cipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimula-
tion authorized by a law of the United States, and does
not include the acquisition (by purchase, lease, or barter)
of property or services for the direct benefit or use of the
United States Government. Such term does not include a
cooperative agreement (as such term is used in section 6305
of title 31, United States Code) or a cooperative research
and development agreement (as such term is defined in sec-
tion 12(d)(1) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innova-
tion Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a(d)(1))).
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Partial
NOAA Programs Authorization Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this Act,
the term—
(1) ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Admin-
istrator of the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration; and
(2) ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary
of Commerce.
(b) MARINE RESEARCH.—For the purposes
of this Act, the term ‘‘marine research’’ does
not include—
(1) fisheries research, assessment,
and management;
(2) acquisition of hydrographic sur-
vey data; or
(3) navigation services.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE.
(a) OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND
FACILI-
TIES.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary to enable the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion to carry out the oceanographic and ma-
rine research activities of the National Ocean
Service $38,806,000 for fiscal year 2000 and
$38,806,000 for fiscal year 2001, to remain
available until expended.
(b) OCEAN RESOURCES, CONSERVATION, AND
ASSESSMENT.—Of 
the 
amounts 
authorized
under subsection (a), $14,055,000 for fiscal
year 2000 and $14,055,000 for fiscal year 2001
shall be for Ocean Resources and Conserva-
tion Assessment, of which—
(1) $7,970,000 for fiscal year 2000 and
$7,970,000 for fiscal year 2001 shall be for
the Oceanic and Coastal Research; and
(2) $6,085,000 for fiscal year 2000 and
$6,085,000 for fiscal year 2001 shall be for
the Great Lakes Environmental Research
Laboratory.
(c) ACQUISITION OF DATA.—Of the amounts
authorized under subsection (a), $5,321,000
for fiscal year 2000 and $5,321,000 for fiscal
year 2001 shall be for Acquisition of Data.
(d) COASTAL
OCEAN
PROGRAM.—Of the
amounts authorized under subsection (a),
$19,430,000 for fiscal year 2000 and $19,430,000
for fiscal year 2001 shall be for the Coastal
Ocean Program.
SEC. 4. OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH.
(a) OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND
FACILI-
TIES.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary to enable the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion to carry out the oceanographic and ma-
rine research activities of the Office of Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Research $68,100,000
for fiscal year 2000 and $68,100,000 for fiscal
year 2001, to remain available until expended.
(b) MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH.—Of
the amounts authorized under subsection (a),
$24,000,000 for fiscal year 2000 and $24,000,000
for fiscal year 2001 shall be for Marine Envi-
ronmental 
Research. 
Of 
such 
amounts,
$2,000,000 for fiscal year 2000 and $2,000,000
for fiscal year 2001 shall be for arctic re-
search.
(c) NURP.—Of the amounts authorized
under subsection (a), $15,000,000 for fiscal
year 2000 and $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2001
shall be for the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration Undersea Research
Program (NURP).
(d) OCEAN OBSERVATIONS.—Of the amounts
authorized under subsection (a), $14,100,000
for fiscal year 2000 and $14,100,000 for fiscal
year 2001 shall be for ocean observations.
(e) ACQUISITION OF DATA.—Of the amounts
authorized under subsection (a), $15,000,000
for fiscal year 2000 and $15,000,000 for fiscal
year 2001 shall be for Acquisition of Data.
SEC. 5. PROGRAM SUPPORT.
(a) OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND
FACILI-
TIES.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary to enable the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion to carry out the oceanographic and ma-
rine research activities of Program Support
$73,887,000 for fiscal year 2000 and $73,887,000
for fiscal year 2001, to remain available until
expended.
(b) ADMINISTRATION AND SERVICES.—Of the
amounts authorized under subsection (a),
$62,868,000 for fiscal year 2000 and $62,868,000
for fiscal year 2001 shall be for Administra-
tion and Services, of which—
(1) $19,573,000 for fiscal year 2000 and
$19,573,000 for fiscal year 2001 shall be
for Executive Direction and Administra-
tion;
(2) $712,000 for fiscal year 2000 and
$712,000 for fiscal year 2001 shall be for
Systems Acquisition Office;
(3) $41,583,000 for fiscal year 2000 and
$41,583,000 for fiscal year 2001 shall be
for Central Administrative Support; and
(4) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2000 and
$1,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 shall be for
Historically Black Colleges and Univer-
sities.
(c) AIRCRAFT SERVICES.—Of the amounts
authorized under subsection (a), $11,019,000
for fiscal year 2000 and $11,019,000 for fiscal
year 2001 shall be for Aircraft Services.
(d) INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF AIRCRAFT SERV-
ICES.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 60
days after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall, using available
funds, enter into appropriate arrange-
ments with an independent external
auditor capable of providing an audit to
determine whether outsourcing of air-
craft services is a more cost-effective al-
ternative to in-house operation of aircraft
in meeting the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration’s aircraft re-
quirements of the conduct of marine and
atmospheric research and related envi-
ronmental research and development ac-
tivities, and for other data and mission
needs.
(2) AUDITING PROCEDURES.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The audit under
paragraph (1) shall be conducted in
accordance with generally accepted
government auditing standards.
(B) ACCESS TO INFORMATION.—The
Secretary shall provide the inde-
pendent external auditor the infor-
mation such auditor requires to con-
duct the audit under paragraph (1).
The independent external auditor
may inspect any records of and have
access to personnel of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion to obtain such information.
(3) REPORT
OF
THE
RESULTS
OF
THE
AUDIT.—Not later than 180 days after the
initiation of the audit required by this
subsection, 
the 
independent 
external
auditor shall submit a report concerning
the results of the audit to the Committee
on Science of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Science,
Commerce, and Transportation of the
Senate.
SEC. 6. FACILITIES.
(a) OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND
FACILI-
TIES.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary to enable the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion to carry out the Operations, Research,
and Facilities oceanographic and marine re-
search activities required to carry out Facili-
ties Maintenance and Repairs and Environ-
mental Compliance $5,717,000 for fiscal year
2000 and $5,717,000 for fiscal year 2001, to re-
main available until expended.
(b) 
FACILITIES
MAINTENANCE
AND
RE-
PAIRS.—Of the amounts authorized under sub-
section (a), $1,818,000 for fiscal year 2000 and
$1,818,000 for fiscal year 2001 shall be for Fa-
cilities Maintenance and Repairs.
(c) ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE.—Of the
amounts authorized under subsection (a),
$3,899,000 for fiscal year 2000 and $3,899,000
for fiscal year 2001 shall be for Facilities Envi-
ronmental Compliance.
SEC. 7. INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.
The Administrator shall make available
through the Internet home page of the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion the abstracts relating to all research
grants and awards made with funds author-
ized by this Act. Nothing in this section shall
be construed to require or permit the release
of any information prohibited by law or regu-
lation from being released to the public.
SEC. 8. REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES.
Notwithstanding section 3302 (b) and (c)
of title 31, United States Code, of the amounts
received by the United States in settlement of,
or judgment for, damage claims arising from
the October 9, 1992, allision of the vessel
ZACHARY into the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration research vessel
DISCOVERER, $349,000—
(1) shall be retained as an offsetting
collection in the Operations, Research
and Facilities account of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion;
(2) shall be deposited into that ac-
count upon receipt by the United States
Government; and
(3) shall be available only for obliga-
tion for National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration services.
SEC. 9. ABOLISHMENT OF CHIEF SCIENTIST POSITION.
(a) ABOLISHMENT OF POSITION.—The posi-
tion of Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration is abolished.
(b) TERMINATION OF REORGANIZATION PLAN
PROVISION.—Subsection (d) of section 2 of Re-
organization Plan No. 4 of 1970 (5 U.S.C. App.)
shall have no force or effect.
(c) REFERENCES.—Any reference in any
other Federal law, Executive order, rule, reg-
ulation, delegation of authority, or document
to Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration is deemed to
refer to the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 5316 of
title 5, United States Code, is amended by
striking ‘‘Chief Scientist, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.’’.
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2000 and fiscal year 2001
for the oceanographic and marine research activities of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and for other purposes.’’.
Union Calendar No. 583
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 1552
[Report No. 106–987, Parts I and II]
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2000
and fiscal year 2001 for the Marine Research
and related environmental research and develop-
ment program activities of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration and the Na-
tional Science Foundation, and for other pur-
poses.
OCTOBER 25, 2000
Reported from the Committee on Resources with amend-
ments, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be
printed