II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 764 

To reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 17, 2015 

Mr. WICKER (for himself, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. SULLIVAN, and Ms. CANTWELL) 

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 College Program Amendments Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO THE NATIONAL SEA GRANT COL7 LEGE PROGRAM ACT. 

8 Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in 

9 this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 

10 of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other proviVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:37 Mar 20, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S764.IS S764

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1 sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to a 

2 section or other provision of the National Sea Grant Col3 lege Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.). 

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

5 POLICY FELLOWSHIP. 

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

7 1127(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘may’’ and inserting 

8 ‘‘shall’’. 

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

10 further amended— 

11 (1) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘The Sec12 retary’’ and inserting the following: 

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

14 (2) in paragraph (1), as designated by para15 graph (1), in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘A fel16 lowship’’ and inserting the following: 

17 ‘‘(2) PLACEMENT PRIORITIES.— 

18 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In each year in which 

19 the Secretary awards a legislative fellowship 

20 under this subsection, when considering the 

21 placement of fellows, the Secretary shall 

22 prioritize placement of fellows in the following: 

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

24 members on, committees of Congress that 


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1 have jurisdiction over the National Oceanic 

2 and Atmospheric Administration. 

3 ‘‘(ii) Positions in offices of members 

4 of Congress that have a demonstrated in5 terest in ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes re6 sources. 

7 ‘‘(B) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—In plac8 ing fellows in offices described in subparagraph 

9 (A), the Secretary shall ensure, to the max10 imum degree practicable, that placements are 

11 equitably distributed among the political par12 ties. 

13 ‘‘(3) DURATION.—A fellowship’’. 

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

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

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

17 (d) SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING FEDERAL

18 HIRING OF FORMER FELLOWS.—It is the sense of Con19 gress that in recognition of the competitive nature of the 

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

21 College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)), and of the ex22 ceptional qualifications of fellowship awardees, the Sec23 retary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary 

24 of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, should encour25 age participating Federal agencies to consider opportuniVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:37 Mar 20, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S764.IS S764

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1 ties for fellowship awardees at the conclusion of their fel2 lowship for workforce positions appropriate for their edu3 cation and experience. 

4 SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF 

5 COMMERCE TO ACCEPT DONATIONS FOR NA6 TIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM. 

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

8 1123(c)(4)(E)) is amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘(E) accept donations of money and, not10 withstanding section 1342 of title 31, United 

11 States Code, of voluntary and uncompensated 

12 services;’’. 

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

14 through the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 

15 Atmosphere, shall establish priorities for the use of dona16 tions accepted under section 204(c)(4)(E) of the National 

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

18 1123(c)(4)(E)), and shall consider among those priorities 

19 the possibility of expanding the Dean John A. Knauss Ma20 rine Policy Fellowship’s placement of additional fellows in 

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

22 (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)), in accordance with the recommenda23 tions under subsection (c) of this section. 

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

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


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1 Sea Grant College Program, in consultation with the Na2 tional Sea Grant Advisory Board and the Sea Grant Asso3 ciation, shall— 

4 (1) develop recommendations for the optimal 

5 use of any donations accepted under section 

6 204(c)(4)(E) of the National Sea Grant College Pro7 gram Act (33 U.S.C. 1123(c)(4)(E)); and 

8 (2) submit to Congress a report on the rec9 ommendations developed under paragraph (1). 

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

11 construed to limit or otherwise affect any other amounts 

12 available for marine policy fellowships under section 

13 208(b) of the National Sea Grant College Program Act 

14 (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)), including amounts— 

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

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

17 (2) appropriated under section 212 of that Act 

18 (33 U.S.C. 1131). 

19 SEC. 5. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT FOR REPORT ON CO20 ORDINATION OF OCEANS AND COASTAL RE21 SEARCH ACTIVITIES. 

22 Section 9 of the National Sea Grant College Program 

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


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1 SEC. 6. REDUCTION IN FREQUENCY REQUIRED FOR NA2 TIONAL SEA GRANT ADVISORY BOARD RE3 PORT. 

4 Section 209(b)(2) (33 U.S.C. 1128(b)(2)) is amend5 ed— 

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

7 inserting ‘‘PERIODIC’’; and 

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

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

10 and inserting ‘‘Not less frequently than once every 

11 3 years, the Board shall submit to Congress a re12 port’’. 

13 SEC. 7. MODIFICATION OF ELEMENTS OF NATIONAL SEA 

14 GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM. 

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

16 the matter before paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘for re17 search, education, extension, training, technology transfer, 

18 and public service’’ after ‘‘financial assistance’’. 

19 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR NA20 TIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM. 

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

22 1131(a)) is amended— 

23 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

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

25 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11 (2) in the heading for paragraph (2), by insert12 ing ‘‘FOR FISCAL YEARS 2009 THROUGH 2014’’ after 

13 ‘‘PRIORITY ACTIVITIES’’; and 

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

15 ‘‘(3) PRIORITY ACTIVITIES FOR FISCAL YEARS

16 2015 THROUGH 2020.—In addition to the amounts 

17 authorized under paragraph (1), there is authorized 

18 to be appropriated $6,000,000 for each of fiscal 

19 years 2015 through 2020 for competitive grants for 

20 the following: 

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

22 prevention, and control of aquatic nonnative 

23 species. 


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1 ‘‘(B) University research on oyster dis2 eases, oyster restoration, and oyster-related 

3 human health risks. 

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

5 prevention, and forecasting of harmful algal 

6 blooms. 

7 ‘‘(D) University research, education, train8 ing, and extension services and activities fo9 cused on coastal resilience and U.S. working 

10 waterfronts and other regional or national pri11 ority issues identified in the strategic plan 

12 under section 204(c)(1). 

13 ‘‘(E) University research on sustainable 

14 aquaculture techniques and technologies. 

15 ‘‘(F) Fishery extension activities conducted 

16 by sea grant colleges or sea grant institutes to 

17 enhance, and not supplant, existing core pro18 gram funding.’’. 

19 (b) MODIFICATION OF LIMITATIONS ON AMOUNTS

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

21 (33 U.S.C. 1131(b)) is amended to read as follows: 

22 ‘‘(1) ADMINISTRATION.— 

23 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—There may not be 

24 used for administration of programs under this 


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1 title in a fiscal year more than 5.5 percent of 

2 the lesser of— 

3 ‘‘(i) the amount authorized to be ap4 propriated under this title for the fiscal 

5 year; or 

6 ‘‘(ii) the amount appropriated under 

7 this title for the fiscal year. 

8 ‘‘(B) CRITICAL STAFFING REQUIRE9 MENTS.— 

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

11 use the authority under subchapter VI of 

12 chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code, 

13 to meet any critical staffing requirement 

14 while carrying out the activities authorized 

15 in this title. 

16 ‘‘(ii) EXCEPTION FROM CAP.—For 

17 purposes of subparagraph (A), any costs 

18 incurred as a result of an exercise of au19 thority as described in clause (i) shall not 

20 be considered an amount used for adminis21 tration of programs under this title in a 

22 fiscal year.’’. 

23 (c) ALLOCATION OF FUNDING.— 

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

25 U.S.C. 1123(d)(3)) is amended— 


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

2 by striking ‘‘With respect to sea grant colleges 

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

4 respect to sea grant colleges, sea grant insti5 tutes, sea grant programs, and sea grant 

6 projects’’; and 

7 (B) in subparagraph (B), in the matter be8 fore clause (i), by striking ‘‘funding among sea 

9 grant colleges and sea grant institutes’’ and in10 serting ‘‘funding among sea grant colleges, sea 

11 grant institutes, sea grant programs, and sea 

12 grant projects’’. 

13 (2) REPEAL OF REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING

14 DISTRIBUTION OF EXCESS AMOUNTS.—Section 212 

15 (33 U.S.C. 1131) is amended— 

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

17 (B) by redesignating subsections (d) and 

18 (e) as subsections (c) and (d), respectively. 

19 SEC. 9. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 

20 The National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 

21 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.) is amended— 

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

23 1123(d)(3)(B)), by moving clause (vi) two ems to 

24 the right; and 


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

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

3 sentence, by striking ‘‘The Secretary shall’’ and in4 serting the following: 

5 ‘‘(3) AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES OF DEPART6 MENT OF COMMERCE.—The Secretary shall’’. 

Æ 


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