IIB 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2342 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
APRIL 1 (legislative day, MARCH 13), 2008 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
AN ACT 
To direct the President to establish a National Integrated 
Coastal and Ocean Observation System, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. ENHANCING CLIMATE CHANGE PREDICTIONS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 
‘‘National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation Act 
of 2008’’. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are the 
following: 
(1) Establish a National Integrated Coastal and 
Ocean Observation System comprised of Federal and 
non-Federal components, coordinated at the national 
level by the National Ocean Research Leadership 
Council and at the regional level by a network of Re-
gional Information Coordination Entities, that in-
cludes in situ, remote, and other coastal and ocean 
observations, technologies, and data management 
and communication systems, to gather specific coast-
al and ocean data variables and to ensure the timely 
dissemination and availability of usable observation 
data— 
(A) to support national defense, marine 
commerce, energy production, scientific re-
search, ecosystem-based marine and coastal re-
source management, weather and marine fore-
casting, public safety and public outreach train-
ing and education; and 
(B) to promote greater public awareness 
and stewardship of the Nation’s ocean, coastal, 
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and Great Lakes resources and the general 
public welfare. 
(2) Improve the Nation’s capability to measure, 
track, explain, and predict events related directly 
and indirectly to weather and climate change, nat-
ural climate variability, and interactions between the 
oceanic and atmospheric environments, including the 
Great Lakes. 
(3) Authorize activities to promote basic and 
applied research to develop, test, and deploy innova-
tions and improvements in coastal and ocean obser-
vation technologies, modeling systems, and other sci-
entific and technological capabilities to improve our 
conceptual understanding of weather and climate, 
ocean atmosphere dynamics, global climate change, 
and physical, chemical, and biological dynamics of 
the ocean and coastal and Great Lakes environ-
ments. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘Council’’ means the 
National Ocean Research Leadership Council re-
ferred to in section 7902 of title 10, United States 
Code. 
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(2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
(3) FEDERAL ASSETS.—The term ‘‘Federal as-
sets’’ means all relevant nonclassified civilian coastal 
and ocean observations, technologies, and related 
modeling, research, data management, basic and ap-
plied technology research and development, and pub-
lic education and outreach programs, that are man-
aged by member agencies of the Council. 
(4) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.—The term 
‘‘Interagency Working Group’’ means the Inter-
agency Working Group on Ocean Observations as es-
tablished by the U.S. Ocean Policy Committee Sub-
committee on Ocean Science and Technology pursu-
ant to Executive Order No. 13366 signed December 
17, 2004. 
(5) NON-FEDERAL
ASSETS.—The term ‘‘non- 
Federal assets’’ means all relevant coastal and ocean 
observations, technologies, related basic and applied 
technology research and development, and public 
education and outreach programs that are integrated 
into the System and are managed through States, 
regional organizations, universities, nongovernmental 
organizations, or the private sector. 
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(6) REGIONAL
INFORMATION
COORDINATION 
ENTITIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Regional In-
formation Coordination Entity’’, subject to sub-
paragraphs (B) and (C), means an organiza-
tional body that is certified or established by 
the lead Federal agency designated in sub-
section (d)(3)(C)(iii) and coordinating State, 
Federal, local, and private interests at a re-
gional level with the responsibility of engaging 
the private and public sectors in designing, op-
erating, and improving regional coastal and 
ocean observing systems in order to ensure the 
provision of data and information that meet the 
needs of user groups from the respective re-
gions. 
(B) INCLUDED ASSOCIATIONS.—Such term 
includes Regional Associations as described by 
the System Plan. 
(C) LIMITATION.—Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to invalidate existing certifi-
cations, contracts, or agreements between Re-
gional Associations and other elements of the 
System. 
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