I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4883
To reauthorize the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 6, 2002
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska (for himself, Mr. HANSEN, Mr. GILCHREST, and Mr.
SAXTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Resources
A BILL
To reauthorize the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act
of 1998, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Hydrographic Services
Improvement Act Amendments of 2002’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
Section 302 of the Hydrographic Services Improve-
ment Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 892) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (3) by inserting ‘‘geospatial or
geomagnetic’’ after ‘‘geodetic’’; and
(2) in paragraph (4) by inserting ‘‘geospatial,
geomagnetic,’’ after ‘‘geodetic,’’.
SEC. 3. FUNCTIONS OF ADMINISTRATOR.
(a) HYDROGRAPHIC MONITORING SYSTEMS.—Sec-
tion 303(b)(4) of the Hydrographic Services Improvement
Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 892a(b)(4)) is amended to read
as follows:
‘‘(4) shall design, install, maintain, and operate
real-time hydrographic monitoring systems to en-
hance navigation safety and efficiency.’’.
(b) CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF COASTAL
AND OCEAN RESOURCES.—Section 303 of such Act (33
U.S.C. 892a) is further amended by adding at the end
the following:
‘‘(c) CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF COASTAL
AND OCEAN RESOURCES.—Where appropriate and to the
extent that it does not detract from the promotion of safe
and efficient navigation, the Secretary may use hydro-
graphic data and services to support the conservation and
management of coastal and ocean resources.’’.
SEC. 4. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 304(b)(1) of the Hydro-
graphic Services Improvement Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C.
892b(1)) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator—
‘‘(A) by not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of the Hydrographic Services
Improvement Act Amendments of 2002, shall,
subject to the availability of appropriations, de-
velop and implement a quality assurance pro-
gram that is equally available to all applicants,
under which the Administrator may certify hy-
drographic products that satisfy the standards
promulgated by the Administrator under section
303(a)(3) of this Act;
‘‘(B) may authorize the use of the emblem
or any trademark of the Administration on a
hydrographic product certified under subpara-
graph (A); and
‘‘(C) may charge a fee for such certifi-
cation and use.’’.
(b) ACCEPTANCE AND RECOGNITION OF CERTIFI-
CATIONS.—Section 304(b) of such Act (33 U.S.C.
892b(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(3) ACCEPTANCE AND RECOGNITION OF CER-
TIFICATIONS.—The Administrator shall, to the max-
imum extent practicable, assure that any inter-
national organizations and agreements to which the
United States is a party which affect hydrographic
products and nautical charts accept or recognize, re-
spectively, hydrographic products certified by the
Administrator under this subsection.’’.
SEC. 5. HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES REVIEW PANEL.
Section 305 of the Hydrographic Services Improve-
ment Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 892c) is amended to read
as follows:
‘‘SEC. 305. HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES REVIEW PANEL.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—No later than 1 year after
the date of enactment of the Hydrographic Services Im-
provement Act Amendments of 2002, the Secretary shall
establish the Hydrographic Services Review Panel.
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The panel shall advise the
Administrator on matters related to the responsibil-
ities and authorities set forth in section 303 of this
Act and such other appropriate matters as the Ad-
ministrator refers to the panel for review and advice.
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATIVE
RESOURCES.—The Ad-
ministrator shall make available to the panel such
information, personnel, and administrative services
and assistance as it may reasonably require to carry
out its duties.
‘‘(c) MEMBERSHIP.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—
‘‘(2) TERMS.—
‘‘(A) The term of office of a voting mem-
ber of the panel shall be 4 years, except that of
the original appointees, five shall be appointed
for a term of 2 years, five shall be appointed
for a term of 3 years, and five shall be ap-
pointed for a term of 4 years, as specified by
the Administrator at the time of appointment.
‘‘(B) Any individual appointed to a partial
or full term may be reappointed for one addi-
tional full term. A voting member may serve
after the date of the expiration of the term of
office for which appointed until his or her suc-
cessor has taken office.
‘‘(3) NOMINATIONS.—At least once each year,
the Secretary shall publish a notice in the Federal
Register soliciting nominations for membership on
the panel.
‘‘(4) CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN.—
‘‘(A) The panel shall select one voting
member to serve as the Chairman and another
voting member to serve as the Vice Chairman.
‘‘(B) The Vice Chairman shall act as
Chairman in the absence or incapacity of the
Chairman.
‘‘(d) COMPENSATION.—Voting members of the panel
shall—
‘‘(1) receive compensation at a rate established
by the Secretary, not to exceed the maximum daily
rate payable under section 5376 of title 5, United
States Code, when actually engaged in the perform-
ance of duties for such panel; and
‘‘(2) be reimbursed for actual and reasonable
expenses incurred in the performance of such duties.
‘‘(e) MEETINGS.—The panel shall meet on a biannual
basis and, at any other time, at the call of the Chairman
or upon the request of a majority of the voting members
or of the Secretary.
‘‘(f) POWERS.—The panel may exercise such powers
as are reasonably necessary in order to carry out its duties
under subsection (b).’’.
SEC. 6. PLAN REGARDING PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND RE-
MOTE SENSING.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall
submit to the Congress a plan for increasing, consistent
with this Act, contracting with the private sector for pho-
togrammetric, remote sensing, and other geospatial ref-
erence services related to hydrographic data acquisition or
hydrographic services activities performed by the National
Ocean Service. In preparing the plan, the Administrator
shall consult with private sector entities knowledgeable in
photogrammetry and remote sensing.
(b) CONTENTS.—The plan shall include the following:
(1) An assessment of which of the photo-
grammetric, remote sensing, and other geospatial
reference services related to hydrographic data ac-
quisition or hydrographic services activities per-
formed by the National Ocean Service can be per-
formed adequately by private-sector entities.
(2) An evaluation of the relative cost-effective-
ness of the Federal Government and private-sector
entities in performing those activities.
(3) A strategy for enhancing and improving the
acquisition and contract management capabilities of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion to assist in the utilization of private sector enti-
ties for photogrammetric, remote sensing and other
geospatial reference services related to hydrographic
data acquisition or hydrographic services activities
performed 
by 
the 
National 
Ocean 
Service,
including—
(A) the transfer and retraining of per-
sonnel to become contracting officer technical
representatives;
(B) education in the use of the procedures
described in section 303(b)(3) of the Hydro-
graphic Services Improvement Act of 1998, as
amended by this Act; and
(C) the utilization of training, education,
and acquisition and contract management capa-
bilities of other Federal agencies that are expert
and experienced in contracting for such serv-
ices.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 306 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 892d) is amended
to read as follows:
‘‘SEC. 306. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to the Ad-
ministrator the following:
‘‘(1) To carry out nautical mapping and chart-
ing functions under sections 303 and 304 of this
Act, except for conducting hydrographic surveys—
‘‘(A) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
‘‘(B) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
‘‘(C) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
‘‘(D) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
and
‘‘(E) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
‘‘(2) To contract for hydrographic surveys
under section 303(d)(1), including the leasing or
time chartering of vessels—
‘‘(A) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
‘‘(B) $42,500,000 for fiscal year 2004;
‘‘(C) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
‘‘(D) $47,500,000 for fiscal year 2006;
and
‘‘(E) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
‘‘(3) To carry out geodetic functions under this
title—
‘‘(A) $27,500,000 for fiscal year 2003;
‘‘(B) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
‘‘(C) $32,500,000 for fiscal year 2005;
‘‘(D) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
and
‘‘(E) $35,500,000 for fiscal year 2007.
‘‘(4) To carry out tide and current measure-
ment functions under this title—
‘‘(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
‘‘(B) $27,500,000 for fiscal year 2004;
‘‘(C) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
‘‘(D) $32,500,000 for fiscal year 2006;
and
‘‘(E) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
‘‘(5) To carry out activities authorized under
this title that enhance homeland security, including
electronic navigation charts, hydrographic surveys,
real time tide and current measurements, and geo-
detic functions, in addition to other amounts author-
ized by this section, $50,000,000.’’.
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