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(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that this Act should not be considered to be a substitute
for a comprehensive measure reauthorizing highway and
mass transit spending programs and should not be inter-
preted to authorize or otherwise direct the distribution of
funds to the States under expiring formulas under title 23
or 49, United States Code, in fiscal year 1998.
SEC. 345. (a) As soon as practicable after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, act-
ing for the Department of Transportation, may take receipt
of such equipment and sites of the Ground Wave Emergency
Network (referred to in this section as ‘‘GWEN’’) as the Sec-
retary of Transportation determines to be necessary for the
establishment of a nationwide system to be known as the
‘‘Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System’’ (re-
ferred to in this section as ‘‘NDGPS’’).
(b) As soon as practicable after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation may establish
the NDGPS. In establishing the NDGPS, the Secretary of
Transportation may—
(1) if feasible, reuse GWEN equipment and sites
transferred to the Department of Transportation
under subsection (a);
(2) to the maximum extent practicable, use con-
tractor services to install the NDGPS;
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(3) modify the positioning system operated by
the Coast Guard at the time of the establishment of
the NDGPS to integrate the reference stations made
available pursuant to subsection (a);
(4) in cooperation with the Secretary of Com-
merce, ensure that the reference stations referred to in
paragraph (3) are compatible with, and integrated
into, the Continuously Operating Reference Station
(commonly referred to as ‘‘CORS’’) system of the Na-
tional Geodetic Survey of the Department of Com-
merce; and
(5) in cooperation with the Secretary of Com-
merce, investigate the use of the NDGPS reference sta-
tions for the Global Positioning System Integrated
Precipitable Water Vapor System of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration.
(c) The Secretary of Transportation may—
(1) manage and operate the NDGPS;
(2) ensure that the service of the NDGPS is pro-
vided without the assessment of any user fee; and
(3) in cooperation with the Secretary of Defense,
ensure that the use of the NDGPS is denied to any
enemy of the United States.
(d) In any case in which the Secretary of Transpor-
tation determines that contracting for the maintenance of
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1 or more NDGPS reference stations is cost-effective, the
Secretary of Transportation may enter into a contract to
provide for that maintenance.
(e) The Secretary of Transportation may—
(1) in cooperation with appropriate representa-
tives of private industries and universities and offi-
cials of State governments—
(A) investigate improvements (including po-
tential improvements) to the NDGPS;
(B) develop standards for the NDGPS; and
(C) sponsor the development of new applica-
tions for the NDGPS; and
(2) provide for the continual upgrading of the
NDGPS to improve performance and address the
needs of—
(A) the Federal Government;
(B) State and local governments; and
(C) the general public.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Department of Trans-
portation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998’’.
Passed the House of Representatives July 23, 1997.
Attest:
ROBIN H. CARLE,
Clerk.
Passed the Senate July 30, 1997.
Attest:
GARY SISCO,
Secretary.