Arctic Research, Monitoring, and Observing Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1344
Sponsor: Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK]
Introduced: 2013-07-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Alaska
Arctic Ocean
Arctic and polar regions
Ecology
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Pacific Ocean
Research administration and funding
Research ethics

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-23
text: 
Arctic Research, Monitoring, and Observing Act of 2013 - Amends the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 to direct the Arctic Research Commission to award merit-based grants to federal, state, local, or tribal governments and academic and private organizations to conduct research on or related to the Arctic in accordance with the national Arctic research program plan.
 
Authorizes the Commission to enter into agreements with appropriate agencies or organizations to administer grants made pursuant to this Act for Arctic research, including reimbursement from funds of the Commission to administer such grants. 
 
Instructs the Commission to adopt conflict of interest and recusal requirements that apply to decisions of the Commission and to all Commission members as if each member is an affected individual within the meaning of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Requires disclosure of any financial interest in or relationship to a party that is applying for funding from the Commission held by the Commission member. 
 
Amends the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998, with respect to the North Pacific Research Board, to: (1) authorize the Board to adopt rules of procedure and establish committees as necessary to carry out the purposes of the Environmental Improvement and Restoration Fund, (2) require all of the Board's decisions to be made by majority vote of the full board in regular session, (3) direct the Board to adopt the same conflict of interest requirements as those for the Commission, and (4) allow the Secretary of Commerce to accept funds from a source other than the federal government for use by the Board to carry out its functions.

action_date: 2013-11-06
text: 
Arctic Research, Monitoring, and Observing Act of 2013 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 to direct the Arctic Research Commission to establish (under current law, assist in establishing) a national Arctic research program plan to implement the Arctic research policy.
 
 Directs the Commission to award merit-based grants to federal, state, local, or tribal governments and academic and private organizations to conduct research on or related to the Arctic in accordance with the national Arctic research program plan. 
 
Authorizes the Commission to enter into agreements with appropriate agencies or organizations to administer grants made pursuant to this Act for Arctic research, including reimbursement from funds of the Commission to administer such grants. 
 
Instructs the Commission to adopt conflict of interest and recusal requirements which shall apply to decisions of the Commission and to all Commission members which at a minimum are substantially equivalent to those requirements set forth in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act as if each member is an affected individual within the meaning of such Act. Requires disclosure of any financial interest in or relationship to a party that is applying for funding from the Commission held by the Commission member. 
 
(Sec. 3) Amends the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998, with respect to the North Pacific Research Board, to: (1) authorize the Board to adopt rules of procedure and establish committees as necessary to carry out the purposes of the Environmental Improvement and Restoration Fund, (2) require all of the Board's decisions to be made by majority vote of the full board in regular session, (3) direct the Board to adopt the same conflict of interest requirements as those for the Commission, and (4) allow the Secretary of Commerce to accept funds from a source other than the federal government for use by the Board to carry out its functions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-11-06
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 237.
action_date: 2013-11-06
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-117.
action_date: 2013-11-06
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-117.
action_date: 2013-07-30
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2013-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2013-07-23
text: Introduced in Senate