IB
Union Calendar No. 94
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1916
[Report No. 103–170]
To establish a marine biotechnology program within the National Sea Grant
College Program.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 28, 1993
Mr. STUDDS (for himself, Mr. HOCHBRUECKNER, Mr. HOYER, Ms. SCHENK,
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. KOPETSKI, Mr. MANTON, Mr. KREIDLER,
Mrs. UNSOELD, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. FIELDS of Texas, Mr. YOUNG of
Alaska, Mr. SWIFT, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. RAVENEL, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr.
LIPINSKI, and Mr. SAXTON) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries
JULY 13, 1993
Additional sponsors: Mr. WELDON, Ms. FURSE, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas,
Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. BATEMAN, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. GEJ-
DENSON, Mr. HUGHES, Mr. BACCHUS of Florida, Mr. JOHNSTON of Flor-
ida, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. REED, Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. FRANK of Massachu-
setts, Mr. OLVER, Mr. MOAKLEY, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr.
TORKILDSEN, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. KEN-
NEDY, Mr. LAUGHLIN, Mr. FILNER, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr.
LEWIS of Florida, Mr. BLUTE, Mr. MACHTLEY, Mrs. MINK, Mr. RO-
MERO-BARCELO´, Mr. MONTGOMERY, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr.
PALLONE, and Mr. CUNNINGHAM
JULY 13, 1993
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 April 28, 1993]
A BILL
To establish a marine biotechnology program within the
National Sea Grant College Program.
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 ‘‘Marine Biotechnology
Investment Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) the oceans have for millennia been a source
of food, minerals and other natural products;
(2) molecular biology and biotechnology hold tre-
mendous potential to expand the range and increase
the utility of products from the oceans;
(3) marine biotechnology can improve the condi-
tion of marine ecosystems by developing substitute
products that decrease the harvest pressure on living
resources, improving the production of aquaculture,
providing new tools for understanding ecological and
evolutionary processes, and improving the techniques
for remediation of environmental damage;
(4) the United States is currently preeminent in
marine biotechnology but its competitive edge is
threatened by inadequate public investment compared
with other leaders in this field; and
(5) in order to support job creation, stimulate
private sector investment, and maintain preeminence
in marine biotechnology, the United States should es-
tablish a national program for marine biotechnology
within the National Sea Grant College Program and
greatly increase its investment in this promising new
area of research and development.
SEC. 3. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.
The National Sea Grant College Program Act (33
U.S.C. 1121 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section
205 the following:
‘‘SEC. 206A. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.
‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY.—As
used in this section and section 203(4), the term ‘marine
biotechnology’ means the application of molecular and cel-
lular biology to marine and fresh water organisms for the
purpose of identifying, developing, and enhancing products
derived from those organisms.
‘‘(b) MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.—Subject to
the availability of appropriations under section 212(c), the
National Sea Grant College Program provided for under
section 204 shall include a marine biotechnology program
under which the Secretary, acting through the Director,
shall—
‘‘(1) make grants and enter into contracts in ac-
cordance with this section; and
‘‘(2) engage in other activities authorized under
this Act;
to further research, development, education and technology
transfer in marine biotechnology.
‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATION.—In carrying out the marine
biotechnology program, the Secretary shall—
‘‘(1) coordinate the relevant activities of the di-
rectors of the sea grant colleges and the Marine Bio-
technology Review Panel established under subsection
(f); and
‘‘(2) provide general oversight of the review proc-
ess under subsection (f)(1) to ensure that the marine
biotechnology program produces the highest quality
research, development, education, and technology
transfer.
‘‘(d) GRANTS AND CONTRACTS.—
‘‘(1) APPLICATIONS.—Applications for grants
and contracts under this subsection shall be—
‘‘(A) made in such form and manner, and
include such content and submissions, as the
Secretary shall by regulation prescribe;
‘‘(B) forwarded through the appropriate di-
rectors of sea grant colleges to the National Sea
Grant Office; and
‘‘(C) reviewed by the Marine Biotechnology
Review Panel in accordance with subsection (f).
‘‘(2) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Any reference in
subsection (d) of section 205 or in the last sentence
of subsection (a) of section 205 to grants and con-
tracts provided for under that section shall be treated,
as the context requires, as including any grant ap-
plied for or made, or contract applied for or entered
into, under this section.
‘‘(3) AWARDING OF GRANTS AND CONTRACTS.—
‘‘(A) PANEL
RECOMMENDATIONS.—Subject
to subparagraph (B) and subsection (e), the Sec-
retary shall award grants and contracts under
this section on the basis of the recommendations
for award made by the Marine Biotechnology
Review Panel under subsection (f).
‘‘(B) EXCEPTIONS.—The Secretary shall not
award a grant or contract if the Secretary deter-
mines that the award—
‘‘(i) is based on a recommendation
from the Panel that may involve a conflict
of interest;
‘‘(ii) would result in a significant en-
vironmental risk from the release of geneti-
cally modified organisms, as defined in sub-
section (e), or other unacceptable environ-
mental risk;
‘‘(iii) fails to meet the requirements of
this section; or
‘‘(iv) fails to comply with relevant gov-
ernmental or institutional procedures for
the management of external grant or con-
tract programs.
‘‘(C) 
DOCUMENTATION.—The 
Secretary
shall document, and promptly inform the Panel
of, each recommended award that is rejected
under subparagraph (B).
‘‘(D) FUNDING.—Grants made, and con-
tracts entered into, under this section shall be
funded with moneys available from appropria-
tions made pursuant to the authorization pro-
vided for under section 212(c).
‘‘(e) RESEARCH ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGA-
NISMS.—
‘‘(1) DEFINITION.—As used in this subsection,
the term ‘genetically modified organism’ means a liv-
ing marine or freshwater organism in which the ge-