IIB 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1657 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
AN ACT 
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. 
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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 au-
thorized to establish a Science and Technology 
Scholarship Program to award scholarships to indi-
viduals that is designed to recruit and prepare stu-
dents for careers in the National Weather Service 
and in Administration 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). 
(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-
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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 indi-
viduals are qualified, in exchange for receiving a 
scholarship. 
(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 edu-
cation in an academic program or field of study de-
scribed in the list made available under subsection 
(d); 
(2) be a United States citizen or permanent 
resident; 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 applica-
tion to the Administrator at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information, agreements, or assur-
ances as the Administrator may require to carry out this 
section. 
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(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 avail-
able 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 Adminis-
trator 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 ex-
ceed the cost of attendance. 
(4) AUTHORIZED
USES.—A scholarship pro-
vided under this section may be expended for tuition, 
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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 pro-
vided 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 section 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 
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a period of service under paragraph (1) if the 
Administrator determines that such a deferral 
is appropriate. The Administrator shall pre-
scribe the terms and conditions under which a 
service obligation may be deferred through reg-
ulation. 
(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 
Administrator 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 agree-
ment, except as provided in subsection (h)(2). The 
repayment period may be extended by the Adminis-
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trator when determined to be necessary, as estab-
lished by regulation. 
(2) FAILURE
TO
BEGIN
OR
COMPLETE
THE 
SERVICE
OBLIGATION
OR
MEET
THE
TERMS
AND 
CONDITIONS OF DEFERMENT.—A scholarship recipi-
ent who, for any reason, fails to begin or complete 
a service obligation under this section after comple-
tion of academic training, or fails to comply with the 
terms and conditions of deferment established by the 
Administrator pursuant to subsection (f)(2)(B), 
shall be in breach of the contractual agreement. 
When a recipient breaches an agreement for the rea-
sons 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 bear-
ing interest at the maximum legal prevailing 
rate, as determined by the Treasurer of the 
United States. 
(h) WAIVER OR SUSPENSION OF OBLIGATION.— 
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(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 obli-
gation of service or payment incurred by an indi-
vidual under the scholarship program (or a contrac-
tual 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 defini-
tions 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 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
(3) COST OF ATTENDANCE.—The term ‘‘cost of 
attendance’’ has the meaning given that term in sec-
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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 
meaning given that term in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(5) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘schol-
arship program’’ means the Science and Technology 
Scholarship Program established under this section. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 17, 
2007. 
Attest: 
LORRAINE C. MILLER, 
Clerk. 
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