National Ocean Exploration Act

Bill: 117-s-381
Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
Introduced: 2021-02-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Advisory bodies
Congressional oversight
Employment and training programs
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental education
Executive Office of the President
Executive agency funding and structure
Geography and mapping
Government information and archives
Hydrology and hydrography
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Performance measurement
Research administration and funding
Science and engineering education
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2021-02-23
text: 

National Ocean Exploration Act

 
This bill provides statutory authority for the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council and revises several programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that support ocean and coastal mapping, hydrographic surveys, and spatial data collection.
 
The bill revises the national ocean exploration program to require NOAA to provide guidance to federal and state agencies, and others, on data standards, protocols for accepting data, and coordination of data collection, compilation, processing, archiving, and dissemination for data relating to ocean exploration and characterization. It also directs NOAA to conduct education and outreach efforts to disseminate information to the public on the discoveries made by the ocean exploration program and coordinate with the outreach strategies of other domestic or international ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization initiatives.
 
Additionally, the bill repeals the undersea research program of NOAA. It also modifies NOAA's ocean and coastal mapping program to include ecosystem approaches in decision-making for natural resource and habitat restoration, emergency response, and coastal resilience and adaptation.
 
NOAA must develop an integrated ocean and coastal mapping federal funding match opportunity to increase the coordinated acquisition, processing, stewardship, and archival of new ocean and coastal mapping data in U.S. waters.
 
The bill also revises and reauthorizes through FY2030 the hydrographic services program of NOAA.

action_date: 2021-12-16
text: 

National Ocean Exploration Act

 
This bill provides statutory authority for the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council and revises several programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that support ocean and coastal mapping, hydrographic surveys, and spatial data collection.
 
The bill revises the national ocean exploration program to require NOAA to provide guidance to federal and state agencies, and others, on data standards, protocols for accepting data, and coordination of data collection, compilation, processing, archiving, and dissemination for data relating to ocean exploration and characterization. It also directs NOAA to conduct education and outreach efforts to disseminate information to the public on the discoveries made by the ocean exploration program and coordinate with the outreach strategies of other domestic or international ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization initiatives.
 
Additionally, the bill repeals the undersea research program of NOAA. It also modifies NOAA's ocean and coastal mapping program to include ecosystem approaches in decision-making for natural resource and habitat restoration, emergency response, and coastal resilience and adaptation.
 
NOAA must develop an integrated ocean and coastal mapping federal funding match opportunity to increase the coordinated acquisition, processing, stewardship, and archival of new ocean and coastal mapping data in U.S. waters.
 
The bill also revises and reauthorizes through FY2026 the hydrographic services program of NOAA.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2022-02-15
text: By Senator Cantwell from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 117-76.
action_date: 2022-02-15
text: By Senator Cantwell from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 117-76.
action_date: 2021-12-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 195.
action_date: 2021-12-16
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cantwell with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2021-12-16
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cantwell with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2021-04-28
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2021-02-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2021-02-23
text: Introduced in Senate