Title: BLUE GLOBE Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Bolstering Long-Term Understanding and Exploration of the Great Lakes, Oceans, Bays, and Estuaries Act or the BLUE GLOBE Act
This bill addresses data collection and monitoring of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts.
Specifically, the bill

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3548 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3548

 To improve data collection and monitoring of the Great Lakes, oceans, 
          bays, estuaries, and coasts, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 27, 2019

Ms. Bonamici (for herself and Mr. Young) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 
   addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, and 
Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To improve data collection and monitoring of the Great Lakes, oceans, 
          bays, estuaries, and coasts, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Bolstering Long-Term Understanding 
and Exploration of the Great Lakes, Oceans, Bays, and Estuaries Act'' 
or the ``BLUE GLOBE Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to promote and support--
            (1) the monitoring, understanding, and exploration of the 
        Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts; and
            (2) the collection, analysis, synthesis, and sharing of 
        data related to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and 
        coasts to facilitate science and operational decision making.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts 
        face significant challenges from, among other things, marine 
        debris, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and 
        changing conditions.
            (2) Most of the ocean floor is mapped only at a very coarse 
        resolution of 5 kilometers per pixel, whereas Mars, the Moon, 
        and Venus are mapped at a much finer resolution of 100 meters 
        per pixel or better.
            (3) Many industries, including the fishing and aquaculture, 
        energy, shipping, insurance, telecommunications, weather and 
        climate forecasting, and tourism industries, among others, use 
        ocean data, whether or not the industries collect that data 
        themselves.
            (4) In 2017, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration estimated that United States businesses that 
        collect ocean data or provide enhanced ocean data products have 
        overall revenues of approximately $58,000,000,000.
            (5) Although a large amount of data related to the Great 
        Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts is collected 
        internationally, nationally, and regionally, by international 
        bodies, national agencies, institutes, private companies, and 
        other entities, that data collection is often uncoordinated, 
        and the resulting data are not always shared in a timely and 
        useful manner between those entities.
            (6) Improved collection, analysis, synthesis, and sharing 
        of such data will improve our understanding of, and responses 
        to, the challenges faced by the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, 
        estuaries, and coasts.
            (7) Innovation, research, and a skilled workforce are 
        required to improve our understanding of the Great Lakes, 
        oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts and the challenges they 
        face.
            (8) According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration, in 2015, the ocean and Great Lakes economy in 
        the United States employed approximately 3,200,000 people and 
        accounted for approximately $320,000,000,000 of the gross 
        domestic product of the United States.
            (9) The value and impact of the industries related to the 
        Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts on the economy 
        of the United States are evidently immense; however, what is 
        known as the ``Blue Economy'' is neither consistently defined 
        nor regularly quantified.
            (10) The Federal Government has a responsibility to support 
        the monitoring, understanding, and exploration of the Great 
        Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts in pursuit of the 
        national security and economic and environmental well-being of 
        the United States, and as a world leader.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) agencies should optimize data collection, management, 
        and dissemination, to the extent practicable, to maximize their 
        impact for research, commercial, regulatory, and educational 
        benefits and to foster innovation, scientific discoveries, the 
        development of commercial products, and the development of 
        sound policy with respect to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, 
        estuaries, and coasts;
            (2) the United States is a leading member of the 
        Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United 
        Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, a 
        founding member of the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance, and a 
        key partner in developing the United Nations Decade of Ocean 
        Science for Sustainable Development;
            (3) the Integrated Ocean Observing System and the Global 
        Ocean Observing System are key assets and networks that bolster 
        our understanding of the marine environment;
            (4) the National Oceanographic Partnership Program is a 
        meaningful venue for collaboration and coordination among 
        Federal agencies, scientists, and ocean users;
            (5) the National Centers for Environmental Information of 
        the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration should be 
        looked to by other Federal agencies as a primary, centralized 
        repository for Federal ocean data;
            (6) the Marine Cadastre, a joint effort of the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bureau of Ocean 
        Energy Management, provides access to data and information for 
        specific issues and activities in ocean resources management to 
        meet the needs of offshore energy and planning efforts;
            (7) the regional associations of the Integrated Ocean 
        Observing System, certified by the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration for the quality and reliability of 
        their data, are important sources of observation information 
        for the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts; and
            (8) the Regional Ocean Partnerships and regional data 
        portals, which provide publicly available tools such as maps, 
        data, and other information to inform decisions and enhance 
        marine development, should be supported by and viewed as 
        collaborators with Federal agencies and ocean users.

SEC. 5. DEFINITION.

    In this Act, the term ``Administrator'' means the Under Secretary 
of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere in the Under Secretary's capacity 
as Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration.

SEC. 6. INCREASED COORDINATION AMONG AGENCIES WITH RESPECT TO DATA AND 
              MONITORING.

    (a) Interagency Ocean Observation Committee.--In addition to its 
responsibilities as of the date of the enactment of this Act, and in 
consultation with the associated advisory committee authorized by 
section 12304(d) of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System 
Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3603(d)), the Interagency Ocean Observation 
Committee shall--
            (1) work with international coordinating bodies, as 
        necessary, to ensure robust, direct measurements of the Great 
        Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts, including 
        oceanographic data;
            (2) coordinate supercomputing capacity, data storage 
        capacity, and public access across agencies; and
            (3) support cross-agency and multi-platform synergy, by 
        coordinating overlapping data collection by satellites, buoys, 
        submarines, gliders, vessels, and other data collection 
        vehicles and technologies.
    (b) Federal Geographic Data Committee.--In addition to its 
responsibilities as of the date of the enactment of this Act, and in 
consultation with the National Geospatial Advisory Committee, the 
Federal Geographic Data Committee shall--
            (1) work with international coordinating bodies, as 
        necessary, to ensure robust, continuous measurements of the 
        Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts, including 
        satellite and geospatial data;
            (2) coordinate supercomputing capacity, data storage 
        capacity, and public access across agencies;
            (3) develop and deploy cross-agency, real-time, 
        standardized, centralized, archived, open-source, and publicly 
        available databases (using declassified information to the 
        extent possible) for all federally funded observational and 
        model data, using the example of the World Ocean Database; and
            (4) support new and old data and metadata certification, 
        quality assurance, quality control, integration, and archiving.
    (c) Interagency Committee on Ocean and Coastal Mapping.--In 
addition to its responsibilities as of the date of the enactment of 
this Act, and in consultation with its associated advisory panel 
authorized by section 12203(g) of the Ocean and Coastal Mapping 
Integration Act (33 U.S.C. 3502(g)), the Interagency Committee on Ocean 
and Coastal Mapping shall--
            (1) work with international coordinating bodies, as 
        necessary, to ensure robust, continuous satellite and direct 
        measurements of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and 
        coasts, including bathymetric data;
            (2) coordinate supercomputing capacity, data storage 
        capacity, and public access across agencies; and
            (3) make recommendations on how to make data, metadata, and 
        model output accessible to a broader public audience, including 
        through geographic information system layers, graphics, and 
        other visuals.

SEC. 7. INTERAGENCY OCEAN EXPLORATION COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--The President shall establish a committee to 
promote the exploration and improved understanding of the oceans, to be 
known as the ``Interagency Ocean Exploration Committee''.
    (b) Membership.--The Interagency Ocean Exploration Committee shall 
be composed of not fewer than one senior-level representative from each 
of the following Federal agencies:
            (1) The Department of the Navy.
            (2) The Department of the Interior.
            (3) The Department of Commerce.
            (4) The department in which the Coast Guard is operating.
            (5) The Office of Management and Budget.
            (6) The Council on Environmental Quality.
            (7) The Office of Science and Technology Policy.
            (8) The Department of State.
            (9) The National Science Foundation.
            (10) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
            (11) The Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of 
        the National Science and Technology Council.
            (12) The elements of the intelligence community (as defined 
        in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
        3003)), as the President considers appropriate.
    (c) Duties.--The Interagency Ocean Exploration Committee shall--
            (1) cultivate public-private partnerships, including with 
        Federal agencies, academic institutions, nongovernmental 
        organizations, technology companies, and international 
        partners, to develop and deploy advanced technologies to 
        explore and characterize the oceans; and
            (2) coordinate the application of existing innovative 
        technologies and development of emerging technologies to 
        promote the understanding, mapping, and collection of data 
        describing the oceans and the changes the oceans are 
        experiencing and are anticipated to experience in the future, 
        such as changes in temperature, salinity, oxygenation, and 
        acidity, and the biological consequences of those changes.

SEC. 8. COMMITTEE ON OCEAN POLICY.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Executive Office of 
the President a Committee on Ocean Policy, which--
            (1) succeeds the Ocean Policy Committee established on June 
        19, 2018, by Executive Order 13840 (83 Fed. Reg. 29431; 
        relating to ocean policy);
            (2) shall continue the activities of that committee as it 
        was in existence on the day before the date of the enactment of 
        this Act; and
            (3) shall carry out the functions described in subsection 
        (b).
    (b) Functions.--The Committee on Ocean Policy shall--
            (1) facilitate coordination and integration of Federal 
        activities in ocean and coastal waters to inform ocean policy 
        and identify priority ocean research, technology, and data 
        needs; and
            (2) engage and collaborate with stakeholders, including 
        Regional Ocean Partnerships, to address ocean-related matters 
        that may require interagency or intergovernmental solutions.

SEC. 9. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION TASK FORCE TO COMBAT ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED, 
              AND UNREGULATED FISHING.

    (a) Establishment.--The President shall establish a technology 
innovation task force (in this Act referred to as the ``IUU Tech 
Force'') to combat IUU fishing.
    (b) Leadership.--The IUU Tech Force shall be led by the Director of 
the National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office, who shall 
coordinate with the National Ocean Counsel Committee on IUU Fishing and 
Seafood Fraud.
    (c) Membership.--The IUU Tech Force shall be composed of not fewer 
than one senior-level representative from each of the following Federal 
agencies:
            (1) The Department of the Navy.
            (2) The Department of Justice.
            (3) The Department of the Interior.
            (4) The Department of Agriculture.
            (5) The Department of Commerce.
            (6) The Department of Labor.
            (7) The Department of Health and Human Services.
            (8) The department in which the Coast Guard is operating.
            (9) The Office of Management and Budget.
            (10) The Council on Environmental Quality.
            (11) The Office of Science and Technology Policy.
            (12) The Office of the United States Trade Representative.
            (13) The United States Agency for International 
        Development.
            (14) The Department of State.
            (15) The National Science Foundation.
            (16) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
            (17) The Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of 
        the National Science and Technology Council.
    (d) Duties.--The IUU Tech Force shall--
            (1) cultivate public-private partnerships, including with 
        Federal agencies, academic institutions, nongovernmental 
        organizations, technology companies, and international 
        partners, to develop and deploy advanced technologies to 
        identify and combat IUU fishing;
            (2) identify opportunities to declassify and make more 
        publicly available imagery from the Department of Defense and 
        the department in which the Coast Guard is operating and other 
        information that can be used to identify IUU fishing or be used 
        in enforcement actions against violators; and
            (3) coordinate the application of existing innovative 
        technologies and development of emerging technologies to 
        address--
                    (A) IUU fishing; and
                    (B) associated forced labor, human trafficking, and 
                other illicit activities.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Innovative technologies.--The term ``innovative 
        technologies'' includes the following:
                    (A) Improved satellite imagery and tracking.
                    (B) Advanced electronic monitoring equipment.
                    (C) Vessel location data.
                    (D) Improved genetic, molecular, or other 
                biological methods of tracking sources of seafood.
                    (E) Electronic catch documentation and 
                traceability.
                    (F) Such other technologies as the Administrator 
                considers appropriate.
            (2) IUU fishing.--The term ``IUU fishing''--
                    (A) means illegal fishing, unreported fishing, or 
                unregulated fishing (as such terms are defined in 
                paragraph 3 of the International Plan of Action to 
                Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and 
                Unregulated Fishing, adopted at the 24th Session of the 
                Committee on Fisheries of the Food and Agriculture 
                Organization of the United Nations in Rome on March 2, 
                2001); and
                    (B) includes fishing activities conducted in 
                contravention of applicable laws and regulations 
                related to labor conditions.

SEC. 10. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) Workforce Development Program.--The Administrator shall develop 
a workforce development program, in consultation with the following:
            (1) The Secretary of Defense.
            (2) The Commandant of the Coast Guard.
            (3) The Chief of Engineers of the Army Corps of Engineers.
            (4) The Secretary of Education.
            (5) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
            (6) The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration.
            (7) The Assistant Director for Geosciences of the National 
        Science Foundation.
            (8) The Secretary of the Navy.
            (9) The Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
        Policy.
            (10) The Secretary of Labor.
            (11) The heads of other relevant Federal agencies.
            (12) The Interagency Ocean Observation Committee and the 
        associated advisory committee authorized by section 12304(d) of 
        the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 
        (33 U.S.C. 3603(d)).
            (13) The Federal Geographic Data Committee and the National 
        Geospatial Advisory Committee.
            (14) The Interagency Committee on Ocean and Coastal Mapping 
        and its associated advisory panel authorized by section 
        12203(g) of the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act (33 
        U.S.C. 3502(g)).
            (15) The Interagency Ocean Exploration Committee 
        established under section 7.
            (16) The Committee on Ocean Policy established under 
        section 8.
            (17) The IUU Tech Force established under section 9.
            (18) Non-Federal partners and other experts.
    (b) Duties.--The workforce development program developed under 
subsection (a) shall--
            (1) support undergraduate and graduate education in the 
        fields of engineering, marine sciences, data science and 
        analytics, machine learning, robotics, cybersecurity, and other 
        fields related to the advancement of the monitoring, 
        collection, synthesis, and analysis of data relating to the 
        Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts;
            (2) support citizen science and public outreach related to 
        the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts that may 
        encourage people to develop scientific skills and to enter the 
        fields described in paragraph (1);
            (3) promote diversity in the fields described in paragraph 
        (1); and
            (4) build on existing science, technology, engineering, and 
        math (known as ``STEM'') education, veterans' training, and 
        programs to support indigenous people and other 
        underrepresented groups to facilitate education and training 
        through programs that include--
                    (A) grants to members of the Armed Forces and 
                veterans for vocational training or other educational 
                opportunities in the fields of engineering, marine 
                sciences, and data management and collection;
                    (B) grants to marine trade associations, 
                engineering associations, and other professional 
                organizations to provide apprenticeships; and
                    (C) scholarships for trade schools, vocational 
                institutes, institutions of higher education, and 
                educational coalitions such as the Alaska Native 
                Science and Engineering Program.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) 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)).
            (2) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 11. ACCELERATING INNOVATION AT COOPERATIVE INSTITUTES.

    (a) Focus on Emerging Technologies.--The Administrator shall ensure 
that the goals of the Cooperative Institutes of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration include focusing on advancing or 
applying emerging technologies, which may include--
            (1) applied uses and development of real-time and other 
        advanced genetic technologies and applications, including such 
        technologies and applications that derive genetic material 
        directly from environmental samples without any obvious signs 
        of biological source material;
            (2) deployment of, and improvements to, the durability, 
        maintenance, and other lifecycle concerns of advanced unmanned 
        vehicles, regional small research vessels, and other research 
        vessels that support and launch unmanned vehicles and sensors; 
        and
            (3) supercomputing and big data management, including data 
        collected through electronic monitoring and remote sensing.
    (b) Designation of New Institutes.--The Administrator may carry out 
subsection (a) by--
            (1) incorporating the goals described in that subsection 
        into one or more Cooperative Institutes in existence on the 
        date of the enactment of this Act; or
            (2) designating through a competitive selection process the 
        development of not more than 2 new Cooperative Institutes to 
        carry out those goals.
    (c) Data Sharing.--Each Cooperative Institute shall ensure that 
data collected from the work of the institute, other than classified, 
confidential, or proprietary data, are archived and made publicly 
accessible.
    (d) Coordination With Other Programs.--The Cooperative Institutes 
shall work with the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee, the 
regional associations of the Integrated Ocean Observing System, and 
other ocean observing programs to coordinate technology needs and the 
transition of new technologies from research to operations.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
            (2) Limitation on use of funds.--No funds authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out this section may be obligated or 
        expended for the construction of new buildings or facilities 
        for Cooperative Institutes.

SEC. 12. BUILDING DATA SOURCES.

    (a) Engaging Indigenous, Subsistence, and Fishing Communities.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall establish 
        opportunities to engage indigenous, subsistence, and fishing 
        communities to understand the needs of those communities and to 
        provide improved products and services that are practical and 
        useful to those communities, including collecting and 
        integrating traditional ecological data and narrative records 
        into national datasets.
            (2) Data rights.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
        Administrator shall--
                    (A) consider issues relating to data ownership; and
                    (B) ensure that indigenous, subsistence, and 
                fishing communities retain any specific rights or 
                ownership of data provided to Federal agencies.
    (b) Report to Congress.--
            (1) Report required.--Not later than one year after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
        submit to Congress a report identifying potential opportunities 
        to encourage voluntary actions and partnerships between the 
        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and non-Federal 
        partners to increase and enhance data collection.
            (2) Opportunities for partnership.--The opportunities 
        described in paragraph (1) may include opportunities that can 
        be pursued in conjunction with Federal permits, leases, and 
        other actions requiring Federal approval or funding, such as 
        partnering with companies to acquire and share bathymetric data 
        or supplying fishermen with sensors that can collect data 
        through fishing gear.

SEC. 13. OCEAN INNOVATION PRIZE AND PRIORITIZATION.

    (a) Ocean Innovative Prizes.--The Administrator, in consultation 
with the heads of relevant Federal agencies, including the Secretary of 
Defense, and in conjunction with nongovernmental partners, as 
appropriate and at the discretion of the Administrator, shall establish 
at least one Ocean Innovation Prize to catalyze the rapid development 
and deployment of data collection and monitoring technology related to 
the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts in at least one of 
the areas specified in subsection (b).
    (b) Areas.--The areas specified in this subsection are the 
following:
            (1) Improved eDNA analytics and deployment with autonomous 
        vehicles.
            (2) Plastic pollution detection, quantification, and 
        mitigation, including with respect to used fishing gear and 
        tracking technologies to reduce or eliminate bycatch.
            (3) Advanced satellite data and other advanced technology 
        for improving scientific assessment.
            (4) New stock assessment methods using satellite data or 
        other advanced technologies.
            (5) Identifying forced labor or human trafficking (or other 
        illicit activity) often associated with IUU fishing (as defined 
        in section 9).
            (6) Advanced electronic fisheries monitoring equipment and 
        data analysis tools, including improved fish species 
        recognition software, confidential data management, data 
        analysis and visualization, and storage of electronic reports, 
        imagery, location information, and other data.
            (7) Autonomous and other advanced surface vehicles, 
        underwater vehicles, or airborne platforms for data collection 
        and monitoring.
            (8) Artificial intelligence and machine learning 
        applications for data collection and monitoring related to the 
        Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts.
            (9) Coral reef ecosystem monitoring.
            (10) Electronic equipment, chemical or biological sensors, 
        data analysis tools, and platforms to identify and fill gaps in 
        robust and shared continuous data related to the Great Lakes, 
        oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts to inform global earth 
        system models.
            (11) Means for protecting aquatic life from injury or other 
        ill effects caused, in whole or in part, by monitoring or 
        exploration activities.
            (12) Discovery and dissemination of data related to the 
        Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts.
            (13) Water quality monitoring, including improved detection 
        and prediction of harmful algal blooms and pollution.
            (14) Enhancing blue carbon sequestration and other ocean 
        acidification mitigation opportunities.
            (15) Such other areas as may be identified by the 
        Administrator.
    (c) Prioritization of Proposals.--In selecting recipients of Small 
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology 
Transfer (STTR) solicitations and interagency grants for ocean 
innovation, including the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, 
the Administrator shall prioritize proposals for fiscal years 2020 and 
2021 that address at least one of the areas specified in subsection 
(b).

SEC. 14. REAUTHORIZATION OF NOAA PROGRAMS.

    (a) NOAA Ocean Exploration Program.--Section 12006 of the Omnibus 
Public Land Management Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3406) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and'';
            (2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) $60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
        2024.''.
    (b) Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act.--Section 12207 of 
the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act (33 U.S.C. 3506) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) $45,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
        2024.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
        2024.''.
    (c) Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998.--Section 306 of 
the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 892d) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) $71,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
                through 2024.'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) $34,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
                through 2024.'';
            (3) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) $38,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
                through 2024.'';
            (4) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) $45,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
                through 2024.''; and
            (5) in paragraph (5)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) $35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
                through 2024.''.

SEC. 15. BLUE ECONOMY VALUATION.

    (a) Measurement of Blue Economy Industries.--The Administrator, the 
Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Commissioner of the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the 
heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall prioritize the 
collection, aggregation, and analysis of data to measure the value and 
impact of industries related to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, 
estuaries, and coasts on the economy of the United States, including 
living resources, marine construction, marine transportation, offshore 
mineral extraction, ship and boat building, tourism, recreation, 
subsistence, and such other industries the Administrator considers 
appropriate (known as ``Blue Economy'' industries).
    (b) Collaboration.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
Administrator shall--
            (1) work with the Director of the Bureau of Economic 
        Analysis and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies to 
        develop a Coastal and Ocean Economy Satellite Account that 
        includes national and State-level statistics to measure the 
        contribution of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and 
        coasts to the overall economy of the United States; and
            (2) collaborate with national and international 
        organizations and governments to promote consistency of 
        methods, measurements, and definitions to ensure comparability 
        of results between countries.
    (c) Report.--Not less frequently than once every 2 years, the 
Administrator, in consultation with the Director of the Bureau of 
Economic Analysis, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
the Secretary of the Treasury, and the heads of other relevant Federal 
agencies, shall publish a report that--
            (1) defines the Blue Economy, in coordination with 
        academia, industry, nongovernmental organizations, and other 
        relevant experts;
            (2) makes recommendations for updating North American 
        Industry Classification System (NAICS) reporting codes to 
        reflect the Blue Economy; and
            (3) provides a comprehensive estimate of the value and 
        impact of the Blue Economy with respect to each State and 
        territory of the United States, including--
                    (A) the value and impact of--
                            (i) economic activities that are dependent 
                        upon the resources of the Great Lakes, oceans, 
                        bays, estuaries, and coasts;
                            (ii) the population and demographic 
                        characteristics of the population along the 
                        coasts;
                            (iii) port and shoreline infrastructure;
                            (iv) the volume and value of cargo shipped 
                        by sea or across the Great Lakes; and
                            (v) data collected from the Great Lakes, 
                        oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts, including 
                        such data collected by businesses that purchase 
                        and commodify the data, including weather 
                        prediction and seasonal agricultural 
                        forecasting; and
                    (B) to the extent possible, the qualified value and 
                impact of the natural capital of the Great Lakes, 
                oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts with respect to 
                tourism, recreation, natural resources, and cultural 
                heritage, including other indirect values.

SEC. 16. ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY-OCEANS.

    (a) Agreement.--Not later than 45 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall seek to enter into an 
agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct the 
comprehensive assessment under subsection (b).
    (b) Comprehensive Assessment.--
            (1) In general.--Under an agreement between the 
        Administrator and the National Academy of Sciences under this 
        section, the National Academy of Sciences shall conduct a 
        comprehensive assessment of the need for and feasibility of 
        establishing an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Oceans (ARPA-
        O).
            (2) Elements.--The comprehensive assessment carried out 
        pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include--
                    (A) an assessment of how an ARPA-O could help 
                overcome the long-term and high-risk technological 
                barriers in the development of ocean technologies, with 
                the goal of enhancing the economic, ecological, and 
                national security of the United States through the 
                rapid development of technologies that result in--
                            (i) improved data collection, monitoring, 
                        and prediction of the ocean environment, 
                        including sea ice conditions;
                            (ii) overcoming barriers to the application 
                        of new and improved technologies, such as high 
                        costs and scale of operational missions;
                            (iii) improved management practices for 
                        protecting ecological sustainability;
                            (iv) improved national security capacity;
                            (v) improved technology for fishery 
                        population assessments;
                            (vi) expedited processes between and among 
                        Federal agencies to successfully identify, 
                        transition, and coordinate research and 
                        development output to operations, applications, 
                        commercialization, and other uses; and
                            (vii) ensuring that the United States 
                        maintains a technological lead in developing 
                        and deploying advanced ocean technologies;
                    (B) an evaluation of the organizational structures 
                under which an ARPA-O could be organized, which takes 
                into account--
                            (i) best practices for new research 
                        programs;
                            (ii) metrics and approaches for periodic 
                        program evaluation;
                            (iii) capacity to fund and manage external 
                        research awards; and
                            (iv) options for oversight of the activity 
                        through a Federal agency, an interagency 
                        organization, nongovernmental organization, or 
                        other institutional arrangement; and
                    (C) an estimation of the scale of investment 
                necessary to pursue high priority ocean technology 
                projects.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a 
report on the comprehensive assessment conducted under subsection (b).
                                 <all>