114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 764 

AN ACT 

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, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Sea Grant 

3 College Program Amendments Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO THE NATIONAL SEA GRANT COL5 LEGE PROGRAM ACT. 

6 Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in 

7 this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 

8 of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provi9 sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to a 

10 section or other provision of the National Sea Grant Col11 lege Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.). 

12 SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF DEAN JOHN A. KNAUSS MARINE 

13 POLICY FELLOWSHIP. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 208(b) (33 U.S.C. 

15 1127(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘may’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘shall’’. 

17 (b) PLACEMENTS IN CONGRESS.—Such section is 

18 further amended— 

19 (1) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘The Sec20 retary’’ and inserting the following: 

21 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 

22 (2) in paragraph (1), as designated by para23 graph (1), in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘A fel24 lowship’’ and inserting the following: 

25 ‘‘(2) PLACEMENT PRIORITIES.— 
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1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In each year in which 

2 the Secretary awards a legislative fellowship 

3 under this subsection, when considering the 

4 placement of fellows, the Secretary shall 

5 prioritize placement of fellows in the following: 

6 ‘‘(i) Positions in offices of, or with 

7 members on, committees of Congress that 

8 have jurisdiction over the National Oceanic 

9 and Atmospheric Administration. 

10 ‘‘(ii) Positions in offices of members 

11 of Congress that have a demonstrated in12 terest in ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes re13 sources. 

14 ‘‘(B) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—In plac15 ing fellows in offices described in subparagraph 

16 (A), the Secretary shall ensure, to the max17 imum degree practicable, that placements are 

18 equitably distributed among the political par19 ties. 

20 ‘‘(3) DURATION.—A fellowship’’. 

21 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

22 subsection (b) shall apply with respect to the first calendar 

23 year beginning after the date of enactment of this Act. 

24 (d) SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING FEDERAL

25 HIRING OF FORMER FELLOWS.—It is the sense of Con-
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1 gress that in recognition of the competitive nature of the 

2 fellowship under section 208(b) of the National Sea Grant 

3 College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)), and of the ex4 ceptional qualifications of fellowship awardees, the Sec5 retary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary 

6 of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, should encour7 age participating Federal agencies to consider opportuni8 ties for fellowship awardees at the conclusion of their fel9 lowship for workforce positions appropriate for their edu10 cation and experience. 

11 SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF 

12 COMMERCE TO ACCEPT DONATIONS FOR NA13 TIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 204(c)(4)(E) (33 U.S.C. 

15 1123(c)(4)(E)) is amended to read as follows: 

16 ‘‘(E) accept donations of money and, not17 withstanding section 1342 of title 31, United 

18 States Code, of voluntary and uncompensated 

19 services;’’. 

20 (b) PRIORITIES.—The Secretary of Commerce, acting 

21 through the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 

22 Atmosphere, shall establish priorities for the use of dona23 tions accepted under section 204(c)(4)(E) of the National 

24 Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 

25 1123(c)(4)(E)), and shall consider among those priorities 
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1 the possibility of expanding the Dean John A. Knauss Ma2 rine Policy Fellowship’s placement of additional fellows in 

3 relevant legislative offices under section 208(b) of that Act 

4 (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)), in accordance with the recommenda5 tions under subsection (c) of this section. 

6 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

7 of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National 

8 Sea Grant College Program, in consultation with the Na9 tional Sea Grant Advisory Board and the Sea Grant Asso10 ciation, shall— 

11 (1) develop recommendations for the optimal 

12 use of any donations accepted under section 

13 204(c)(4)(E) of the National Sea Grant College Pro14 gram Act (33 U.S.C. 1123(c)(4)(E)); and 

15 (2) submit to Congress a report on the rec16 ommendations developed under paragraph (1). 

17 (d) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall be 

18 construed to limit or otherwise affect any other amounts 

19 available for marine policy fellowships under section 

20 208(b) of the National Sea Grant College Program Act 

21 (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)), including amounts— 

22 (1) accepted under section 204(c)(4)(F) of that 

23 Act (33 U.S.C. 1123(c)(4)(F)); or 

24 (2) appropriated under section 212 of that Act 

25 (33 U.S.C. 1131). 
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1 SEC. 5. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT FOR REPORT ON CO2 ORDINATION OF OCEANS AND COASTAL RE3 SEARCH ACTIVITIES. 

4 Section 9 of the National Sea Grant College Program 

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

6 SEC. 6. REDUCTION IN FREQUENCY REQUIRED FOR NA7 TIONAL SEA GRANT ADVISORY BOARD RE8 PORT. 

9 Section 209(b)(2) (33 U.S.C. 1128(b)(2)) is amend10 ed— 

11 (1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘BIENNIAL’’ and 

12 inserting ‘‘PERIODIC’’; and 

13 (2) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘The 

14 Board shall report to the Congress every two years’’ 

15 and inserting ‘‘Not less frequently than once every 

16 3 years, the Board shall submit to Congress a re17 port’’. 

18 SEC. 7. MODIFICATION OF ELEMENTS OF NATIONAL SEA 

19 GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM. 

20 Section 204(b) (33 U.S.C. 1123(b)) is amended, in 

21 the matter before paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘for re22 search, education, extension, training, technology transfer, 

23 and public service’’ after ‘‘financial assistance’’. 
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1 SEC. 8. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY; DEAN JOHN A. KNAUSS 

2 MARINE POLICY FELLOWSHIP. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—During fiscal year 2016 and 

4 thereafter, the head of any Federal agency may appoint, 

5 without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 

6 33 of title 5, United States Code, other than sections 3303 

7 and 3328 of that title, a qualified candidate described in 

8 subsection (b) directly to a position with the Federal agen9 cy for which the candidate meets Office of Personnel Man10 agement qualification standards. 

11 (b) DEAN JOHN A. KNAUSS MARINE POLICY FEL12 LOWSHIP.—Subsection (a) applies with respect to a 

13 former recipient of a Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy 

14 Fellowship under section 208(b) of the National Sea 

15 Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)) who— 

16 (1) earned a graduate or post-graduate degree 

17 in a field related to ocean, coastal and Great Lakes 

18 resources or policy from an accredited institution of 

19 higher education; and 

20 (2) successfully fulfilled the requirements of the 

21 fellowship within the executive or legislative branch 

22 of the United States Government. 

23 (c) LIMITATION.—The direct hire authority under 

24 this section shall be exercised with respect to a specific 

25 qualified candidate not later than 2 years after the date 

26 that the candidate completed the fellowship. 
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1 SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR NA2 TIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 212(a) (33 U.S.C. 

4 1131(a)) is amended— 

5 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

6 (A) in subparagraph (E), by striking 

7 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

8 (B) in subparagraph (F), by striking the 

9 period at the end and inserting ‘‘;’’; and 

10 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(G) $72,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; 

12 ‘‘(H) $75,600,000 for fiscal year 2016; 

13 ‘‘(I) $79,380,000 for fiscal year 2017; 

14 ‘‘(J) $83,350,000 for fiscal year 2018; 

15 ‘‘(K) $87,520,000 for fiscal year 2019; 

16 ‘‘(L) $91,900,000 for fiscal year 2020; and 

17 ‘‘(M) $96,500,000 for fiscal year 2021.’’; 

18 (2) in the heading for paragraph (2), by insert19 ing ‘‘FOR FISCAL YEARS 2009 THROUGH 2014’’ after 

20 ‘‘PRIORITY ACTIVITIES’’; and 

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

22 ‘‘(3) PRIORITY ACTIVITIES FOR FISCAL YEARS

23 2015 THROUGH 2020.—In addition to the amounts 

24 authorized under paragraph (1), there is authorized 

25 to be appropriated $6,000,000 for each of fiscal 
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1 years 2015 through 2020 for competitive grants for 

2 the following: 

3 ‘‘(A) University research on the biology, 

4 prevention, and control of aquatic nonnative 

5 species. 

6 ‘‘(B) University research on oyster dis7 eases, oyster restoration, and oyster-related 

8 human health risks. 

9 ‘‘(C) University research on the biology, 

10 prevention, and forecasting of harmful algal 

11 blooms. 

12 ‘‘(D) University research, education, train13 ing, and extension services and activities fo14 cused on coastal resilience and U.S. working 

15 waterfronts and other regional or national pri16 ority issues identified in the strategic plan 

17 under section 204(c)(1). 

18 ‘‘(E) University research on sustainable 

19 aquaculture techniques and technologies. 

20 ‘‘(F) Fishery extension activities conducted 

21 by sea grant colleges or sea grant institutes to 

22 enhance, and not supplant, existing core pro23 gram funding.’’. 
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1 (b) MODIFICATION OF LIMITATIONS ON AMOUNTS

2 FOR ADMINISTRATION.—Paragraph (1) of section 212(b) 

3 (33 U.S.C. 1131(b)) is amended to read as follows: 

4 ‘‘(1) ADMINISTRATION.— 

5 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—There may not be 

6 used for administration of programs under this 

7 title in a fiscal year more than 5.5 percent of 

8 the lesser of— 

9 ‘‘(i) the amount authorized to be ap10 propriated under this title for the fiscal 

11 year; or 

12 ‘‘(ii) the amount appropriated under 

13 this title for the fiscal year. 

14 ‘‘(B) CRITICAL STAFFING REQUIRE15 MENTS.— 

16 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall 

17 use the authority under subchapter VI of 

18 chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code, 

19 to meet any critical staffing requirement 

20 while carrying out the activities authorized 

21 in this title. 

22 ‘‘(ii) EXCEPTION FROM CAP.—For 

23 purposes of subparagraph (A), any costs 

24 incurred as a result of an exercise of au25 thority as described in clause (i) shall not 
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1 be considered an amount used for adminis2 tration of programs under this title in a 

3 fiscal year.’’. 

4 (c) ALLOCATION OF FUNDING.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 204(d)(3) (33 

6 U.S.C. 1123(d)(3)) is amended— 

7 (A) in the matter before subparagraph (A), 

8 by striking ‘‘With respect to sea grant colleges 

9 and sea grant institutes’’ and inserting ‘‘With 

10 respect to sea grant colleges, sea grant insti11 tutes, sea grant programs, and sea grant 

12 projects’’; and 

13 (B) in subparagraph (B), in the matter be14 fore clause (i), by striking ‘‘funding among sea 

15 grant colleges and sea grant institutes’’ and in16 serting ‘‘funding among sea grant colleges, sea 

17 grant institutes, sea grant programs, and sea 

18 grant projects’’. 

19 (2) REPEAL OF REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING

20 DISTRIBUTION OF EXCESS AMOUNTS.—Section 212 

21 (33 U.S.C. 1131) is amended— 

22 (A) by striking subsection (c); and 

23 (B) by redesignating subsections (d) and 

24 (e) as subsections (c) and (d), respectively. 
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1 SEC. 10. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 

2 The National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 

3 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.) is amended— 

4 (1) in section 204(d)(3)(B) (33 U.S.C. 

5 1123(d)(3)(B)), by moving clause (vi) two ems to 

6 the right; and 

7 (2) in section 209(b)(2) (33 U.S.C. 

8 1128(b)(2)), as amended by section 6, in the third 

9 sentence, by striking ‘‘The Secretary shall’’ and in10 serting the following: 

11 ‘‘(3) AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES OF DEPART12 MENT OF COMMERCE.—The Secretary shall’’. 

Passed the Senate July 28, 2015. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 764 

AN ACT 

To reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant 

College Program Act, and for other purposes.