(6) promoting widespread availability of envi-
ronmental data and information through full and 
open access and exchange to the greatest extent pos-
sible; 
(7) issuing licenses for private remote sensing 
space systems under the Land Remote Sensing Pol-
icy Act of 1992; 
(8) administering a national water level obser-
vation network, which shall include monitoring of 
the Great Lakes; 
(9) providing charts and other information for 
safe navigation of the oceans and inland waters, as 
provided by law; and 
(10) such other functions to serve the oper-
ations and services mission of the Administration as 
the Administrator may prescribe. 
SEC. 107. RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall maintain 
within the Administration programs to conduct and sup-
port research and education and the development of tech-
nologies relating to weather, climate, and the coasts, 
oceans, and Great Lakes. 
(b) FUNCTIONS.—To support the mission described 
in section 102(b), and in addition to the functions de-
scribed in section 102(c), the research and education func-
tions of the Administration shall include—
(1) conducting and supporting research and de-
velopment of technology to improve the Administra-
tion’s capabilities in collecting, through observation 
and otherwise, communicating, analyzing, proc-
essing, providing, and disseminating comprehensive 
scientific data and information about weather, cli-
mate, and the coasts, oceans, and Great Lakes; 
(2) improving environmental prediction and 
management capabilities through ecosystem-based 
research and development; 
(3) improving knowledge of Earth’s climate and 
related systems through research and observation for 
decision support; 
(4) reducing uncertainty in projections of how 
the Earth’s climate and related systems may change 
in the future; 
(5) fostering the public’s ability to understand 
and integrate scientific information into consider-
ations of national environmental issues through edu-
cation and public outreach activities; 
(6) administering the National Sea Grant Col-
lege Program Act;
(7) conducting and supporting research and de-
velopment of technology for exploration of the 
oceans; 
(8) maintaining a system of laboratories to per-
form the functions described in this subsection; 
(9) supporting extramural peer-reviewed com-
petitive grant programs to assist the Administration 
in performing the functions described in this sub-
section; and 
(10) such other functions to serve the research 
and education mission of the Administration as the 
Administrator may prescribe. 
SEC. 108. SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There shall be within the Admin-
istration a Science Advisory Board, which shall provide 
such scientific advice as may be requested by the Adminis-
trator, the Committee on Commerce, Science and Trans-
portation of the Senate, or the Committee on Science or 
on Resources of the House of Representatives. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Science Advisory 
Board is to advise the Administrator and Congress on 
long-range and short-range strategies for research, edu-
cation, and the application of science to resource manage-
ment and environmental assessment and prediction. 
(c) MEMBERS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Science Advisory Board 
shall consist of not more than 15 members ap-
pointed by the Administrator to ensure a balanced 
representation among preeminent scientists, engi-
neers, educators, industry, and science policy experts 
reflecting the full breadth of the Administration’s 
areas of responsibility. 
(2) TERMS OF SERVICE.—Members shall be ap-
pointed for 3-year terms, renewable once, and shall 
serve at the discretion of the Administrator. An indi-
vidual serving a term as a member of the Science 
Advisory Board on the date of enactment of this Act 
may complete that term, and may be reappointed 
once for another term of 3 years unless the term 
being served on such date of enactment is the second 
term served by that individual. Vacancy appoint-
ments shall be for the remainder of the unexpired 
term of the vacancy, and an individual so appointed 
may subsequently be appointed for 2 full 3-year 
terms if the remainder of the unexpired term is less 
than one year. 
(3) CHAIRPERSON.—The Administrator shall 
designate a chairperson from among the members of 
the Board.
(4) APPOINTMENT.—Members of the Science 
Advisory Board shall be appointed as special Gov-
ernment employees, within the meaning given such 
term in section 202(a) of title 18, United States 
Code. 
(5) CRITERIA FOR SELECTION.—The Adminis-
trator shall develop and apply standard criteria, in 
accordance with applicable Department of Commerce 
guidance, for the selection of members of the Science 
Advisory Board. 
(d) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.—
(1) REPORTING.—The Science Advisory Board 
shall report to the Administrator and the appro-
priate requesting party. 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Adminis-
trator shall provide administrative support to the 
Science Advisory Board. 
(3) MEETINGS.—The Science Advisory Board 
shall meet at least twice each year, and at other 
times at the call of the Administrator or the Chair-
person. 
(4) COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES.—A mem-
ber of the Science Advisory Board shall not be com-
pensated for service on such board, but upon request 
by the member may be allowed travel expenses, in-
cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accord-
ance with subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
(5) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Science Advisory 
Board may establish such subcommittees of its 
members as may be necessary. The Science Advisory 
Board may establish task forces and working groups 
consisting of Board members and outside experts as 
may be necessary. 
(e) EXPIRATION.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
Science Advisory Board. 
SEC. 109. REPORTS. 
(a) REPORT
ON DATA MANAGEMENT, ARCHIVAL, 
AND DISTRIBUTION.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act the Secretary shall develop and 
transmit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
Science of the House of Representatives a report on the 
environmental data and information systems of the Ad-
ministration. The report shall include—
(1) an assessment of the adequacy of the envi-
ronmental data and information systems of the Ad-
ministration to—
(A) provide adequate capacity to manage, 
archive and disseminate environmental informa-
tion collected and processed, or expected to be 
collected and processed, by the Administration 
and other appropriate departments and agen-
cies; 
(B) establish, develop, and maintain infor-
mation bases, including necessary management 
systems, which will provide for consistent, effi-
cient, and compatible transfer and use of data; 
(C) develop effective interfaces among the 
environmental data and information systems of 
the Administration and other appropriate de-
partments and agencies; 
(D) develop and use nationally accepted 
formats and standards for data collected by 
various national and international sources; and 
(E) integrate and interpret data from dif-
ferent sources to produce information that can 
be used by decisionmakers in developing policies 
that effectively respond to national and global 
environmental concerns; and 
(2) a strategic plan to—
(A) set forth modernization and improve-
ment objectives for an integrated national envi-
ronmental data access and archive system for 
the 10 year period beginning with the year in 
which the plan is transmitted, including facility 
requirements and critical new technology com-
ponents that would be necessary to meet the ob-
jectives set forth; 
(B) propose specific Administration pro-
grams and activities for implementing the plan; 
(C) identify the data and information man-
agement, archival, and distribution responsibil-
ities of the Administration with respect to other 
Federal departments and agencies and inter-
national organizations; and 
(D) provide an implementation schedule 
and estimate funding levels necessary to achieve 
modernization and improvement objectives. 
(b) STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.—
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act the Secretary shall develop and transmit to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Science of the House of 
Representatives a strategic plan for science and tech-
nology research, development, and demonstration at the 
Administration. The plan shall include an assessment of 
the science and technology needs of the Administration
and a strategic plan for coordinating research, develop-
ment, and demonstration activities across the Administra-
tion to effectively meet those needs. 
SEC. 110. EFFECT OF REORGANIZATION PLAN. 
Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970 shall have no fur-
ther force and effect. 
TITLE II—AUTHORIZATION OF 
APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 2004’’
SEC. 202. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Ad-
ministrator—
(1) for Program Support—
(A) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; 
(B) $306,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 
(C) $312,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; 
(2) for the National Ocean Service—
(A) $490,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; 
(B) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 
(C) $510,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; 
(3) for the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research—
(A) $414,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(B) $422,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 
(C) $430,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; 
(4) for the National Weather Service—
(A) $836,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; 
(B) $853,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 
(C) $870,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; 
(5) for the National Environmental Satellite 
Data and Information Service—
(A) $897,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; 
(B) $915,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 
(C) $933,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and 
(6) for the Office of Program Planning and In-
tegration—
(A) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; 
(B) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 
(C) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2007. 
TITLE III—COASTAL OCEAN 
SCIENCE PROGRAM 
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Coastal Ocean Science 
Program Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 2. COASTAL OCEAN SCIENCE PROGRAM. 
Section 201(c) of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992 is 
amended to read as follows:
‘‘(c) COASTAL OCEAN SCIENCE PROGRAM.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There shall be in the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration a 
Coastal Ocean Science Program that supports Great 
Lakes, estuarine, and coastal ocean research and as-
sessment through competitive, peer-reviewed re-
search programs. 
‘‘(2) 
PROGRAM
ELEMENTS.—The 
Coastal 
Ocean Science Program shall augment and integrate 
existing research capabilities of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration, other Federal 
agencies, and the academic community. Research 
shall be conducted to improve predictions of eco-
system trends in coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes 
ecosystems, and upper reaches of estuaries; to better 
conserve and manage coastal, ocean, and Great 
Lakes ecosystems; to improve predictions of effects 
of coastal and Great Lakes pollution to help correct 
and prevent environmental degradation; to improve 
understanding and characterization of the role 
oceans play in global climate and environmental 
analysis; and to improve predictions of coastal haz-
ards to protect human life, personal property, and 
ecosystem function.
‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Commerce for implementing the Coastal 
Ocean Science Program such sums as may be nec-
essary for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2008.’’. 
TITLE IV—MARINE RESEARCH 
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Marine Research Act’’. 
SEC. 402. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this title are to provide for—
(1) Presidential support and coordination of 
interagency marine research programs; and 
(2) development and coordination of a com-
prehensive and integrated United States ocean, 
coastal, and Great Lakes research and monitoring 
program that will assist this Nation and the world 
to understand, use, and respond to the interactions 
of humans and the marine environment. 
SEC. 403. INTERAGENCY MARINE RESEARCH PROGRAM. 
(a) COORDINATION.—The President, through the Na-
tional Science and Technology Council, shall coordinate 
and support a national research program to improve un-
derstanding of the interactions of humans and the marine 
environment.
(b) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Within 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the National Science 
and Technology Council, through the Director of the Of-
fice of Science and Technology Policy, shall develop and 
submit to the Congress a plan for coordinated Federal ac-
tivities under the program. Nothing in this subsection is 
intended to duplicate or supersede the activities of the 
Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and 
Hypoxia established under section 603 of the Harmful 
Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 
1998 (16 U.S.C. 1451 note). In developing the plan, the 
National Science and Technology Council shall consult 
with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal 
Blooms and Hypoxia. Such plan shall build on and com-
plement the ongoing activities of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foun-
dation, and other departments and agencies, and shall—
(1) establish, for the 10-year period beginning 
in the year it is submitted, the goals and priorities 
for Federal research which most effectively advance 
scientific understanding of the connections between 
humans and the marine environment, provide usable 
information for the protection of human life, and use 
the biological potential of the oceans for development 
of new products;
(2) describe specific activities required to 
achieve such goals and priorities, including the fund-
ing of competitive research grants, ocean and coastal 
observations, training and support for scientists, and 
participation in international research efforts; 
(3) identify and address, as appropriate, rel-
evant programs and activities of the Federal agen-
cies and departments that would contribute to the 
program; 
(4) consider and use, as appropriate, reports 
and studies conducted by Federal agencies and de-
partments, the National Research Council, the 
Ocean Research Advisory Panel, the Commission on 
Ocean Policy, and other expert scientific bodies; and 
(5) estimate Federal funding for research ac-
tivities to be conducted under the program. 
(c) PROGRAM SCOPE.—The program may include the 
following activities related to the interaction of humans 
and the marine environment: 
(1) Interdisciplinary research among the ocean 
and biological sciences, and coordinated research and 
activities to improve understanding of processes 
within the ocean that may affect human life and to 
explore the potential contribution of marine orga-
nisms to medicine and research.
(2) Coordination with the National Ocean Re-
search Leadership Council (10 U.S.C. 7902(a)) to 
ensure that any integrated ocean and coastal observ-
ing system provides information necessary to sup-
port the program described in this section, including 
detection of contaminants in marine waters and sea-
food. 
(3) Development through partnerships among 
Federal agencies, States, or academic institutions of 
new technologies and approaches for detecting and 
reducing hazards to human life from ocean sources 
and to strengthen understanding of the value of ma-
rine biodiversity. 
(4) Support for scholars, trainees, and edu-
cation opportunities that encourage an interdiscipli-
nary and international approach to exploring the di-
versity of life in the oceans. 
SEC. 404. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMIN-
ISTRATION MARINE RESEARCH INITIATIVE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—As part of the interagency 
program planned and coordinated under section 403, the 
Secretary of Commerce is authorized to establish a Marine 
Research Initiative to coordinate and implement research 
and activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration related to the program. The Marine Re-
search Initiative is authorized to provide support for—
(1) centralized program and research coordina-
tion; 
(2) one or more National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration national centers of excellence; 
(3) research grants; and 
(4) distinguished scholars and traineeships. 
(b) NATIONAL CENTERS.—(1) The Secretary is au-
thorized to identify and provide financial support for, 
through a competitive process to develop within the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one or 
more centers of excellence that strengthen the capabilities 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
to carry out its programs and activities related to the Ma-
rine Research Initiative. 
(2) The center or centers shall focus on areas related 
to agency missions, including use of marine organisms as 
indicators for marine environmental health, ocean pollut-
ants, marine toxins and pathogens, harmful algal blooms, 
hypoxia, seafood testing, and biology and pathobiology of 
marine mammals, and on disciplines including marine 
genomics, marine environmental microbiology, and ecologi-
cal chemistry.
(3) In selecting centers for funding, the Secretary 
shall give priority to proposals with strong interdiscipli-
nary scientific merit that encourage educational opportu-
nities and provide for effective partnerships among the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, other 
Federal entities, and State, academic, and industry par-
ticipants. 
(c) EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH GRANTS.—(1) The Sec-
retary is authorized to provide grants of financial assist-
ance to the scientific community for critical research and 
projects that explore the interaction of humans and the 
marine environment and that complement or strengthen 
programs and activities of the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration. Officers and employees of Fed-
eral agencies may collaborate with, and participate in, 
such research and projects to the extent requested by the 
grant recipient. 
(2) Grants under this subsection shall be awarded 
through a competitive peer-reviewed process that may be 
conducted jointly with other agencies participating in the 
interagency program established in section 403. 
(d) 
DISTINGUISHED
SCHOLARS
AND 
TRAINEESHIPS.—(1) The Secretary of Commerce is au-
thorized to designate and provide financial assistance to 
support distinguished scholars from academic institutions,
industry, State governments, or other Federal agencies for 
collaborative work with National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration scientists and facilities. 
(2) The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to es-
tablish a program to provide traineeships, training, and 
experience to predoctoral and postdoctoral students and 
to scientists at the beginning of their careers who are in-
terested in research on the interaction of humans and the 
marine environment conducted under the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration initiative. 
SEC. 405. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Commerce to carry out the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration Marine Research Initiative 
established under section 404, $8,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2005 through 2008. Not less than 50 percent 
of the amounts appropriated to carry out the Initiative 
for each fiscal year shall be utilized to support the pro-
grams described in subsections (c) and (d) of section 404. 
TITLE V—OCEAN AND COASTAL 
OBSERVATION SYSTEMS 
SEC. 501. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Ocean and Coastal 
Observation Systems Act’’.
SEC. 502. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this title are to provide for—
(1) development and maintenance of an inte-
grated system that provides for sustained ocean and 
coastal observations from in situ, remote, and vessel 
platforms, and that promotes improved comprehen-
sive scientific data and information about the ocean 
and coastal environment; and 
(2) implementation of a data and information 
system required by all components of an integrated 
ocean and coastal observing system and related re-
search. 
SEC. 503. INTEGRATED OCEAN AND COASTAL OBSERVING 
SYSTEM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The President, through the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall 
establish and maintain an integrated system of marine 
monitoring, data communication and management, data 
analysis, and research designed to provide data and infor-
mation for the rapid and timely detection and prediction 
of changes occurring in the ocean and coastal environment 
that impact the Nation’s social, economic, and ecological 
systems. Such an integrated ocean and coastal observing 
system shall provide for long-term and continuous obser-
vations of the oceans and coasts for the following pur-
poses:
(1) Improving weather forecasts and public 
warnings of natural disasters and coastal hazards 
and mitigating such disasters and hazards. 
(2) Understanding, assessing, and responding 
to human-induced and natural processes of global 
change. 
(3) Conducting focused research to enhance the 
national understanding of coastal and global ocean 
systems. 
(4) Providing information that contributes to 
public awareness of the condition and importance of 
the oceans. 
(b) FUNCTIONS.—In carrying out responsibilities 
under this section, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration shall—
(1) serve as the lead entity providing oversight 
of Federal ocean and coastal observing requirements 
and activities; 
(2) adopt and maintain plans for the design, 
operation, and improvement of such system; 
(3) coordinate and administer a program of re-
search and development to support the operation of 
an integrated ocean and coastal observing system 
and advance the understanding of the oceans;
(4) establish a joint operations center to be 
maintained in conjunction with other Federal agen-
cies; 
(5) provide, as appropriate, support for and 
representation on United States delegations to inter-
national meetings on ocean and coastal observing 
programs and in consultation with the Secretary of 
State to coordinate relevant Federal activities with 
those of other nations; 
(6) promote collaboration among regional coast-
al observing systems established pursuant to sub-
section (d); 
(7) prepare annual and long-term plans for the 
design and implementation of an integrated ocean 
and coastal observing system, including the regional 
coastal observing systems and taking into account 
the science and technology advances considered 
ready for operational status; 
(8) identify requirements for a common set of 
measurements to be collected and distributed; 
(9) establish standards and protocols for quality 
control and data management and communications, 
in consultation with the Joint Operations Center es-
tablished pursuant to subsection (c); and
(10) work with regional coastal observing enti-
ties, the National Sea Grant College Program, and 
other bodies as needed to assess user needs, develop 
data products, make effective use of existing capa-
bilities, and incorporate new technologies, as appro-
priate. 
(c) JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER.—The Adminis-
trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration, in conjunction with the Administrator of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director 
of the National Science Foundation, the Under Secretary 
for Science and Technology of the Department of Home-
land Security, and any other Federal agent the President 
considers appropriate, shall operate and maintain a joint 
operations center—
(1) to acquire, integrate, and deploy required 
technologies and provide support for an ocean and 
coastal observing system based on annual long-term 
plans, developed by the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration; 
(2) to implement standards and protocols for 
quality control and data management and commu-
nications; 
(3) to migrate science and technology advance-
ments from research and development to operational
deployment based on the annual and long-term 
plans; 
(4) to integrate and extend existing programs 
into an operating ocean and coastal observing sys-
tem based on the annual and long-term plans; 
(5) to coordinate the data communication and 
management system; and 
(6) to certify that regional coastal observing 
systems meet the standards established in subsection 
(d) and to ensure a periodic process for review and 
recertification of the regional coastal observing sys-
tems. 
(d) REGIONAL COASTAL OBSERVING SYSTEMS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
through the Joint Operations Center, shall work 
with representatives of entities in each region that 
provide ocean data and information to users to form 
regional associations. The regional associations shall 
be responsible for the development and operation of 
observing systems in the coastal regions extending to 
the seaward boundary of the United States Exclu-
sive Economic Zone, including the Great Lakes. Par-
ticipation in a regional association may consist of 
legal entities, including research institutions, institu-
tions of higher learning, for-profit corporations, non-
profit corporations, State, local, and regional agen-
cies, and consortia of 2 or more such institutions or 
organizations, that—
(A) have demonstrated an organizational 
structure capable of supporting and integrating 
all aspects of a coastal ocean observing system 
within a region or subregion; and 
(B) have prepared an acceptable business 
plan, including research components, and 
gained documented acceptance of their intended 
regional or subregional jurisdiction by users 
and other parties of interest within the region 
or subregion with the objectives of—
(i) delivering an integrated and sus-
tained system that meets national goals; 
(ii) incorporating into the system ex-
isting and appropriate regional observa-
tions collected by Federal, State, regional, 
or local agencies; 
(iii) responding to the needs of the 
users, including the public, within the re-
gion; 
(iv) maintaining sustained, 24-hour-a-
day operations and disseminating observa-
tions in a manner that is routine, predict-
able and, if necessary, in real-time or near 
real-time; 
(v) providing services that include the 
collection and dissemination of data and 
data management for timely access to data 
and information; 
(vi) creating appropriate products 
that are delivered in a timely fashion to 
the public and others who use, or are af-
fected by, the oceans; 
(vii) providing free and open access to 
the data collected with financial assistance 
under this title; and 
(viii) adhering to national standards 
and protocols to ensure that data and re-
lated products can be fully exchanged 
among all of the regional coastal systems 
and will be accessible to any user in any 
part of the Nation. 
(2) CIVIL LIABILITY.—For purposes of deter-
mining the civil liability under section 2671 of title 
28, United States Code, any regional observing sys-
tem and any employee thereof that is designated 
part of a regional association under this subsection
shall be deemed to be an instrumentality of the 
United States with respect to any act or omission 
committed by any such system or any employee 
thereof in fulfilling the purposes of this title. 
(e) PILOT PROJECTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, in con-
sultation with the Joint Operations Center, may ini-
tiate pilot projects. A pilot project is an organized, 
planned set of activities designed to provide an eval-
uation of technology, methods, or concepts within a 
defined schedule and having the goal of advancing 
the development of the sustained, integrated ocean 
observing system. The pilot projects shall—
(A) develop protocols for coordinated im-
plementation of the full system; 
(B) design and implement regional coastal 
ocean observing systems; 
(C) establish mechanisms for the exchange 
of data between and among regions and Federal 
agencies; 
(D) specify products and services and re-
lated requirements for observations, data man-
agement, and analysis in collaboration with user 
groups; and
(E) develop and test new technologies and 
techniques to more effectively meet the needs of 
users of the system. 
(2) INFRASTRUCTURE
CAPITAL
PROJECTS.—
The pilot projects shall include one or more projects 
to capitalize the infrastructure for the collection, 
management, analysis, and distribution of data and 
one or more projects where the basic infrastructure 
and institutional mechanisms already exist for ongo-
ing coastal observations, to fund the operations nec-
essary for the collection of the common set of obser-
vations. 
SEC. 504. INTERAGENCY FINANCING. 
The departments and agencies represented on the 
joint operations center are authorized to participate in 
interagency financing and share, transfer, receive, and 
spend funds appropriated to any member of the joint oper-
ations center for the purposes of carrying out any adminis-
trative or programmatic project or activity under this title. 
SEC. 505. GREAT LAKES. 
Provisions of this title relating to ocean and coastal 
areas shall also apply to the Great Lakes. 
SEC. 506. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) OBSERVING SYSTEM AUTHORIZATION.—For de-
velopment and implementation of an integrated ocean and
coastal observing system under section 503, including fi-
nancial assistance to regional coastal ocean observing sys-
tems and in addition to any amounts previously author-
ized, there are authorized to be appropriated to—
(1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration, such sums as may be necessary; 
(2) the National Science Foundation, such 
sums as may be necessary; 
(3) the National Aeronautics and Space Admin-
istration, such sums as may be necessary; and 
(4) other Federal agencies with operational 
coastal or ocean monitoring systems or which pro-
vide funds to States for such systems, such sums as 
may be necessary. 
(b) REGIONAL COASTAL OBSERVING SYSTEMS.—The 
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration shall make at least 51 percent of the funds 
appropriated pursuant to subsection (a)(1) available as 
grants for the development and implementation of the re-
gional coastal observing systems based on the plans adopt-
ed by the Council, which may be used to leverage non-
Federal funds.
TITLE VI—ABRUPT CLIMATE 
CHANGE 
SEC. 601. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Abrupt Climate 
Change Research Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 602. ABRUPT CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary 
of Commerce shall establish within the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration, and shall carry out, a 
program of scientific research on abrupt climate change. 
(b) PURPOSES OF PROGRAM.—The purposes of the 
program are as follows: 
(1) To develop a global array of terrestrial and 
oceanographic indicators of paleoclimate in order to 
sufficiently identify and describe past instances of 
abrupt climate change. 
(2) To improve understanding of thresholds and 
nonlinearities in geophysical systems related to the 
mechanisms of abrupt climate change. 
(3) To incorporate such mechanisms into ad-
vanced geophysical models of climate change. 
(4) To test the output of such models against 
an improved global array of records of past abrupt 
climate changes.
(c) ABRUPT CLIMATE CHANGE DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘abrupt climate change’’ means a change 
in the climate that occurs so rapidly or unexpectedly that 
human or natural systems have difficulty adapting to the 
climate as changed. 
SEC. 603. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Commerce for such sums as may be necessary 
to carry out the research program required under section 
602. 
TITLE VII—UNITED STATES 
WEATHER RESEARCH PROGRAM 
SEC. 701. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘United States Weather 
Research Program Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 702. PROGRAM FOCUS. 
The focus of the United States Weather Research 
Program, an interagency program established under sec-
tion 108 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration Authorization Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 313 note), 
shall be on—
(1) hurricanes, floods, and heavy precipitation, 
including both snow and rain; 
(2) building on existing investments, including 
those of the National Weather Service modernization
effort, to dramatically accelerate improvement in 
weather forecasts; 
(3) providing attention and resources in areas 
where progress can be made quickly and where the 
impact will be greatest; 
(4) establishing goals that can be attained by 
leveraging the resources of several agencies and 
through the collaborative scientific efforts of the 
operational and research communities in academia 
and government; and 
(5) making research grants to universities and 
other research institutions. 
SEC. 703. PROGRAM RESEARCH PRIORITIES. 
The research priorities of the United States Weather 
Research Program shall be in the areas of—
(1) hurricanes, to improve—
(A) landfall location forecasts; and 
(B) forecasts of hurricane strength; 
(2) heavy precipitation, to improve forecasts of 
both winter storms and rain storms through better 
prediction of timing, location, and intensity; 
(3) floods, to improve—
(A) flood forecasting by coupling precipita-
tion forecasts with hydrologic prediction; and