II 
Calendar No. 581 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1834 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
FEBRUARY 25, 2008 
Received; read twice and placed on the calendar 
AN ACT 
To authorize the national ocean exploration program and 
the national undersea research program within the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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TITLE I—NATIONAL OCEAN 
EXPLORATION PROGRAM 
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘National Ocean Explo-
ration Program Act’’. 
SEC. 102. AUTHORIZATION. 
The Administrator of the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration shall, in consultation with the 
National Science Foundation and other appropriate Fed-
eral agencies, conduct a coordinated national ocean explo-
ration program within the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration that promotes collaboration with 
other Federal ocean and undersea research and explo-
ration programs. To the extent appropriate, the Adminis-
trator shall seek to facilitate coordination of data and in-
formation management systems, outreach and education 
programs to improve public understanding of ocean and 
coastal resources, and development and transfer of tech-
nologies to facilitate ocean and undersea research and ex-
ploration. 
SEC. 103. AUTHORITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the program au-
thorized under section 102, the Administrator of the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (in this 
title referred to as the ‘‘Administrator’’) shall— 
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(1) conduct interdisciplinary voyages or other 
scientific activities of discovery in conjunction with 
other Federal agencies or academic or educational 
institutions, to explore and survey little known areas 
of the marine environment, inventory, observe, and 
assess living and nonliving marine resources, and re-
port such findings; 
(2) give priority attention to deep ocean re-
gions, with a focus on deep water marine systems 
that hold potential for important scientific discov-
eries, such as hydrothermal vent communities and 
seamounts; 
(3) conduct scientific voyages to locate, define, 
and document historic shipwrecks, submerged sites, 
and other ocean exploration activities that combine 
archaeology and oceanographic sciences; 
(4) develop and implement, in consultation with 
the National Science Foundation, a transparent, 
competitive process for merit-based peer-review and 
approval of proposals for activities to be conducted 
under this program, taking into consideration advice 
of the Board established under section 104; 
(5) enhance the technical capability of the 
United States marine science community by pro-
moting the development of improved oceanographic 
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research, communication, navigation, and data col-
lection systems, as well as underwater platforms and 
sensors and autonomous vehicles; and 
(6) establish an ocean exploration forum to en-
courage partnerships and promote communication 
among experts and other stakeholders in order to 
enhance the scientific and technical expertise and 
relevance of the national program. 
(b) DONATIONS.—In carrying out the program au-
thorized under section 102, the Administrator may accept 
donations of property, data, and equipment to be applied 
for the purpose of exploring the oceans or increasing 
knowledge of the oceans. 
SEC. 104. OCEAN EXPLORATION ADVISORY BOARD. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall ap-
point an Ocean Exploration Advisory Board composed of 
experts in relevant fields to— 
(1) advise the Administrator on priority areas 
for survey and discovery; 
(2) assist the program in the development of a 
five-year strategic plan for the fields of ocean, ma-
rine, and Great Lakes science, exploration, and dis-
covery; 
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