SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The oceans and coastal areas of the United
States are among the Nation’s most valuable natural
resources, making substantial contributions to eco-
nomic growth, quality of life, and national security.
(2) Oceans drive global and regional climate.
Hence, they contain information affecting agri-
culture, fishing, and the prediction of severe weath-
er.
(3) Understanding of the oceans through basic
and applied research is essential for using the
oceans wisely and protecting their limited resources.
Therefore, the United States should maintain its
world leadership in oceanography as one key to its
competitive future.
(4) Ocean research and education activities take
place within Federal agencies, academic institutions,
and industry. These entities often have similar re-
quirements for research facilities, data, and other re-
sources (such as oceanographic research vessels).
(5) The need exists for a formal mechanism to
coordinate existing partnerships and establish new
partnerships for the sharing of resources, intellectual
talent, and facilities in the ocean sciences and edu-
cation, so that optimal use can be made of this most
important natural resource for the well-being of all
Americans.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PARTNERSHIP PRO-
GRAM.
(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—(1) Subtitle C of title 10,
United States Code, is amended by adding after chapter
663 the following new chapter:
‘‘CHAPTER 
665—NATIONAL 
OCEANO-
GRAPHIC PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
‘‘Sec.
‘‘7901. National Oceanographic Partnership Program.
‘‘7902. National Ocean Research Leadership Council.
‘‘7903. Ocean Research Partnership Coordinating Group.
‘‘7904. Ocean Research Advisory Panel.
‘‘§ 7901. National Oceanographic Partnership Pro-
gram
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the Navy
shall establish a program to be known as the ‘National
Oceanographic Partnership Program’.
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the program are
as follows:
‘‘(1) To promote the national goals of assuring
national security, advancing economic development,
protecting quality of life, and strengthening science
education and communication through improved
knowledge of the ocean.
‘‘(2) To coordinate and strengthen oceano-
graphic efforts in support of those goals by—
‘‘(A) identifying and carrying out partner-
ships among Federal agencies, academia, indus-
try, and other members of the oceanographic
scientific community in the areas of data, re-
sources, education, and communication; and
‘‘(B) reporting annually to Congress on the
program.
‘‘§ 7902. National Ocean Research Leadership Council
‘‘(a) COUNCIL.—There is a National Ocean Research
Leadership Council (hereinafter in this chapter referred
to as the ‘‘Council’’).
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Council is composed of the
following members:
‘‘(1) The Secretary of the Navy, who shall be
the chairman of the Council.
‘‘(2) The Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, who shall be the
vice chairman of the Council.
‘‘(3) The Director of the National Science
Foundation.
‘‘(4) The Administrator of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration.
‘‘(5) The Deputy Secretary of Energy.
‘‘(6) The Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency.
‘‘(7) The Commandant of the Coast Guard.
‘‘(8) The Director of the Geological Survey of
the Department of the Interior.
‘‘(9) The Director of the Defense Advanced Re-
search Projects Agency.
‘‘(10) The Director of the Minerals Manage-
ment Service of the Department of the Interior.
‘‘(11) The President of the National Academy
of Sciences, the President of the National Academy
of Engineering, and the President of the Institute of
Medicine.
‘‘(12) The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology.
‘‘(13) The Director of the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget.
‘‘(14) One member appointed by the Chairman
from among individuals who will represent the views
of ocean industries.
‘‘(15) One member appointed by the Chairman
from among individuals who will represent the views
of State governments.
‘‘(16) One member appointed by the Chairman
from among individuals who will represent the views
of academia.
‘‘(17) One member appointed by the Chairman
from among individuals who will represent such
other views as the Chairman considers appropriate.
‘‘(c) TERM OF OFFICE.—The term of office of a
member of the Council appointed under paragraph (14),
(15), (16), or (17) of subsection (b) shall be two years,
except that any person appointed to fill a vacancy occur-
ring before the expiration of the term for which his prede-
cessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder
of such term.
‘‘(d) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Council shall have the
following responsibilities:
‘‘(1) To establish the Ocean Research Partner-
ship Coordinating Group as provided in section
7903.
‘‘(2) To establish the Ocean Research Advisory
Panel as provided in section 7904.
‘‘(3) To submit to Congress an annual report
pursuant to subsection (e).
‘‘(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than March 1 of
each year, the Council shall submit to Congress a report
on the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. The
report shall contain the following:
‘‘(1) A description of activities of the program
carried out during the fiscal year before the fiscal
year in which the report is prepared. The description
also shall include a list of the members of the Ocean
Research Partnership Coordinating Group, the
Ocean Research Advisory Panel, and any working
groups in existence during the fiscal year covered.
‘‘(2) A general outline of the activities planned
for the program during the fiscal year in which the
report is prepared.
‘‘(3) A summary of projects continued from the
fiscal year before the fiscal year in which the report
is prepared and projects expected to be started dur-
ing the fiscal year in which the report is prepared
and during the following fiscal year.
‘‘(4) A description of the involvement of the
program with Federal interagency coordinating enti-
ties.
‘‘(5) The amounts requested, in the budget sub-
mitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105(a) of
title 31 for the fiscal year following the fiscal year
in which the report is prepared, for the programs,
projects, and activities of the program and the esti-
mated expenditures under such programs, projects,
and activities during such following fiscal year.
‘‘§ 7903. Ocean Research Partnership Coordinating
Group
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Council shall establish
an entity to be known as the ‘Ocean Research Partnership
Coordinating Group’ (hereinafter in this chapter referred
to as the ‘Coordinating Group’).
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Coordinating Group shall
consist of members appointed by the Council, with one
member appointed from each Federal department or agen-
cy having an oceanographic research or development pro-
gram.
‘‘(c) CHAIRMAN.—The Council shall appoint the
Chairman of the Coordinating Group.
‘‘(d) RESPONSIBILITIES.—Subject to the authority,
direction, and control of the Council, the Coordinating
Group shall have the following responsibilities:
‘‘(1) To prescribe policies and procedures to im-
plement the National Oceanographic Partnership
Program.
‘‘(2) To review, select, and identify and allocate
funds for partnership projects for implementation
under the program, based on the following criteria:
‘‘(A) Whether the project addresses critical
research objectives or operational goals, such as
data accessibility and quality assurance, sharing
of resources, education, or communication.
‘‘(B) Whether the project has broad par-
ticipation within the oceanographic community.
‘‘(C) Whether the partners have a long-
term commitment to the objectives of the
project.
‘‘(D) Whether the resources supporting the
project are shared among the partners.
‘‘(E) Whether the project has been sub-
jected to adequate peer review.
‘‘(3) To promote participation in partnership
projects by each Federal department and agency in-
volved with oceanographic research and development
by publicizing the program and by prescribing guide-
lines for participation in the program.
‘‘(4) To submit to the Council an annual report
pursuant to subsection (i).
‘‘(e) PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM OFFICE.—The Coordi-
nating Group shall establish, using competitive proce-
dures, and oversee a partnership program office to carry
out such duties as the Chairman of the Coordinating
Group considers appropriate to implement the National
Oceanographic Partnership Program, including the follow-
ing:
‘‘(1) To establish and oversee working groups
to propose partnership projects to the Coordinating
Group and advise the Group on such projects.
‘‘(2) To manage peer review of partnership
projects proposed to the Coordinating Group and
competitions for projects selected by the Group.
‘‘(3) To submit to the Coordinating Group an
annual report on the status of all partnership
projects and activities of the office.
‘‘(f) CONTRACT AND GRANT AUTHORITY.—The Co-
ordinating Group may authorize one or more of the de-
partments or agencies represented in the Group to enter
into contracts and make grants, using funds appropriated
pursuant to an authorization for the National Oceano-
graphic Partnership Program, for the purpose of imple-
menting the program and carrying out the Coordinating
Group’s responsibilities.
‘‘(g) FORMS OF PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS.—Partner-
ship projects selected by the Coordinating Group may be
in any form that the Coordinating Group considers appro-
priate, including memoranda of understanding, coopera-
tive research and development agreements, and similar in-
struments.
‘‘(h) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than February 1
of each year, the Coordinating Group shall submit to the
Council a report on the National Oceanographic Partner-
ship Program. The report shall contain, at a minimum,
copies of any recommendations or reports to the Coordi-
nating Group by the Ocean Research Advisory Panel.
‘‘§ 7904. Ocean Research Advisory Panel
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Council shall appoint
an Ocean Research Advisory Panel (hereinafter in this
chapter referred to as the ‘Advisory Panel’) consisting of
not less than 10 and not more than 18 members.
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—Members of the Advisory Panel
shall be appointed from among persons who are eminent
in the fields of marine science or marine policy, or related
fields, and who are representative, at a minimum, of the
interests of government, academia, and industry.
‘‘(c) 
RESPONSIBILITIES.—(1) 
The 
Coordinating
Group shall refer to the Advisory Panel, and the Advisory
Panel shall review, each proposed partnership project esti-
mated to cost more than $500,000. The Advisory Panel
shall make any recommendations to the Coordinating
Group that the Advisory Panel considers appropriate re-
garding such projects.
‘‘(2) The Advisory Panel shall make any rec-
ommendations to the Coordinating Group regarding activi-
ties that should be addressed by the National Oceano-
graphic Partnership Program that the Advisory Panel
considers appropriate.’’.
(2) The table of chapters at the beginning of subtitle
C of title 10, United States Code, and at the beginning
of part IV of such subtitle, are each amended by inserting
after the item relating to chapter 663 the following:
‘‘665. National Oceanographic Partnership Program ......... 7901’’.
(b) INITIAL APPOINTMENTS
OF COUNCIL MEM-
BERS.—The Secretary of the Navy shall make the ap-
pointments required by section 7902(b) of title 10, United
States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), not later than
December 1, 1996.
(c) INITIAL APPOINTMENTS OF ADVISORY PANEL
MEMBERS.—The National Ocean Research Leadership
Council established by section 7902 of title 10, United
States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), shall make
the appointments required by section 7904 of such title
not later than January 1, 1997.
(d) FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF NATIONAL OCEAN
RESEARCH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.—The first annual re-
port required by section 7902(e) of title 10, United States
Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), shall be submitted
to Congress not later than March 1, 1997. The first report
shall include, in addition to the information required by
such section, information about the terms of office, proce-
dures, and responsibilities of the Ocean Research Advisory
Panel established by the Council.
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for the Na-
tional Oceanographic Partnership Program for fiscal year
1997.
(f) REQUIRED FUNDING FOR PROGRAM OFFICE.—Of
the amount appropriated for the National Oceanographic
Partnership Program for fiscal year 1997, at least
$500,000, or 3 percent of the amount appropriated,
whichever is greater, shall be available for operations of
the partnership program office established pursuant to
section 7903(e) of title 10, United States Code, for such
fiscal year.
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