[DOCID: f:sr039.110]
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110th Congress
1st Session SENATE Report
110-39
_______________________________________________________________________
Calendar No. 90
OCEAN AND COASTAL EXPLORATION AND NOAA ACT
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
on
S. 39
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
<greek-l>DATE deg.March 27, 2007.--Ordered to be printed
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
one hundred tenth congress
first session
DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Chairman
TED STEVENS, Alaska, Vice-Chairman
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West JOHN McCAIN, Arizona
Virginia TRENT LOTT, Mississippi
JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas
BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine
BARBARA BOXER, California GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon
BILL NELSON, Florida JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire
FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey JIM DeMINT, South Carolina
MARK PRYOR, Arkansas DAVID VITTER, Louisiana
THOMAS CARPER, Delaware JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
Margaret Cummisky, Staff Director and Chief Counsel
Lila Helms, Deputy Staff Director and Policy Director
Margaret Spring, General Counsel
Christine Kurth, Republican Staff Director and Chief Counsel
Kenneth Nahigian, Republican Deputy Staff Director
Calendar No. 90
110th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 110-39
======================================================================
OCEAN AND COASTAL EXPLORATION AND NOAA ACT
_______
March 27, 2007.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Inouye, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 39]
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to
which was referred the bill <greek-l>joint resolution deg. (S.
39) <greek-l>TITLE deg. to establish a coordinated national
ocean exploration program within the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, reports favorably thereon <greek-l>without
amendment deg. <greek-l>with amendments deg. with an amendment
(in the nature of a substitute) and recommends that the bill
<greek-l>joint resolution deg. (as amended) do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purposes of S. 39, the Ocean and Coastal Exploration and
NOAA Act, are to establish a national ocean exploration
program, an undersea research program, and a coordinated and
comprehensive coastal mapping program within NOAA, and to
authorize appropriations for the programs. The main purpose of
the programs would be to expand our Nation's understanding of
our marine environment through the advancement of coastal and
ocean sciences.
BACKGROUND AND NEEDS
Ocean Exploration and Undersea Research
Ocean exploration and research encompasses charting ocean
depth and bathymetry and identifying and studying marine
organisms. Although ocean exploration has occurred since the
1800s, and advances in deep-sea technologies have made it
easier to identify structures at greater ocean depths, only
approximately 5 percent of the ocean floor has been explored to
date and scientific understanding of undersea environments
remains cursory. Current ocean exploration excursions continue
to probe uncharted territory and locate and identify new
species and resources, ranging from hydrothermal vents and deep
sea corals to shipwrecks and other cultural artifacts. The
potential for identifying new and beneficial scientific
information and resources in the oceans is significant, but it
remains largely untapped. Progress has generally been limited
due to the narrow focus and limited financial and other support
for ocean exploration in the Federal government. NOAA operates
the two primary Federal civilian ocean exploration and research
programs.
The National Undersea Research Program (NURP) is a program
that has been operated by NOAA for the past 25 years. This
program develops and provides technologies that enable
scientists to venture underwater, either directly with
submersibles and SCUBA, or virtually, using robots and
observatories. These capabilities allow the scientific
community to gather observations and data from areas in our
oceans and Great Lakes that we have not been able to explore
before, which helps improve our fundamental understanding of
marine and Great Lakes ecosystems. The program consists of a
program office, six regional undersea research centers, as well
as a science and technology institute.
A broader program of exploration was established more
recently. In June 2000, President Clinton charged the Secretary
of Commerce with recommending a national strategy for launching
a new era of ocean exploration. To develop this strategy, the
Secretary, through NOAA, established the President's Panel on
Ocean Exploration, which consisted of leading ocean explorers,
scientists, and educators. This panel recommended a
multidisciplinary, integrated national ocean exploration office
with an annual budget of $75 million. In response, NOAA
established the Office of Ocean Exploration.
For decades, the ocean science, research, and education
communities have called for strengthening Federal ocean
exploration and undersea research programs and priorities in
order to fill critical scientific knowledge gaps, develop
potential economic resources, and inspire greater ocean
literacy in the general public.
A 2003 National Research Council (NRC) report and the
September, 2004 report to Congress by the United States
Commission on Ocean Policy (the Ocean Commission), reiterated
these needs. The Commissioners noted that investment in ocean
technology and infrastructure, such as modern ships, undersea
vehicles, remote sensing satellites, laboratories, and other
advanced tools for exploring and understanding the oceans would
help facilitate ocean science and improve management of ocean
resources. The Commissioners emphasized the importance of three
main components of ocean technology and infrastructure in which
the United States should increase its investment: land-based
facilities, research hardware and equipment, and human
technical support. The Ocean Commission report highlighted the
need for a strong, comprehensive ocean exploration program,
citing the persistent call for a national program from various
commissions since the 1970s.
The Ocean Commission considered the Federal government's
efforts on ocean exploration to be inadequately funded and not
comprehensive enough in scope. Under Recommendation 25-4, the
Ocean Commission called for ``significant funding'' for ``an
expanded national ocean exploration program,'' with NOAA and
the National Science Foundation (NSF) serving as the lead
agencies, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and
the United States Navy's Office of Naval Research serving
supporting roles. The Commissioner also recommended making
outreach and education an integral component of the program.
The report recommended an additional $30 million in the first
year of implementation, rising to $110 million for annual
ongoing costs, including infrastructure for ocean exploration,
such as ships and submersibles.
Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration
The jurisdiction of the United States extends 200 miles
beyond its coastline and includes the United States Territorial
Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In the 1980s, the United
States undertook an effort to map the newly-recognized EEZ and
tasked NOAA and USGS with developing a 10-year exploration
plan. Although reconnaissance surveys of much of the EEZ were
completed through 1990, more detailed mapping and assessments
were not pursued because of budgetary constraints. In fact,
nearly ninety percent of this area remains unmapped by modern
technologies.
Improved mapping technology is necessary for a number of
reasons. The United States marine transportation system is
expected to grow exponentially over the next 20 years and
current growth is already creating a backlog of priority
surveys. According to NOAA's Office of Coast Survey,
approximately 35,000 square nautical miles of navigationally
significant United States waters have been designated as
critical areas requiring updated information on depth and
obstructions. Improved mapping of these waters will help to
minimize maritime accidents, as well as help support the
national security missions of the United States Navy and United
States Coast Guard. Mapping of the outer-continental shelf also
is needed. Improved data and maps of the resources available on
the outer-continental shelf could support the United States in
asserting jurisdictional claims to this submarine area upon its
accession to the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea.
At least 10 Federal agencies (including NOAA, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Minerals Management
Service, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the United
States Coast Guard, the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service, the NSF, the United States Navy, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and USGS), in addition to coastal State and
local agencies, academic institutions, and private companies
share the expensive and time-consuming responsibility of
mapping, charting, and assessing living and non-living
resources in United States waters. This creates a significant
amount of overlap where different parties perform repeated
surveys of the same area for different purposes. It also
prevents the integration of these surveys since they differ
from each other in terms of scale, resolution, projection, and
reference frames. To complicate matters further, the coastal
zone has the unique issue of the land-sea interface, or
shoreline position, which requires seamless joining of onshore
topographic maps with offshore bathymetric maps.
The Ocean Commission recommended that many of the existing
Federal mapping activities be consolidated and coordinated to
increase efficiency and help ensure that all necessary surveys
are conducted. The Commission recommended that NOAA, which
already has the responsibility of collecting hydrographic and
bathymetric data and creating navigational charts for safe and
efficient maritime commerce, be the lead agency in United
States ocean and coastal mapping and charting efforts. In
addition, the NRC released a study in 2004 entitled ``A
Geospatial Framework for the Coastal Zone,'' which details the
national need for coastal mapping and charting. The report was
requested by NOAA, the USGS, and the EPA. The NRC identified
the same problems with the Nation's ocean and coastal mapping
efforts, as did the Ocean Commission, and the NRC stated that
coordination and communication among Federal agencies and
integration of mapping efforts is needed.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS
As reported from the Committee, the Ocean and Coastal
Exploration and NOAA Act (S. 39) contains three titles. Title
I, the NOAA Ocean Exploration Program Act, would address the
need for an enhanced and expanded national ocean exploration
program by authorizing a national program within NOAA to
conduct inter-disciplinary ocean exploration voyages in
partnership with other Federal agencies or academic
institutions; give priority attention to deep ocean regions;
and promote the development of improved oceanographic research,
communication, navigation, and data collection systems. It
would establish an exploration technology and infrastructure
task force among Federal agencies and non-governmental entities
to facilitate technology sharing and infrastructure
development. It also would authorize interagency financing and
increased appropriations of $30.5 million for Fiscal Year (FY)
2008, increasing to $71.9 million for FY 2017.
Title II of the bill, the NOAA Undersea Research Program Act
of 2007, would authorize a coordinated national undersea
research program at NOAA. The legislation would support two
aspects of the current NOAA NURP: (1) harnessing the Nation's
extramural, academic expertise to provide solutions to NOAA's
undersea challenges, and (2) conducting an open, competitive
process for the allocation of advanced underwater technologies,
which NOAA specializes in developing, modifying and operating.
The goals of this program would be to increase scientific
knowledge essential for the management, use, and preservation
of marine resources through research, exploration, education,
and technology development and to support the undersea science
needs of academia. NOAA would lead this program, working with a
network of research centers and a national institute. The
program would focus on core research and exploration based on
national priorities, development of advanced undersea
technology to support NOAA missions, science-based education
and outreach, and development of natural products from undersea
systems. The bill would authorize $12.5 million for regional
NURP centers in FY 2008, increasing to $29.5 million for FY
2017, with 50 percent going to the West Coast regional centers
and 50 percent going to the East Coast regional centers. The
Committee intends for the authorization to be used to sustain
all six regional centers. The bill also authorizes $5 million
for the National Technology Institute in FY 2008 increasing to
$11.8 million in FY 2017.
Title III of the bill, the Ocean and Coastal Mapping
Integration Act, would direct NOAA to coordinate a
comprehensive Federal ocean and coastal mapping program that
enhances conservation and management of ocean and coastal
resources. Through this program, NOAA would conduct the
following activities: identify and coordinate Federal
shoreline, ocean, and coastal mapping activities, build
expertise in mapping technologies, set standards and protocols
for testing and transferring new technologies to the private
sector, and archive and distribute data and specific data
products for the benefit of multiple users. Ocean and coastal
mapping activities covered under the bill would include the
suite of existing Federal activities: mapping, data processing,
data management, and archiving. Mapping activities are intended
to include the areas and resources of the outer continental
shelf and inshore areas, extending from coastal State waters to
the territorial sea and the EEZ, as well as to areas of the
outer continental shelf beyond the EEZ.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
On January 4, 2007, Senator Stevens introduced S. 39, the
Ocean and Coastal Exploration and NOAA Act, a bill to establish
a coordinated ocean exploration program within NOAA and for
other purposes. The bill, cosponsored by Senators Inouye and
Snowe, was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation. It contained the text of S. 39, as
passed the Senate in the 109th Congress.
On February 13, 2007, the Committee considered this bill,
along with a substitute amendment offered by Senator Stevens,
which added Title III, the Ocean and Coastal Mapping
Integration Act, to the bill. The text of Title III is the same
legislation contained in S. 364, reported by the Committee in
the 109th Congress. The substitute also included an amendment
offered by Senator Hutchison, which provided that NURP would
study ocean and coastal resources. At the Executive Session,
the Commerce Committee approved the Stevens substitute and
Hutchison amendment by voice vote and ordered S. 39 to be
reported favorably as amended.
ESTIMATED COSTS<greek-l>
In compliance with subsection (a)(3) of paragraph 11 of rule
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee states
that, in its opinion, it is necessary to dispense with the
requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of that subsection in
order to expedite the business of the Senate. deg.
In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the
following cost estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, March 23, 2007.
Hon. Daniel K. Inouye,
Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S.
Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 39, the Ocean and
Costal Exploration and NOAA Act (OCEAN Act).
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Peter R. Orszag.
Enclosure.
S. 39--Ocean and Costal Exploration and NOAA Act (OCEAN Act)
Summary: S. 39 would direct the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish and coordinate
national programs for ocean exploration, undersea research, and
ocean and coastal mapping. In carrying out those programs, NOAA
would be authorized to coordinate scientific voyages with other
federal agencies or institutions and to conduct public
education and outreach programs. The bill also would establish
an interagency committee on ocean and coastal mapping. For
those activities, the bill would authorize appropriations
totaling about $700 million over the 2008-2012 period and
nearly $1.5 billion over the 2008-2017 period.
Assumming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO
estimates that implementing S. 39 would cost about $40 million
in fiscal year 2008 and $540 million over the 2008-2012 period.
We estimate that more than $900 million would be spent after
2012, including nearly $760 million authorized to be
appropriated between 2012 and 2017. Enacting S. 39 would have
no impact on revenues or direct spending.
S. 39 contains on intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments.
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary impact of S. 39 is shown in the following table. The
costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300
(natural resources in environment).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
--------------------------------------------
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Authorization Level \1\............................................ 119 130 140 153 165
Estimated Outlays.................................................. 40 80 130 140 150
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ NOAA's National Ocean Service received appropriations of around $600 million in 2007, including funding for
some activities that are similar to the exploration, research, and mapping programs that would be authorized
by this bill. In addition to the amounts shown in the table, S. 39 also would authorize funding over the 2013-
2017 period. In total, the bill would authorize appropriations of nearly $1.5 billion over the 2008-2017 (10-
year) period.
Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that the
entire amounts authorized by the bill will be appropriated for
each fiscal year. Outlays have been estimated on the basis of
historical spending patterns for NOAA programs.
The authorization levels in the table are as specified in
the bill for fiscal years 2008 through 2012, including:
<bullet> Between $31 million and $45 million a year
for ocean exploration,
<bullet> Between $18 million and $25 million a year
for undersea research and technology programs,
including between $5 million and $7 million annually
for a national technology institute,
<bullet> Between $20 million and $45 million a year
for coastal and ocean mapping, and
<bullet> $10 million a year for each of the five
federal departments or agencies (the Department of
Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of
the Interior, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, and the Environmental Protection
Agency) for participating in an interagency committee
on ocean and coastal mapping.
S. 39 also would authorize appropriations for ocean
exploration and research and technology programs for each of
fiscal years 2012 and 2017. The bill would authorize
appropriations for coastal and ocean mapping, including the
interagency committee, through 2015.
Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 39 contains
no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in
UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments.
Estimated prepared by: Federal costs: Deborah Reis. Impact
on state, local, and tribal governments: Lisa Ramirez-Branum.
Impact on the private sector: Craig Cammarata.
Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT
In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the
following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the
legislation, as reported:
NUMBER OF PERSONS COVERED
The reported bill would establish a national ocean
exploration program and a national undersea research program
within NOAA. The reported bill also would direct NOAA to
coordinate a comprehensive Federal ocean and coastal mapping
program that enhances conservation and management of ocean and
coastal resources. It does not authorize any new regulations
and therefore will not subject any individuals or businesses to
new regulations.
PRIVACY
This legislation would not have any adverse impact on the
personal privacy of the individuals that will be impacted by
this legislation.
PAPERWORK
The reported bill would not increase paperwork requirements
for the private sector. Those non-governmental partners that
are interested in working with the Ocean Technology and
Infrastructure Task Force in section 104 and the Interagency
Committee on Ocean and Coastal Mapping established in section
303 likely would increase their communications, data
management, and technical expertise capacity related to ocean
mapping.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
TITLE I--NATIONAL OCEAN EXPLORATION PROGRAM
Section 101. Short title
Section 101 cites this title as the ``National Ocean
Exploration Program Act.''
Section 102. Establishment
Section 102 would establish a ``coordinated national ocean
exploration program'' within NOAA done in consultation with NSF
and other Federal agencies.
Section 103. Authorities
Section 103 would provide specific authorities for the NOAA
Administrator to carry out the program. These authorities
include conducting inter-disciplinary ocean exploration voyages
in partnership with other Federal agencies or academic
institutions, giving priority attention to deep ocean regions,
and promoting the development of improved oceanographic
research, communication, navigation, and data collection
systems.
Section 104. Exploration Technology and Infrastructure Task Force
Section 104 would require that NOAA, in coordination with
NASA, USGS, the Office of Naval Research, and other relevant
governmental and non-governmental institutions organize an
``Ocean Technology and Infrastructure Task Force.'' This task
force would facilitate the transfer of new exploration
technology to the program, improve the availability of
communications infrastructure to the program, develop an
integrated information processing system, conduct public
outreach activities on ocean sciences, and encourage cost-
sharing partnerships.
Section 105. Interagency financing
Section 105 would authorize NOAA, NSF, and other Federal
agencies involved in the program to perform interagency
financing, share, transfer, receive and spend funds
appropriated to any Federal participant in the program.
Section 106. Authorization of appropriations
Section 106 would authorize to be appropriated to NOAA $30.5
million for FY 2008, increasing to $71.9 million for FY 2017.
TITLE II--UNDERSEA RESEARCH PROGRAM
Section 201. Short title
Section 201 cites this title as the ``NOAA Undersea Research
Program Act of 2007.''
Section 202. Establishment
Section 202 would establish an undersea research program in
NOAA and directs the Administrator of NOAA to designate a
director for the program.
Section 203. Purpose
Section 203 states that the purpose of the program would be
to increase scientific knowledge essential for the management,
use, and preservation of marine resources through research,
exploration, education, and technology development. The program
also would make available the infrastructure and expertise
necessary to service the undersea science needs of the academic
community.
Section 204. Program
Section 204 would require NOAA to conduct the program through
a national headquarters or network of undersea research
centers, and a national technology institute. The program
director would oversee the direction of the program as well as
take advice from the directors of the regional centers on the
west and east coast and the National Technology Institute.
Section 205. Regional centers and technology institute
Section 205 would require undersea research programs to focus
on core research and exploration based on national and regional
priorities and advance undersea technology to support NOAA
missions. It would also require the development of advanced
technology associated with seafloor observatories, remotely
operated vehicles, and new sampling and sensing technologies.
Section 206. Competitiveness
Section 206 would require that external projects supported by
the regional centers be managed using an open and competitive
process evaluating scientific merit, relevance to NOAA,
research goals, and technical feasibility, except for 10
percent of the funds for NOAA rapid response activities.
Section 207. Authorization of appropriations
Section 207 would authorize the following appropriations to
NOAA: for regional centers, $12.5 million in FY 2008 increasing
to $29.5 million for FY 2017, with 50 percent going to the West
Coast Regional Centers and 50 percent going to the East Coast
Regional Centers; for the National Technology Institute, $5
million in FY 2008 increasing to $11.8 million in FY 2017.
TITLE III--INTEGRATED OCEAN AND COASTAL MAPPING PROGRAM
Section 301. Short title
Section 301 cites this title as the ``Ocean and Coastal
Mapping Integration Act.''
Section 302. Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping Program
Subsection (a) would direct the Administrator of NOAA to
develop, in coordination with the Interagency Committee on
Ocean and Coastal Mapping, a coordinated and comprehensive
Federal ocean and coastal mapping program that enhances the
conservation and management of coastal and ocean resources.
Subsection (b) would direct NOAA, working with the
Interagency Committee, to conduct the following activities in
developing the program, including: identify and coordinate
Federal shoreline, ocean, and coastal mapping activities, build
expertise in mapping technologies, set standards and protocols
for testing and transferring new technologies among the Federal
government, academia, and the private sector, and archive and
distribute data and specific data products for the benefit of
multiple users.
Section 303. Interagency Committee on Ocean and Coastal Mapping
Subsection (a) would establish an Interagency Committee on
Ocean and Coastal Mapping.
Subsection (b) would require that the Interagency Committee
be comprised of high-ranking officials from Federal agencies
engaged in coastal or ocean mapping.
Subsection (c) provides that the NOAA representative would
chair the committee.
Subsection (d) would require the Committee to meet on a
quarterly basis, but permit Subcommittee or working group
meetings to meet as often as needed.
Section 304. NOAA Integrated Mapping Initiative
Subsection (a) would require the Administrator of NOAA,
working in consultation with the Interagency Committee on Ocean
and Coastal Mapping, to submit a plan to Congress setting forth
a NOAA Integrated Mapping Initiative. The plan would be due six
months from the date of enactment.
Subsection (b) would require the NOAA plan to include: a
description of all NOAA mapping programs, geographic priorities
and metadata standards for those programs, a section on
existing and emerging technology, resource requirements for the
integrated mapping initiative, the designation of centers or
repositories within NOAA for managing data collection,
processing, archiving, and distribution, and a timetable for
implementation of the plan.
Subsection (c) would authorize NOAA to operate and maintain
up to three joint hydrographic centers, which shall be co-
located with colleges or universities. The centers would serve
as hydrographic centers of excellence and carry out research
and development of new technologies, mapping of the United
States outer continental shelf, certain types of data
processing, testing of new applications for remote sensing
technologies, and graduate education programs in the
hydrographic sciences for NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and
civilian personnel.
Section 305. Interagency program reporting
Section 305 would require the Interagency Committee on Ocean
and Coastal Mapping to submit a report to Congress within 18
months after enactment of the Act. Through this report, the
Committee would: (1) inventory Federal ocean and coastal survey
data within the territorial seas and EEZ, (2) identify priority
areas in need of re-surveying with present technologies, (3)
include a resource plan that identifies when priority areas in
need of modern surveys can be accomplished, (4) describe the
status of efforts to produce integrated digital maps of coastal
and ocean areas, (5) describe products resulting from
coordinated mapping efforts that improve public understanding
of the oceans and coasts, (6) document minimum and desired
standards for data acquisition and metadata, (7) describe the
status of Federal efforts to leverage mapping technologies,
share expertise, coordinate mapping activities, and exchange
data, (8) provide resource and technology requirements for
carrying out the goals of the program, (9) describe efforts to
declassify data gathered by the Department of Defense, and (10)
provide a resource plan for a digital coast integrated mapping
pilot project in the northern Gulf of Mexico that would involve
the leveraging of public and private mapping data and
resources.
Section 306. Authorization of appropriations
Section (a) would authorize, in addition to amounts
authorized under the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of
1998, appropriations to NOAA to carry out the purposes of the
Act. Appropriations would be authorized in increments,
beginning with $20 million in FY 2008 and ending with $45
million for each of FY 2012-2015.
Section (b) would provide that, of the amounts authorized
under subsection (a), the portion to be authorized for the
joint hydrographic centers described in Section 4 (c) is $10
million in FY 2008, increasing by $1 million per fiscal year to
$15 million for each of FY 2012-2015.
Section (c) authorizes the Department of Defense, Department
of the Interior, Department of Homeland Security, the EPA, and
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to each use
up to $10 million per fiscal year to carry out interagency
activities covered under section 303.
Section 307. Definitions
Section 307 would define key terms applicable to the bill
including, ``Exclusive Economic Zone'' and ``Ocean and Coastal
Mapping.''
<greek-l>ROLLCALL VOTES IN COMMITTEE deg.<greek-l>
ADDITIONAL, SUPPLEMENTAL, OR MINORITY VIEWS deg.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the bill as
reported would make no change to existing law.
<all>