395 
tified in the coastal state’s approved management pro-
gram. 
SEC. 7473. ENHANCING CLIMATE CHANGE PREDICTIONS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 
‘‘National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation Act 
of 2007’’. 
(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-
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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, 
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-
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ferred to in section 7902 of title 10, United States 
Code. 
(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 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, 
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regional organizations, universities, nongovernmental 
organizations, or the private sector. 
(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-
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gional Associations and other elements of the 
System. 
(7) SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘System’’ means the 
National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation 
System established under subsection (d). 
(8) SYSTEM PLAN.—The term ‘‘System Plan’’ 
means the plan contained in the document entitled 
‘‘Ocean.US publication #9, The First Integrated 
Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Development 
Plan’’. 
(d) NATIONAL INTEGRATED COASTAL AND OCEAN 
OBSERVING SYSTEM.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The President, acting 
through the Council, shall establish a National Inte-
grated Coastal and Ocean Observation System to 
fulfill the purposes set forth in subsection (b) and 
the System plan and to fulfill the Nation’s inter-
national obligations to contribute to the global earth 
observation system of systems and the global ocean 
observing system. 
(2) SUPPORT OF PURPOSES.—The head of each 
agency that is a member of the Interagency Working 
Group shall support the purposes of this section. 
(3) AVAILABILITY OF DATA.—The head of each 
Federal agency that has administrative jurisdiction 
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