IB 
Union Calendar No. 91 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2364 
[Report No. 109–151] 
To establish a Science and Technology Scholarship Program to award scholar-
ships to recruit and prepare students for careers in the National Weather 
Service and in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine 
research, atmospheric research, and satellite programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2005 
Mr. ROHRABACHER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Science 
JUNE 23, 2005 
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 May 16, 2005] 
A BILL 
To establish a Science and Technology Scholarship Program 
to award scholarships to recruit and prepare students 
for careers in the National Weather Service and in Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine 
research, atmospheric research, and satellite programs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP 
PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator is author-
ized to establish a Science and Technology Scholar-
ship Program to award scholarships to individuals 
that is designed to recruit and prepare students for 
careers in the National Weather Service and in Ad-
ministration marine research, atmospheric research, 
and satellite programs. 
(2) COMPETITIVE
PROCESS.—Individuals shall 
be selected to receive scholarships under this section 
through a competitive process primarily on the basis 
of academic merit, with consideration given to finan-
cial need and the goal of promoting the participation 
of individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the 
Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b), including those from 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities and in-
stitutions serving a large proportion of Hispanics, 
Native Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, or other 
underrepresented populations.
(3) SERVICE AGREEMENTS.—To carry out the 
scholarship program, the Administrator shall enter 
into contractual agreements with individuals selected 
under paragraph (2) under which the individuals 
agree to serve as full-time employees of the Adminis-
tration, for the period described in subsection (f)(1), 
in positions needed by the Administration in fields 
described in paragraph (1) and for which the individ-
uals are qualified, in exchange for receiving a scholar-
ship. 
(b) SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY.—In order to be eligi-
ble to participate in the scholarship program, an individual 
shall— 
(1) be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a 
full-time student at an institution of higher education 
in an academic program or field of study described 
in the list made available under subsection (d); 
(2) be a United States citizen or permanent resi-
dent; and 
(3) at the time of the initial scholarship award, 
not be a Federal employee as defined in section 2105 
of title 5 of the United States Code. 
(c) APPLICATION REQUIRED.—An individual seeking 
a scholarship under this section shall submit an application 
to the Administrator at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information, agreements, or assurances as 
the Administrator may require to carry out this section. 
(d) ELIGIBLE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS.—The Adminis-
trator shall make publicly available a list of academic pro-
grams and fields of study for which scholarships may be 
utilized in fields described in subsection (a)(1), and shall 
update the list as necessary. 
(e) SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may pro-
vide a scholarship under the scholarship program for 
an academic year if the individual applying for the 
scholarship has submitted to the Administrator, as 
part of the application required under subsection (c), 
a proposed academic program leading to a degree in 
a program or field of study on the list made available 
under subsection (d). 
(2) DURATION OF ELIGIBILITY.—An individual 
may not receive a scholarship under this section for 
more than 4 academic years, unless the Administrator 
grants a waiver. 
(3) SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT.—The dollar amount 
of a scholarship under this section for an academic 
year shall be determined under regulations issued by 
the Administrator, but shall in no case exceed the cost 
of attendance.
(4) AUTHORIZED USES.—A scholarship provided 
under this section may be expended for tuition, fees, 
and other authorized expenses as established by the 
Administrator by regulation. 
(5) CONTRACTS REGARDING DIRECT PAYMENTS 
TO
INSTITUTIONS.—The Administrator may enter 
into a contractual agreement with an institution of 
higher education under which the amounts provided 
for a scholarship under this section for tuition, fees, 
and other authorized expenses are paid directly to the 
institution with respect to which the scholarship is 
provided. 
(f) PERIOD OF OBLIGATED SERVICE.— 
(1) DURATION OF SERVICE.—Except as provided 
in subsection (h)(2), the period of service for which an 
individual shall be obligated to serve as an employee 
of the Administration shall be 24 months for each 
academic year for which a scholarship under this sec-
tion is provided. 
(2) SCHEDULE FOR SERVICE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), obligated service under para-
graph (1) shall begin not later than 60 days 
after the individual obtains the educational de-
gree for which the scholarship was provided.
(B) DEFERRAL.—The Administrator may 
defer the obligation of an individual to provide 
a period of service under paragraph (1) if the 
Administrator determines that such a deferral is 
appropriate. The Administrator shall prescribe 
the terms and conditions under which a service 
obligation may be deferred through regulation. 
(g) PENALTIES
FOR
BREACH
OF
SCHOLARSHIP 
AGREEMENT.— 
(1) FAILURE
TO
COMPLETE
ACADEMIC
TRAIN-
ING.—Scholarship recipients who fail to maintain a 
high level of academic standing, as defined by the Ad-
ministrator by regulation, who are dismissed from 
their educational institutions for disciplinary rea-
sons, or who voluntarily terminate academic training 
before graduation from the educational program for 
which the scholarship was awarded, shall be in breach 
of their contractual agreement and, in lieu of any 
service obligation arising under such agreement, shall 
be liable to the United States for repayment not later 
than 1 year after the date of default of all scholarship 
funds paid to them and to the institution of higher 
education on their behalf under the agreement, except 
as provided in subsection (h)(2). The repayment pe-
riod may be extended by the Administrator when de-
termined to be necessary, as established by regulation. 
(2) FAILURE TO BEGIN OR COMPLETE THE SERV-
ICE OBLIGATION OR MEET THE TERMS AND CONDI-
TIONS OF DEFERMENT.—A scholarship recipient who, 
for any reason, fails to begin or complete a service ob-
ligation under this section after completion of aca-
demic training, or fails to comply with the terms and 
conditions of deferment established by the Adminis-
trator pursuant to subsection (f)(2)(B), shall be in 
breach of the contractual agreement. When a recipient 
breaches an agreement for the reasons stated in the 
preceding sentence, the recipient shall be liable to the 
United States for an amount equal to— 
(A) the total amount of scholarships re-
ceived by such individual under this section; 
plus 
(B) the interest on the amounts of such 
awards which would be payable if at the time 
the awards were received they were loans bearing 
interest at the maximum legal prevailing rate, 
as determined by the Treasurer of the United 
States. 
(h) WAIVER OR SUSPENSION OF OBLIGATION.—
(1) DEATH OF INDIVIDUAL.—Any obligation of 
an individual incurred under the scholarship pro-
gram (or a contractual agreement thereunder) for 
service or payment shall be canceled upon the death 
of the individual. 
(2) IMPOSSIBILITY
OR
EXTREME
HARDSHIP.— 
The Administrator shall by regulation provide for the 
partial or total waiver or suspension of any obliga-
tion of service or payment incurred by an individual 
under the scholarship program (or a contractual 
agreement thereunder) whenever compliance by the 
individual is impossible or would involve extreme 
hardship to the individual, or if enforcement of such 
obligation with respect to the individual would be 
contrary to the best interests of the Government. 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act the following definitions 
apply: 
(1) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra-
tion’’ means the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration. 
(2) 
ADMINISTRATOR.—The 
term 
‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration. 
(3) COST OF ATTENDANCE.—The term ‘‘cost of 
attendance’’ has the meaning given that term in sec-
tion 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1087ll). 
(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 101(a) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965; and 
(5) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘schol-
arship program’’ means the Science and Technology 
Scholarship Program established under this section.
Union Calendar No. 91 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2364 
[Report No. 109–151] 
A BILL 
To establish a Science and Technology Scholarship 
Program to award scholarships to recruit and 
prepare students for careers in the National 
Weather Service and in National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration marine research, at-
mospheric research, and satellite programs. 
JUNE 23, 2005 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed