sion of related equipment, including the
development of any necessary require-
ment, design, or specification. The term
includes contracts entered into on behalf
of the Secretary by another Federal de-
partment, agency, or instrumentality, if
the vessel which is the subject of the con-
tract will be operated by or for the bene-
fit of the Department of Commerce.’’.
(b) LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES FOR RE-
PAIRS
AND
MAINTENANCE.—Notwithstanding
any other law, of the total amount appro-
priated for fiscal years 1991 through 1996 to
the Fleet Modernization, Shipbuilding, and
Conversion account of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, not more
than 20 percent may be expended by the Sec-
retary for repairs and maintenance of vessels
in the NOAA fleet.
(c) LEASING AND CONTRACTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall
for each of fiscal years 1995 and 1996,
enter into contracts or service contracts
under the NOAA Fleet Modernization Act
(33 U.S.C. 891 et seq.) to use University-
National Oceanographic Laboratory Sys-
tem or non-Federal vessels.
(2) AMOUNT SUBJECT TO OBLIGATION.—
Amounts subject to obligation under
paragraph (1) shall be, for each fiscal
year, the greater of $6,000,000 or 10 per-
cent of the amounts appropriated to the
Fleet Modernization, Shipbuilding, and
Conversion account for fiscal years 1995
and 1996.
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section each of
the terms ‘‘contract’’, ‘‘NOAA’’, ‘‘NOAA fleet’’,
‘‘Plan’’, and ‘‘Secretary’’ has the meaning
given to that term in section 602 of the NOAA
Fleet Modernization Act (33 U.S.C. 891), as
amended by this section.
SEC. 410. STUDY OF NOAA CORPS.
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Commerce
shall, subject to the availability of appropria-
tions, contract with the Marine Board of the
National Research Council to examine and re-
port to the Secretary on the appropriate role
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration Corps in supporting NOAA mis-
sions. In particular, the Marine Board shall—
(1) examine whether there is a contin-
ued need for a uniformed service to oper-
ate the NOAA fleet, fly weather observa-
tions, 
conduct 
hydrographic 
surveys,
manage national marine sanctuaries, con-
duct NOAA research, and participate in
other NOAA activities;
(2) examine the role of the NOAA
Corps in modernizing the NOAA fleet and
the involvement of the NOAA Corps in
obtaining 
efficient, 
effective, 
low-cost
ship support of NOAA missions;
(3) compare the full costs of utilizing
the services of the NOAA Corps compared
to civilian employees in similar positions;
and
(4) determine whether adequately
trained civilian employees are available
to fill NOAA Corps positions.
(b) DEADLINE.—No later than 1 year after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Commerce shall submit the report of
the Marine Board under subsection (a) to the
Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries
of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate.
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the defi-
nitions in section 409(d) apply.
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—
There is authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary of Commerce to carry out this sec-
tion a total of $100,000 for fiscal years 1995
and 1996, to remain available until expended.
SEC. 411. UNDERSEA RESEARCH PROGRAM.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established
in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration a program to be known as the
National Undersea Research Program. The
head of the Program shall be the National Un-
dersea Research Program Director. The Pro-
gram shall be conducted at centers which
shall each be known as a National Undersea
Research Program Center. Each Center shall
be administered by a Center Director.
(b) PROGRAM PURPOSE.—The National Un-
dersea Research Program shall develop,
maintain, and conduct undersea research pro-
grams to enhance the understanding of proc-
esses in the oceans, coastal areas, and large
lakes of the world through the use and devel-
opment of undersea technologies.
(c) CENTER FOR GULF OF MEXICO REGION.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 60
days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall
establish and maintain, at a qualified
public institution, a National Undersea
Research Program center for the Gulf of
Mexico to carry out the National Under-
sea Research Program for the Gulf of
Mexico region.
(2) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this
subsection, ‘‘qualified public institution’’
means a public institution or consortium
of public institutions of higher education
located directly on the coastline of, or
having direct access to, the Gulf of Mex-
ico.
(3) LIMITATION.—In carrying out this
subsection, the Secretary of Commerce
shall not reduce amounts available for
carrying out the Memorandum of Agree-
ment Concerning Support of a National
Academic Deep Submergence Facility of
Scientific Use.
(d) SOLICITATION OF PROPOSALS FOR NEW
CENTERS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary
may solicit proposals for the establish-
ment of a new Center from institutions of
higher education or oceanographic re-
search.
(2) PROPOSAL
REQUIREMENTS.—A pro-
posal submitted under this subsection
shall consist of—
(A) a proposed science program;
(B) a program management plan;
(C) a description of the facilities
of the institution at which the Center
is proposed to be established;
(D) a description of relevant capa-
bilities of that institution;
(E) an operational safety plan;
(F) mechanisms for information
transfer;
(G) a budget for the proposed
Center; and
(H) any other information the
Under Secretary considers necessary.
(e) REVIEW
OF
PROPOSALS.—The Under
Secretary shall review each proposal submit-
ted by an institution under subsection (d) on
the basis of—
(1) relevance of the proposal to prior-
ity research areas; and
(2) the capability of the institution at
which the new Center is proposed to be
established to administer and direct re-
search in those areas.
(f) CENTER DIRECTOR.—Each institution at
which a new Center is established under this
section may select, in consultation with the
Under Secretary, an individual who shall be
the Center Director of that Center.
(g) 6-YEAR REVIEW
OF CENTERS
AND RE-
GIONS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Every 6 years the
Under Secretary shall jointly review—
(A) the operation of each Center,
except that in the case of a Center in
existence on the day before the date
of the enactment of this Act, the first
review of the Center shall be com-
pleted by not later than the date
which is 5 years after that date of en-
actment; and
(B) the configuration of the un-
dersea regions for which those Cen-
ters are responsible, to determine
whether those regions meet scientific
needs for research in priority re-
search areas.
(2) CONTENT OF REVIEW.—A review of a
Center under this subsection shall con-
sist of—
(A) an evaluation of the quality of
the research conducted at the Center
under the Program and the applica-
bility of the research to the priority
research areas;
(B) recommendations for changes
in the scientific research program
and the operation of the Center, that
are 
considered 
beneficial 
by 
the
Under Secretary;
(C) a determination of whether
the continued operation of the Center
100
will increase knowledge in the prior-
ity research areas; and
(D) 
recommendations 
for 
the
modification of the undersea regions
of the Center.
(3) ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW CENTER AT
DIFFERENT INSTITUTION.—If the Under Sec-
retary determines as a result of a review
under this subsection that continued op-
eration of a Center for an undersea re-
gion is not warranted, the Under Sec-
retary—
(A) shall provide notification of
that determination to the Center, in-
cluding a description of any changes
in the operations of the Center the
Under Secretary considers necessary
for continued operation of the Cen-
ter;
(B) shall after 18 months after
providing that notice, and not later
than 2 years after providing that no-
tice, review the implementation of
those changes by the Center; and
101
(C) may establish, at a different
institution of higher education or
oceanographic research, a new Cen-
ter for the same undersea region in
accordance with this section, if the
Under Secretary determines as a re-
sult of the review under subpara-
graph (B) that those changes are not
implemented.
(h) INDIVIDUAL
RESEARCH
PROPOSALS.—
Each Center Director shall annually solicit in-
dividual proposals from the scientific commu-
nity for research to advance the priority re-
search areas of the Program. Research under
each proposal shall be primarily conducted
within the undersea region of the Center of
the Center Director, but may be conducted in
another undersea region in cooperation with
the Center for that other region, or other geo-
graphic areas with the approval of the Pro-
gram Director. Proposals under this sub-
section may be for multiyear research. Each
proposal under this subsection shall be sub-
ject to peer review.
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
102
(1) 
CENTER.—The 
term 
‘‘Center’’
means a National Undersea Research
Program Center.
(2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’
means the National Undersea Research
Program established by subsection (a).
(3) 
PROGRAM
DIRECTOR.—The 
term
‘‘Program Director’’ means the National
Undersea Research Program Director.
(4) 
UNDER
SECRETARY.—The 
term
‘‘Under Secretary’’ means the Under Sec-
retary of Commerce for Oceans and At-
mosphere.
SEC. 412. REPORT ON RESEARCH AND EFFECTS OF CLI-
MATE AND GLOBAL CHANGE ON FRESH-
WATER SYSTEMS.
Within 60 days after the date of submis-
sion of the President’s budget request for
each of fiscal years 1996 and 1997, the Sec-
retary of Commerce shall submit a report to
the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fish-
eries of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate, on—