the Office of Management and 

3 Budget; and 

4 (xvii) such other agencies or offices as 

5 the Chair of the Steering Committee deter6 mines to be appropriate. 

7 (3) ADMINISTRATION.— 

8 (A) CHAIR.—The Secretary of Homeland 

9 Security shall be the Chair of the Steering 

10 Committee. 

11 (B) VICE CHAIR.—The Director of the Of12 fice of Science and Technology Policy shall be 

13 the Vice Chair of the Steering Committee. 

14 (C) MEETINGS.—Under the leadership of 

15 the Chair of the Steering Committee, the Steer16 ing Committee shall meet quarterly or, as the 

17 Chair of the Steering Committee determines to 

18 be appropriate, more frequently— 

19 (i) to shape priorities for the Steering 

20 Committee; 

21 (ii) to establish the strategic direction 

22 of the Steering Committee; 

23 (iii) to oversee implementation of ac24 tivities of the Steering Committee; and 


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1 (iv) to ensure coordination of Federal 

2 activities in the Arctic. 

3 (D) COORDINATION.—The Steering Com4 mittee shall coordinate activities of the Steering 

5 Committee with activities of existing working 

6 groups established by law or Executive order. 

7 (E) SUBCOMMITTEES AND WORKING

8 GROUPS.—As appropriate, the Chair of the 

9 Steering Committee may establish subcommit10 tees and working groups, consisting of rep11 resentatives from relevant agencies— 

12 (i) to focus on specific key issues 

13 under the jurisdiction of the Steering Com14 mittee; and 

15 (ii) to assist in carrying out the re16 sponsibilities of the Steering Committee. 

17 (F) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.— 

18 (i) IN GENERAL.—Agencies shall pro19 vide administrative support and additional 

20 resources, as appropriate, to support the 

21 participation of the agencies in the Steer22 ing Committee, to the extent permitted by 

23 law and using existing appropriations. 

24 (ii) EXPENSES.—Each agency shall be 

25 responsible for the expenses of the agency 


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1 in supporting the participation of the agen2 cy in the Steering Committee and any sub3 committees or working groups established 

4 under subparagraph (E). 

5 (G) POINT OF CONTACT.—Each member of 

6 the Steering Committee shall provide to the Ex7 ecutive Officer of the Steering Committee the 

8 name of a representative designated by the 

9 member to serve as a point of contact for the 

10 member, who shall be responsible for— 

11 (i) coordinating efforts with inter12 agency partners; 

13 (ii) collaborating with State, local, and 

14 Alaska Native Tribal governments and 

15 similar Alaska Native organizations; and 

16 (iii) assisting in carrying out any 

17 functions and duties assigned by the Steer18 ing Committee. 

19 (4) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Steering Com20 mittee shall— 

21 (A) examine the policies of the United 

22 States with respect to the Arctic to identify pol23 icy areas that need to be updated or revised; 

24 (B) provide guidance to agencies on ways 

25 to increase the participation in, consultation 


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1 with, and coordination of Federal Arctic pro2 grams with individuals who live in the Arctic; 

3 and 

4 (C) provide guidance to agencies on ways 

5 in which Arctic programs could be structured so 

6 as to be better coordinated and most effective. 

7 (5) DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER.— 

8 The Executive Officer of the Steering Committee 

9 shall— 

10 (A) be responsible for facilitating inter11 agency coordination efforts with respect to im12 plementing the guidance and strategic priorities 

13 developed by the Steering Committee; and 

14 (B) coordinate with the Chair of the Steer15 ing Committee to provide regular reports to the 

16 Steering Committee on agency implementation 

17 and planning efforts for the Arctic region. 

18 (6) ENGAGEMENT WITH THE STATE OF ALASKA

19 AND ALASKA NATIVE TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS.— 

20 (A) BERING SEA REGIONAL TRIBAL ADVI21 SORY GROUP.—Not later than 180 days after 

22 the date of enactment of this Act, the Steering 

23 Committee shall establish an advisory group, to 

24 be known as the ‘‘Bering Sea Regional Tribal 

25 Advisory Group’’, comprised of regional elected 


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1 officials representing Alaska Native Tribal gov2 ernments for the purpose of providing input 

3 and recommendations to the Steering Com4 mittee on activities, regulations, guidance, the 

5 incorporation of traditional knowledge, or poli6 cies that may affect actions or conditions in the 

7 northern Bering Sea and the Bering Strait re8 gion, with attention given to the rights, needs, 

9 and knowledge of Alaska Native Tribes. 

10 (B) ADDITIONAL ADVISORY GROUPS.—The 

11 Steering Committee, as appropriate, shall estab12 lish regional Tribal advisory groups to provide 

13 the Steering Committee with input and rec14 ommendations on a specific issue or additional 

15 regions of the Arctic. 

16 (C) COORDINATION.—The Steering Com17 mittee shall develop a process to improve co18 ordination and the sharing of information and 

19 knowledge, including traditional knowledge, 

20 among Federal, State, local, and Alaska Native 

21 Tribal governments and similar Alaska Native 

22 organizations, and private-sector and nonprofit23 sector groups on Arctic issues. 

24 (D) POINT OF CONTACT.—The Steering 

25 Committee shall identify an appropriate Federal 


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1 entity to be the point of contact for Arctic mat2 ters for State, local, and Alaska Native Tribal 

3 governments and similar Alaska Native organi4 zations. 

5 (c) ARCTIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 

6 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days 

7 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Steering 

8 Committee shall establish an advisory committee, to 

9 be known as the ‘‘Arctic Advisory Committee’’. 

10 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Advisory Committee 

11 shall be comprised of 13 members— 

12 (A) who are appointed by the Chair of the 

13 Steering Committee; 

14 (B) who have sufficient experience and ex15 pertise in the Arctic region; and 

16 (C) of whom— 

17 (i) 1 shall be from the Arctic Slope; 

18 (ii) 1 shall be from the North West 

19 Arctic; 

20 (iii) 1 shall be from Norton Sound; 

21 (iv) 1 shall be from the Interior; 

22 (v) 1 shall be from Yukon-Kusko23 kwim; 

24 (vi) 1 shall be from Bristol Bay; 


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1 (vii) 1 shall be from the Aleutian Is2 lands; 

3 (viii) 1 shall be from the Pribilof Is4 lands; 

5 (ix) at least 2 may be from outside of 

6 the State; and 

7 (x) 3 may be at-large members. 

8 (3) CHAIR.—The Chair of the Advisory Com9 mittee shall be selected from among the members of 

10 the Advisory Committee. 

11 (4) MISSION.—The mission of the Advisory 

12 Committee is to advise the Chair of the Steering 

13 Committee and members of the Steering Committee 

14 on Federal Arctic policies, including existing Arctic 

15 policies and Arctic policies that are under consider16 ation. 

17 (5) APPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY

18 COMMITTEE ACT.—Except as otherwise provided in 

19 this subsection, the Federal Advisory Committee Act 

20 (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the Advisory Com21 mittee. 

22 (6) DURATION.—The Advisory Committee shall 

23 continue to operate during any period in which the 

24 Steering Committee is in existence. 


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1 (d) EFFECT.—Nothing in this section impairs or oth2 erwise affects— 

3 (1) the authority granted by law to an executive 

4 department, agency, or the head of an executive de5 partment or agency; or 

6 (2) the functions of the Director of the Office 

7 of Management and Budget with respect to budg8 etary, administrative, or legislative proposals. 

Æ 


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