[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1916 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1916

  To establish a marine biotechnology program within the National Sea 
                         Grant College Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 1993

Mr. Studds (for himself, Mr. Hochbrueckner, Mr. Hoyer, Ms. Schenk, Mr. 
   Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Kopetski, Mr. Manton, Mr. Kreidler, Mrs. 
 Unsoeld, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Fields of Texas, Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. 
 Swift, Mrs. Morella, Mr. Ravenel, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Lipinski, and Mr. 
   Saxton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
               Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a marine biotechnology program within the National Sea 
                         Grant College Program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Marine Biotechnology Investment Act 
of 1993''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) the oceans have for millennia been a source of food, 
        minerals and other natural products;
            (2) molecular biology and biotechnology hold tremendous 
        potential to expand the range and increase the utility of 
        products from the oceans;
            (3) marine biotechnology can improve the condition of 
        marine ecosystems by developing substitute products that 
        decrease the harvest pressure on living resources, improving 
        the production of aquaculture, providing new tools for 
        understanding ecological and evolutionary processes, and 
        improving the techniques for remediation of environmental 
        damage;
            (4) the United States is currently preeminent in marine 
        biotechnology but its competitive edge is threatened by 
        inadequate public investment compared with other leaders in 
        this field; and
            (5) in order to support job creation, stimulate private 
        sector investment, and maintain preeminence in marine 
        biotechnology, the United States should establish a national 
        program for marine biotechnology within the National Sea Grant 
        College Program and greatly increase its investment in this 
        promising new area of research and development.

SEC. 3. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.

    The National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.) 
is amended by inserting after section 205 the following:

``SEC. 206A. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definition of Marine Biotechnology.--As used in this section, 
the term `marine biotechnology' means the application of molecular and 
cellular biology to marine and fresh water organisms for the purpose of 
identifying, developing, and enhancing products derived from those 
organisms.
    ``(b) Marine Biotechnology Program.--The National Sea Grant College 
Program provided for under section 204 shall include a marine 
biotechnology program under which the Secretary, acting through the 
Director, shall--
            ``(1) make grants and enter into contracts in accordance 
        with this section; and
            ``(2) engage in other activities authorized under this Act;
to further research, development, education and technology transfer in 
marine biotechnology
    ``(c) Administration.--In carrying out the marine biotechnology 
program, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) coordinate the relevant activities of the directors 
        of the sea grant colleges and the Marine Biotechnology Review 
        Panel established under subsection (e); and
            ``(2) provide general oversight of the review process under 
        subsection (e)(1) to ensure that the marine biotechnology 
        program produces the highest quality research, development, 
        education, and technology transfer.
    ``(d) Grants and Contracts.--
            ``(1) Applications.--Applications for grants and contracts 
        under this subsection shall be--
                    ``(A) made in such form and manner, and include 
                such content and submissions, as the Secretary shall by 
                regulation prescribe;
                    ``(B) forwarded through the appropriate directors 
                of sea grant colleges to the National Sea Grant Office; 
                and
                    ``(C) reviewed by the Marine Biotechnology Review 
                Panel in accordance with subsection (e).
            ``(2) Terms and conditions.--Any reference in the last 
        sentence of subsection (a), or in subsection (d), of section 
        205 to grants and contracts provided for under that section 
        shall be treated, as the context requires, as including any 
        grant applied for or made, or contract applied for or entered 
        into, under this section.
            ``(3) Awarding of grants and contracts.--
                    ``(A) Panel recommendations.--The Secretary shall 
                award grants and contracts under this section on the 
                basis of the recommendations for award made by the 
                Marine Biotechnology Review Panel under subsection (e); 
                except that the Secretary may take exception to any 
                recommendation of the Panel if the Secretary determines 
                that the recommendation involves, in whole or part--
                            ``(i) a conflict of interest;
                            ``(ii) a failure to meet the requirements 
                        of this section; or
                            ``(iii) a failure to comply with relevant 
                        governmental or institutional procedures for 
                        the management of external grant or contract 
                        programs.
                The Secretary shall document, and promptly inform the 
                Panel of, each exception taken under this paragraph.
                    ``(B) Funding.--Grants made, and contracts entered 
                into, under this section shall be funded with moneys 
                available from appropriations made pursuant to the 
                authorization provided for under section 212(c), unless 
                the project under the grant or contract was considered 
                and approved, in whole or part, under grant or contract 
                authority provided for under section 205(a) or (b) or 
                section 3 of the Sea Grant Program Improvement Act of 
                1976.
    ``(e) Marine Biotechnology Review Panel.--
            ``(1) Establishment and duties.--The Director, in 
        consultation with the directors of the sea grant colleges, 
        shall convene a panel, to be known as the Marine Biotechnology 
        Review Panel, that shall--
                    ``(A) review, on a competitive basis, the 
                applications made under this section for grants and 
                contracts to determine their respective scientific, 
                technical, educational, and commercial merits and 
                likely contributions toward achieving the purposes of 
                this section; and
                    ``(B) on the basis of the review under subparagraph 
                (A), and with due regard for the overall balance and 
                coordination of the marine biotechnology program, make 
                recommendations to the Secretary regarding the awarding 
                of grants and contracts under this section.
            ``(2) Composition.--The Marine Biotechnology Review Panel 
        shall--
                    ``(A) consist of not more than 15 individuals with 
                scientific or technical expertise in marine 
                biotechnology or relevant related fields;
                    ``(B) reflect a balance among areas of expertise 
                consistent with the purposes of this section;
                    ``(C) not include Federal employees or directors of 
                sea grant colleges; and
                    ``(D) reflect geographic balance, consistent with 
                the primary objectives of a high level expertise and 
                balance among areas of expertise.
            ``(3) Allowances.--Each member of the Marine Biotechnology 
        Review Panel shall receive travel expenses, including per diem 
        in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 
        5703 of title 5, United States Code.
            ``(4) FACA not applicable.--The Federal Advisory Committee 
        Act does not apply to the Marine Biotechnology Review Panel.''.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 212 of the National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 
U.S.C. 1131) is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``209,'' in subsection (b) and 
        inserting ``209 but not including section 206A,'';
            (2) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) as 
        subsection (d), (e), and (f), respectively; and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Marine Biotechnology Program.--
            ``(1) Grants and contracts.--There is authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out the provisions of section 206A (other 
        than for administration) an amount--
                    ``(A) for each of fiscal years 1994 and 1995, not 
                to exceed $20,000,000; and
                    ``(B) for each of fiscal year 1996 and 1997, not to 
                exceed $25,000,000.
            ``(2) Administration.--There is authorized to be 
        appropriated for the administration of section 206A, an 
        amount--
                    ``(A) for each of fiscal years 1994 and 1995, not 
                to exceed $200,000; and
                    ``(B) for each of fiscal years 1996 and 1997, not 
                to exceed $250,000.''.

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