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‘‘(1) require that a professional mariner serving 
aboard an ocean-going vessel be granted a leave of ab-
sence of 4 days per pay period; and 
‘‘(2) provide that a professional mariner serving in 
a temporary promotion position aboard a vessel may be 
paid the difference between such mariner’s temporary 
and permanent rates of pay for leave accrued while serv-
ing in the temporary promotion position. 
‘‘(c) PROFESSIONAL MARINER DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘professional mariner’ means an individual em-
ployed on a vessel of the Administration who has the nec-
essary expertise to serve in the engineering, deck, steward, 
electronic technician, or survey department.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents in 
section 1 of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to reauthorize the Hy-
drographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, and for other 
purposes’’ (Public Law 107–372) is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 269A the following: 
‘‘Sec. 269B. Shore leave for professional mariners.’’. 
SEC. 11707. LEGAL ASSISTANCE. 
Section 1044(a)(3) of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting ‘‘or the commissioned officer corps of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’’ after 
‘‘Public Health Service’’.
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SEC. 11708. ACQUISITION OF AIRCRAFT FOR AGENCY AIR, AT-
MOSPHERE, 
AND 
WEATHER 
RECONNAISSANCE 
AND RESEARCH MISSION. 
(a) INCREASED FLEET CAPACITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of Com-
merce for Oceans and Atmosphere shall acquire ade-
quate aircraft platforms with the necessary observation 
and modification requirements— 
(A) to meet agency-wide air reconnaissance 
and research mission requirements, particularly 
with respect to hurricanes and tropical cyclones, 
and also for atmospheric chemistry, climate, air 
quality for public health, full-season fire weather re-
search and operations, full-season atmospheric river 
air reconnaissance observations, and other mission 
areas; and 
(B) to ensure data and information collected 
by the aircraft are made available to all users for 
research and operations purposes. 
(2) CONTRACTS.—In carrying out paragraph (1), 
the Under Secretary shall negotiate and enter into 1 or 
more contracts or other agreements, to the extent prac-
ticable and necessary, with 1 or more governmental or 
nongovernmental entities. 
(b) ACQUISITION OF AIRCRAFT TO REPLACE WP–3D 
AIRCRAFT.—Subject to the availability of appropriations, the
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Under Secretary may enter into a contract for the acquisition 
of up to 6 aircraft to replace the WP–3D aircraft that pro-
vides for— 
(1) the first newly acquired aircraft to be fully oper-
ational before the retirement of the last WP–3D aircraft 
operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration; and 
(2) the second newly acquired aircraft to be fully 
operational not later than 1 year after the first such air-
craft is required to be fully operational under subpara-
graph (A). 
(c) ACQUISITION OF AIRCRAFT TO REPLACE END OF 
LIFE-CYCLE AIRCRAFT.—Subject to the availability of appro-
priations, the Under Secretary shall maintain the ability of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to 
meet agency air reconnaissance and research mission require-
ments by acquiring new aircraft prior to the end of the serv-
ice life of the aircraft being replaced with sufficient lead time 
that the replacement aircraft is fully operation prior to the 
retirement of the aircraft it is replacing. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For fiscal 
year 2023, there is authorized to be appropriated to the 
Under Secretary $800,000,000 for the acquisition of aircraft 
under this section.
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SEC. 11709. REPORT ON PROFESSIONAL MARINER STAFFING 
MODELS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Represent-
atives a report on staffing issues relating to professional 
mariners within the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—In conducting the report required 
under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall con-
sider— 
(1) the challenges the Office of Marine and Aviation 
Operations faces in recruiting and retaining qualified 
professional mariners; 
(2) workforce planning efforts to address such chal-
lenges; and 
(3) other models or approaches that exist, or are 
under consideration, to provide incentives for the reten-
tion of qualified professional mariners. 
(c) PROFESSIONAL MARINER DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘professional mariner’’ means an individual em-
ployed on a vessel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
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Administration who has the necessary expertise to serve in 
the engineering, deck, steward, or survey department. 
Subtitle B—Other Matters 
SEC. 11710. CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN PROPERTY OF NA-
TIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINIS-
TRATION IN JUNEAU, ALASKA. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CITY.—The term ‘‘City’’ means the City and 
Borough of Juneau, Alaska. 
(2) MASTER
PLAN.—The term ‘‘Master Plan’’ 
means the Juneau Small Cruise Ship Infrastructure 
Master Plan released by the Docks and Harbors Board 
and Port of Juneau for the City and dated March 2021. 
(3) PROPERTY.—The term ‘‘Property’’ means the 
parcel of real property consisting of approximately 2.4 
acres, including tidelands, owned by the United States 
and under administrative custody and control of the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and lo-
cated at 250 Egan Drive, Juneau, Alaska, including any 
improvements thereon that are not authorized or re-
quired by another provision of law to be conveyed to a 
specific individual or entity. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the 
Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Sec-
retary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the