Sec. 113. Improvement of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program
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Sections 8931, 8932, and 8933 of title 10, United States Code, are amended to read as follows: The Secretary of the Navy shall establish a program to be known as the National Oceanographic Partnership Program . The purposes of the program are as follows: To promote the national goals of assuring national security, advancing economic development, protecting quality of life, and strengthening science education and communication through improved knowledge of the ocean. To coordinate and strengthen oceanographic efforts in support of those goals by— creating and carrying out partnerships among Federal agencies, academia, industry, and other members of the oceanographic community in the areas of science, data, resources, education, and communication; and accepting, planning, and executing oceanographic research projects funded by grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other vehicles as appropriate, that contribute to assuring national security, advancing economic development, protecting quality of life, and strengthening science education and communication through improved knowledge of the ocean.
There is established an Ocean Policy Committee (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the Committee ). The Committee shall continue the activities of that committee as it was in existence on the day before the date of enactment of this Act. In discharging its responsibilities and to assist in the execution of the activities delineated in this subsection, the Committee may delegate to a subcommittee, as appropriate. The Committee shall: Prescribe policies and procedures to implement the National Oceanographic Partnership Program.
Engage and collaborate, pursuant to existing laws and regulations, with stakeholders, including regional ocean partnerships, to address ocean-related matters that may require interagency or intergovernmental solutions. 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. Review, select, and identify partnership projects for implementation under the program, based on the following criteria:
Whether the project addresses important research objectives or operational goals. Whether the project has, or is designed to have, appropriate participation within the oceanographic community of public, academic, commercial, private participation or support. Whether the partners have a long-term commitment to the objectives of the project. Whether the resources supporting the project are shared among the partners. Whether the project has been subjected to adequate review. Not later than March 1 of each year, the Committee shall post a report on a publicly available website and brief the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives on the National Oceanographic Partnership Program.
The report and brief shall discuss the following: A description of activities of the program carried out during the prior fiscal year. A general outline of the activities planned for the program during the current fiscal year. A summary of projects, including Federal and non-Federal partnerships and collaborations, continued from the prior fiscal year and projects expected to begin during the current and subsequent fiscal years. The amounts requested in the budget submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105(a) of title 31 for the subsequent fiscal year, for the programs, projects, activities and the estimated expenditures under such programs, projects, and activities, to execute the National Oceanographic Partnership Program.
Activities undertaken with moneys deposited in the fund described in subsection (d). There is established in the Treasury a separate account to be known as the National Oceanographic Partnership Program Fund to be jointly managed by the Secretary of the Navy and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Amounts in the Fund shall be available to the National Oceanographic Partnership Program without further appropriation to remain available until expended for the purpose of carrying out this section.
There is authorized to be credited to the Fund the following: Such amounts as determined appropriate to be transferred to the Fund by the head of a Federal agency or entity participating in the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. Funds provided by a State, local government, tribal government, territory, or possession, or any subdivisions thereof. Funds contributed by a nonprofit organization, individual, or Congressionally-established foundation by private grant, contract, or donation.
For the purpose of carrying out this section, as directed by the Committee, departments or agencies represented on the Committee may enter into contracts, make grants, including transactions authorized by paragraph (4), and may transfer funds available to the National Oceanographic Partnership Program under paragraph
(2)to participating departments and agencies for such purposes. The Committee or any participating Federal agency or entity may enter into an agreement to use, with or without reimbursement, the land, services, equipment, personnel, and facilities of any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States, or of any State, local government, Indian tribal government, Territory, District of Columbia, or possession, or of any political subdivision thereof, or of any foreign government or international organization or individual, for the purpose of carrying out this section. A partnership project under the National Oceanographic Partnership Program may be established by any instrument that the Committee considers appropriate. Projects under the program may include demonstration projects. The Secretary of the Navy and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall jointly establish a partnership program office for the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. Competitive procedures will be used to select an operator for the partnership program office. The Committee will monitor the performance of the duties of the partnership program office, which shall consist of the following: To support working groups established by the Committee or subcommittee and report working group activities to the Committee, including working group proposals for partnership projects. To support the process for proposing partnership projects to the Committee, including, where appropriate, managing review of such projects. To complete and make publicly available the annual report described in subsection
(c)on the status of all partnership projects and activities of the office. To perform any additional duties for the administration of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program that the Committee considers appropriate. The Committee shall establish an Ocean Research Advisory Panel consisting of not less than ten and not more than 18 members appointed by the Co-chairs, including the following: One member who will represent the National Academy of Sciences. One member who will represent the National Academy of Engineering. One member who will represent the Institute of Medicine. Members selected from among individuals who will represent the views of ocean industries, State or local governments, academia, and such other views as the Co-chairs consider appropriate. Members selected from among individuals eminent in the fields of marine science or marine policy, or related fields. The Committee shall assign the following responsibilities to the Advisory Panel: To advise the Committee on policies and procedures to implement the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. To advise the Committee on matters relating to national oceanographic science, engineering, facilities, or resource requirements. Any additional responsibilities that the Committee considers appropriate. The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall provide such funding and administrative and technical support as the Ocean Research Advisory Panel may require. In order to carry out the establishment and support of the Ocean Research Advisory Panel, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the first year will receive $250,000. Thereafter in following years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall receive $200,000 to carry out the functions and responsibilities related to the administration and support of the Ocean Research Advisory Panel. .