IB 
Union Calendar No. 229
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 958
[Report No. 108–400] 
To authorize certain hydrographic services programs, to name a cove in 
Alaska in honor of the late Able Bodied Seaman Eric Steiner Koss, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2003
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Resources 
NOVEMBER 21, 2003 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 27, 2003] 
A BILL 
To authorize certain hydrographic services programs, to 
name a cove in Alaska in honor of the late Able Bodied 
Seaman Eric Steiner Koss, 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 Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hydrographic Services 
Amendments of 2003’’. 
TITLE I—NOAA HYDROGRAPHIC 
SERVICES IMPROVEMENT 
SEC. 101. REFERENCES. 
Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in 
this title an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of 
an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, 
the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or 
other provision of the Hydrographic Services Improvement 
Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 892 et seq.). 
SEC. 102. FUNCTIONS OF ADMINISTRATOR. 
(a) REGIONAL NAVIGATION RESPONSE TEAMS.—Sec-
tion 303(a) (33 U.S.C. 892a(a)) is amended by striking 
paragraphs (7) and (8) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(7) establish, equip, and maintain up to 10 Re-
gional Navigation Response teams in priority coastal 
areas identified by the Secretary, in consultation with 
the Commandant of the Coast Guard, to conduct ac-
tivities related to navigational safety and the valida-
tion of hydrographic data; 
‘‘(8) to the greatest extent practicable and cost-
effective, fulfill the requirements of paragraphs (1) 
and (7) through contracts or other agreements with 
private sector entities; and
‘‘(9) participate in the development of, and im-
plement for the United States in cooperation with 
other appropriate Federal agencies, international 
standards for hydrographic data and hydrographic 
services.’’. 
(b) AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT VOLUNTEER SERVICES.—
Section 303 (33 U.S.C. 892a) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(d) AUTHORITY
TO
ACCEPT
VOLUNTEER
SERV-
ICES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To help fulfill the duties of 
the Administrator, including authorities under the 
Act of 1947 (33 U.S.C. 883a et seq.), this Act, or in 
response to a maritime emergency, the Administrator 
may—
‘‘(A) establish a volunteer program; and 
‘‘(B) enter into special agreements with 
qualified organizations to assist in the imple-
mentation of a volunteer program. 
‘‘(2) LEGAL STATUS OF VOLUNTEERS.—
‘‘(A) Paragraphs (1) through (5) of section 
7(c) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 
U.S.C. 742f(c)) shall apply to volunteers who 
provide services to the Administrator under a
volunteer program established under paragraph 
(1). 
‘‘(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), 
any reference in section 7(c) of the Fish and 
Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(c)) to the 
Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of 
Commerce is deemed to refer to the Adminis-
trator. 
‘‘(3) QUALIFIED
ORGANIZATION.—In this sub-
section, the term ‘qualified organization’ means a 
nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization, deter-
mined by the Administrator to have demonstrated ex-
pertise in boating safety and a commitment to im-
proving the quality of hydrographic services and re-
lated oceanographic and meteorological information 
that is made available to mariners. 
‘‘(e) PARTICIPATION IN JOINT INSTITUTE.—The Sec-
retary may participate in a joint institute that develops 
new hydrographic technology and conducts academic, edu-
cational, and outreach activities that assist the Adminis-
trator in fulfilling the functions of the Administrator under 
this section.’’.
SEC. 103. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) ACCEPTANCE
AND RECOGNITION
OF CERTIFI-
CATIONS.—Section 304(b) (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 that affect hydrographic 
products and nautical charts accept or recognize, re-
spectively, hydrographic products certified by the Ad-
ministrator under this subsection.’’. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION
OF EXECUTIVE ORDER
AND 
OMB CIRCULAR.—Section 304 (33 U.S.C. 892b) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) ANNUAL STUDY AND REPORT REGARDING IMPLE-
MENTATION OF EXECUTIVE ORDER AND OMB CIRCULAR.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall an-
nually conduct a study of, and report to the panel es-
tablished under section 305 regarding, steps taken to 
comply with section 3(d) of Executive Order 12906 
and Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 
with respect to the collection and production of new 
hydrographic data and products by the Administra-
tion.
‘‘(2) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the study 
and report, the Administrator shall consult with the 
Federal Geographic Data Committee.’’. 
SEC. 104. ACQUISITION OF HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY VES-
SEL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce may, 
in accordance with this section, acquire, by purchase, lease, 
lease-purchase, or charter, and equip one hydrographic sur-
vey vessel. 
(b) VESSEL REQUIREMENTS.—Any vessel acquired 
and equipped under this section must be capable of—
(1) staying at sea continuously for at least 30 
days; 
(2) carrying at least 4 hydrographic survey 
launches; 
(3) conducting hydrographic surveys; and 
(4) conducting other work necessary to provide 
mariners with the accurate and timely data needed to 
conduct safe and efficient maritime commerce. 
(c) PLAN.—No later than 6 months after the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit to the 
Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate a detailed plan for implementing this 
section, including—
(1) a timetable and cost estimates for the acqui-
sition and equipping of the vessel under subsection 
(a); 
(2) an explanation of what vessel or vessels 
would be retired when the vessel described in sub-
section (a) becomes operational; and 
(3) a comparison of the 10-year estimated costs 
of operation and maintenance of a new vessel versus 
the 2 vessels proposed for retirement. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION.—To prepare the plan required 
under subsection (c), there is authorized to be appropriated 
to the Secretary of Commerce $1,000,000 for fiscal year 
2004. 
SEC. 105. KOSS COVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law or existing policy, the cove described in sub-
section (b) shall be known and designated as ‘‘Koss Cove’’, 
in honor of the late Able Bodied Seaman Eric Steiner Koss 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
vessel RAINIER who died in the performance of a nautical 
charting mission off the Alaskan coast. 
(b) COVE DESCRIBED.—The cove referred to in sub-
section (a) is—
(1) adjacent to and southeast of Point Elrington, 
Alaska, and forms a portion of the southern coast of 
Elrington Island; 
(2) 3⁄4 mile across the mouth; 
(3) centered at 59 degrees 56.1 minutes North, 
148 degrees 14 minutes West; and 
(4) 45 miles of Seward, Alaska. 
(c) REFERENCES.—Any reference in any law, regula-
tion, document, record, map, or other paper of the United 
States to the cove described in subsection (b) is deemed to 
be a reference to Koss Cove. 
SEC. 106. DEPICTION OF SAME SHORELINES ON CHARTS 
AND MAPPING PRODUCTS. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
of the Act, the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary 
of the Interior, in consultation with the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, shall provide to the Committee on Re-
sources of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
a plan to depict the same shorelines on National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration nautical charts and 
United States Geological Survey mapping products.