Detailed Instructions: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Problem:SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Ocean and Coastal Observation System
Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Coastal and ocean observations provide vital
information for protecting human lives and property from marine
hazards, enhancing national and homeland security, predicting
weather and global climate change, improving ocean health, and
providing for the protection, sustainable use, and enjoyment of
the resources of the Nation's coasts, oceans, and Great Lakes.
(2) The continuing and potentially devastating threat posed
by tsunamis, hurricanes, storm surges, and other marine hazards
requires immediate implementation of strengthened observation
and communications systems to provide timely detection,
assessment, and warnings to the millions of people living in
coastal regions of the United States and throughout the world.
(3) The 95,000-mile coastline of the United States,
including the Great Lakes, is vital to the Nation's prosperity,
contributing over $117,000,000,000 to the national economy in
2000, supporting jobs for more than 200,000,000 Americans,
handling $700,000,000,000 in waterborne commerce, and
supporting commercial and sport fisheries valued at more than
$50,000,000,000 annually.
(4) Safeguarding homeland security, conducting search and
rescue operations, responding to natural and manmade coastal
hazards (such as oil spills and harmful algal blooms), and
managing fisheries and other coastal activities each require
improved monitoring of the Nation's waters and coastline,
including the ability to track vessels and to provide rapid
response teams with real-time environmental conditions
necessary for their work.
(5) While knowledge of the coastal and ocean environment
and processes is far from complete, advances in sensing
technologies and scientific understanding have made possible
long-term and continuous observation from shore, space, and in
situ of coastal and ocean characteristics and conditions.
(6) Many elements of a coastal and ocean observing system
are in place, but require national investment, consolidation,
completion, and integration at Federal, regional, State, and
local levels.
(7) The Commission on Ocean Policy recommends a national
commitment to a sustained and integrated coastal and ocean
observing system and to coordinated research programs in order
to assist the Nation and the world in understanding the oceans
and the global climate system, enhancing homeland security,
improving weather and climate forecasts, strengthening
management of coastal and ocean resources, improving the safety
and efficiency of maritime operations, and mitigating marine
hazards.
(8) In 2003, the United States led more than 50 nations in
affirming the vital importance of timely, quality, long-term
global observations as a basis for sound decisionmaking,
recognizing the contribution of observation systems to meet
national, regional, and global needs, and calling for
strengthened cooperation and coordination in establishing a
Global Earth Observation System of Systems, of which an
integrated coastal and ocean observing system is an essential
part.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to provide for--
(1) the development and maintenance of an integrated
coastal and ocean observing system that provides data and
information to ensure national security and public safety,
support economic development, sustain and restore healthy
marine ecosystems and the resources they support, enable
advances in scientific understanding of the oceans, and
strengthen science education and communication;
(2) implementation of research and development and
education programs to improve understanding of the oceans and
Great Lakes and to achieve the full national benefits of an
integrated coastal and ocean observing system;
(3) implementation of a data and information management
system required by all components of an integrated coastal and
ocean observing system and related research to develop early
warning systems; and
(4) establishment of a system of regional coastal and ocean
observing systems to address local needs for ocean information.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) Committee.--The term ''Committee'' means the Committee
on Ocean Policy established under Executive Order 13366 (69
Fed. Reg. 76591).
(2) Council.--The term ''Council'' means the National Ocean
Research Leadership Council established under section 7902(a)
of title 10, United States Code.
(3) Observing system.--The term ''observing system'' means
the integrated coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes observing system
to be established by the Committee under section 4(a).
(4) National oceanographic partnership program.--The term
''National Oceanographic Partnership Program'' means the
program established under section 7901 of title 10, United
States Code.
(5) Interagency program office.--The term ''interagency
program office'' means the office established under section
4(d).

SEC. 4. INTEGRATED COASTAL AND OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEM.

(a) Establishment.--The Committee, acting through the Council,
shall establish and maintain an integrated system of coastal and ocean
observations, data communication and management, analysis, modeling,
research, and education designed to provide data and information for
the timely detection and prediction of changes occurring in the coastal
and ocean environment that impact the Nation's social, economic, and
ecological systems. The observing system shall provide for long-term,
continuous, and quality-controlled observations of the Nation's coasts,
oceans, and Great Lakes for the following purposes:
(1) Improving the health of the Nation's coasts, oceans,
and Great Lakes.
(2) Protecting human lives and livelihoods from hazards
such as tsunamis, hurricanes, coastal erosion, and fluctuating
Great Lakes water levels.
(3) Supporting national defense and homeland security
efforts.
(4) Understanding the effects of human activities and
natural variability on the state of the coasts and oceans and
the Nation's socioeconomic well-being.
(5) Measuring, explaining, and predicting environmental
changes.
(6) Providing for the sustainable use, protection, and
enjoyment of coastal and ocean resources.
(7) Providing a scientific basis for implementation and
refinement of ecosystem-based management.
(8) Educating the public about the role and importance of
the oceans and Great Lakes in daily life.
(9) Tracking and understanding climate change and the
ocean's and Great Lake's roles in it.
(10) Supplying critical information to marine-related
businesses such as marine transportation, aquaculture,
fisheries, and offshore energy production.
(11) Supporting research and development to ensure
continuous improvement to coastal and ocean observation
measurements and to enhance understanding of the Nation's
coastal and ocean resources.
(b) System Elements.--In order to fulfill the purposes of this Act,
the observing system shall consist of the following program elements:
(1) A national program to fulfill national observation
priorities, including the Nation's ocean contribution to the
Global Earth Observation System of Systems and the Global Ocean
Observing System.
(2) A network of regional associations to manage the
regional coastal and ocean observing and information programs
that collect, measure, and disseminate data and information
products to meet regional needs.
(3) A data management and communication system for the
timely integration and dissemination of data and information
products from the national and regional systems.
(4) A research and development program conducted under the
guidance of the Council.
(5) An outreach, education, and training program that
augments existing programs (such as the National Sea Grant
College Program and the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education
Excellence program) to ensure the use of data and information
for improving public education and awareness of the Nation's
oceans and building the technical expertise required to operate
and improve the observing system.
(c) Council Functions.--In carrying out responsibilities under this
section, the Council shall--
(1) serve as the oversight body for the design and
implementation of all aspects of the observing system;
(2) adopt plans, budgets, and standards that are developed
and maintained by the interagency program office in
consultation with the regional associations;
(3) coordinate the observing system with other earth
observing activities, including the Global Ocean Observing
System and the Global Earth Observing System of Systems;
(4) coordinate and administer programs of research and
development and education to support improvements to and the
operation of an integrated ocean and coastal observing system
and to advance the understanding of the oceans;
(5) establish pilot projects to develop technology and
methods for advancing the development of the observing system;
(6) support the development of institutional mechanisms to
further the goals of the program and provide for the
capitalization of the required infrastructure;
(7) provide, as appropriate, support for and representation
on United States delegations to international meetings on
coastal and ocean observing programs, including those under the
jurisdiction of the International Joint Commission involving
Canadian waters; and
(8) in consultation with the Secretary of State, coordinate
relevant Federal activities with those of other nations.
(d) Interagency Program Office.--
(1) Establishment.--The Council shall establish an
interagency program office to be known as ''Oceanus''.
(2) Responsibilities.--The interagency program office shall
be responsible for program planning and coordination of the
observing system.
(3) Duties.--The interagency program office shall--
(A) prepare annual and long-term plans for
consideration by the Council for the design and
implementation of the observing system that promote
collaboration among Federal agencies and regional
associations in developing global and national
observing systems, including identification and
refinement of a core set of variables to be measured by
all systems;
(B) coordinate the development of agency priorities
and budgets for implementation of the observing system,
including budgets for the regional associations;
(C) establish and refine standards and protocols
for data management and communications, including
quality standards, in consultation with participating
Federal agencies and regional associations;
(D) develop a process for the certification of the
regional associations and their periodic review and
recertification; and
(E) establish an external technical committee to
provide biennial review of the observing system.
(e) Lead Federal Agency.--The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration shall be the lead Federal agency for implementation and
operation of the observing system. Based on the plans prepared by the
interagency program office and adopted by the Council, the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
shall--
(1) coordinate implementation, operation, and improvement
of the observing system;
(2) establish efficient and effective administrative
procedures for allocation of funds among Federal agencies and
regional associations in a timely manner and according to the
budget adopted by the Council;
(3) implement and maintain appropriate elements of the
observing system;
(4) provide for the migration of scientific and
technological advances from research and development to
operational deployment;
(5) integrate and extend existing programs and pilot
projects into the operational observation system; and
(6) certify regional associations that meet the
requirements of subsection (f).
(f) Regional Associations of Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems.--
Regional associations shall be responsible for the development and
operation of regional coastal and ocean observing systems to meet the
information needs of user groups in the region while adhering to
national standards. A regional association shall--
(1) demonstrate an organizational structure capable of
supporting and integrating all aspects of coastal and ocean
observing and information programs within a region;
(2) operate under a strategic operations and business plan
that details the operation and support of regional coastal and
ocean observing systems pursuant to the standards established
by the Council;
(3) provide information products for multiple users in the
region;
(4) work with governmental entities and programs at all
levels within the region to provide timely warnings and
outreach and education to protect the public; and
(5) be certified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration according to certification standards developed
by the interagency program office in conjunction with the
regional associations and approved by the Council.
(g) Civil Liability.--For purposes of section 1346(b)(1) and
chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, the Act of March 9, 1920
(46 U.S.C. App. 741 et seq., popularly known as the ''Suits in
Admiralty Act''), and the Act of March 3, 1925 (46 U.S.C. App. 781 et
seq., popularly known as the ''Public Vessels Act''), any regional
coastal and ocean observing system that is a designated part of a
certified regional association under this section shall, in carrying
out the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be part of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and any employee of such
system, while acting within the scope of his or her employment in
carrying out such purposes, shall be deemed to be an employee of the
Government.

SEC. 5. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION.

The Council shall establish programs for research and development
and education for the coastal and ocean observing system, including
projects under the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, and
consisting of the following:
(1) Basic research to advance knowledge of coastal and
ocean systems and ensure continued improvement of operational
products, including related infrastructure and observing
technology.
(2) Focused research projects to improve understanding of
the relationship between the coasts and oceans and human
activities.
(3) Large scale computing resources and research to advance
modeling of ocean and coastal processes.
(4) A coordinated effort to build public education and
awareness of the coastal and ocean environment and functions
that integrates ongoing activities (such as the National Sea
Grant College Program and the Centers for Ocean Sciences
Education Excellence program).

SEC. 6. INTERAGENCY FINANCING.

The departments and agencies represented on the Council are
authorized to participate in interagency financing and to share,
transfer, receive, obligate, and expend funds appropriated to any
member of the Council for the purposes of carrying out any
administrative or programmatic project or activity under this Act or
under the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, including support
for the interagency program office, a common infrastructure, and system
integration for a coastal and ocean observing system. Funds may be
transferred among such departments and agencies through an appropriate
instrument that specifies the goods, services, or space being acquired
from another Council member and the costs of the same.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of
Commerce for the implementation of an integrated coastal and ocean
observing system under section 4, and the research and development
program under section 5, including financial assistance to the
interagency program office, the regional associations for the
implementation of regional coastal and ocean observing systems, and the
departments and agencies represented on the Council, such sums as may
be necessary for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010. At least 50
percent of the sums appropriated for the implementation of the
integrated coastal and ocean observing system under section 4 shall be
allocated to the regional associations for the implementation of the
regional coastal and ocean observing systems. Sums appropriated
pursuant to this section shall remain available until expended.

SEC. 8. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

Not later than March 31, 2010, the President, acting through the
Council, shall transmit to Congress a report on the programs
established under sections 4 and 5. The report shall include a
description of activities carried out under the programs, an evaluation
of the effectiveness of the programs, and recommendations concerning
reauthorization of the programs and funding levels for the programs in
succeeding fiscal years.
Solution:
Ocean and Coastal Observation System Act of 2005 - Directs the Committee on Ocean Policy, acting through the National Ocean Research Leadership Council, to establish and maintain an integrated system of coastal and ocean observations, data communication and management, analysis, modeling, research, and education designed to provide data and information for the timely detection and prediction of changes occurring in the coastal and ocean environment that impact the Nation's social, economic, and ecological systems.

Requires the Council to establish an interagency program office (Oceanus) responsible for program planning and coordination of the system. Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to be the lead Federal agency for system implementation and operation.

Makes regional associations responsible for the development and operation of regional coastal and ocean observing systems to meet the information needs of user groups in the region while adhering to national standards. Deems certified regional systems to be part of NOAA when carrying out this Act, and employees of such systems acting within the scope of their employment to be Federal Government employees, for purposes of civil liability under specified laws.

Directs the Council to establish programs for research, development, and education for the system.

Authorizes departments and agencies represented on the Council to participate in interagency financing and to share funds appropriated to any Council member.