[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1218 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1218

  To provide for Presidential support and coordination of interagency 
     ocean science programs and development and coordination of a 
  comprehensive and integrated United States research and monitoring 
                                program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 10, 2003

  Mr. Hollings (for himself and Mr. Stevens) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for Presidential support and coordination of interagency 
     ocean science programs and development and coordination of a 
  comprehensive and integrated United States research and monitoring 
                                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 ``Oceans and Human Health Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The rich biodiversity of marine organisms provides 
        society with an essential biomedical resource, a promising 
        source of novel compounds with therapeutic potential, and a 
        potentially important contribution to the national economy.
            (2) The diversity of ocean life and research on the health 
        of marine organisms, including marine mammals and other 
        sentinel species, helps scientists in their efforts to 
        investigate and understand human physiology and biochemical 
        processes, as well as providing a means for monitoring the 
        health of marine ecosystems.
            (3) The oceans drive climate and weather factors causing 
        severe weather events and shifts in temperature and rainfall 
        patterns that affect the density and distribution of disease-
        causing organisms and the ability of public health systems to 
        address them.
            (4) The oceans act as a route of exposure for human disease 
        and illnesses through ingestion of contaminated seafood and 
        direct contact with seawater containing toxins and disease-
        causing organisms.
            (5) During the past two decades, the incidence of harmful 
        blooms of algae has increased around the world, contaminating 
        shellfish, causing widespread fish kills, threatening marine 
        environmental quality and resulting in substantial economic 
        losses to coastal communities.
            (6) Existing Federal programs and resources support 
        research in a number of these areas, but gaps in funding, 
        coordination, and outreach have impeded national progress in 
        addressing ocean health issues.
            (7) National investment in a coordinated program of 
        research and monitoring would improve understanding of marine 
        ecosystems, allow prediction and prevention of marine public 
        health problems and assist in realizing the potential of the 
        oceans to contribute to the development of effective new 
        treatments of human diseases and a greater understanding of 
        human biology.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to provide for--
            (1) Presidential support and coordination of interagency 
        ocean science programs; and
            (2) development and coordination of a comprehensive and 
        integrated United States research and monitoring program that 
        will assist this Nation and the world to understand, use and 
        respond to the role of the oceans in human health.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL.

    (a) Director of Office of Science and Technology Policy To Chair 
Council.--Section 207(a) of the National Science and Technology Policy, 
Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 6616(a)) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``Chairman of Federal Coordinating Council 
        for Science, Engineering, and Technology'' in the subsection 
        heading and inserting ``Chair of the National Science and 
        Technology Council''; and
            (2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
            ``(1) serve as Chair of the National Science and Technology 
        Council; and''.
    (b) Functions.--Section 401 of the National Science and Technology 
Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 6651) is 
amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 401. FUNCTIONS OF COUNCIL.

    ``(a) In General.--The National Science and Technology Council 
(hereinafter referred to as the `Council') shall consider problems and 
developments in the fields of science, engineering, and technology and 
related activities affecting more than one Federal agency, and shall 
recommend policies and other measures designed to--
            ``(1) provide more effective planning and administration of 
        Federal scientific, engineering, and technology programs;
            ``(2) identify research needs, including areas requiring 
        additional emphasis;
            ``(3) achieve more effective use of the scientific, 
        engineering, and technological resources and facilities of 
        Federal agencies, including elimination of unwarranted 
        duplication; and
            ``(4) further international cooperation in science, 
        engineering and technology.
    ``(b) Coordination.--The Council may be assigned responsibility for 
developing long-range and coordinated plans for scientific and 
technical research which involve the participation of more than 2 
agencies. Such plans shall--
            ``(1) identify research approaches and priorities which 
        most effectively advance scientific understanding and provide a 
        basis for policy decisions;
            ``(2) provide for effective cooperation and coordination of 
        research among Federal agencies; and
            ``(3) encourage domestic and, as appropriate, international 
        cooperation among government, industry and university 
        scientists.
    ``(c) Other Duties.--The Council shall perform such other related 
advisory duties as shall be assigned by the President or by the Chair 
of the Council.
    ``(d) Assistance of Other Agencies.--For the purpose of carrying 
out the provisions of this section, each Federal agency represented on 
the Council shall furnish necessary assistance to the Council. Such 
assistance may include--
            ``(1) detailing employees to the Council to perform such 
        functions, consistent with the purposes of this section, as the 
        Chairman of the Council may assign to them; and
            ``(2) undertaking upon the request of the Chair, such 
        special studies for the Council as come within the scope of 
        authority of the Council.
    ``(e) Standing Committees; Working Groups.--For the purpose of 
developing interagency plans, conducting studies, and making reports as 
directed by the Chairman, standing committees and working groups of the 
Council may be established.''.

SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY OCEANS AND HUMAN HEALTH RESEARCH PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment of Committee.--
            (1) The National Science and Technology Council shall 
        coordinate and support a national research program to improve 
        understanding of the role of the oceans in human health. In 
        planning the program, the Council shall establish a Committee 
        on Oceans and Human Health that shall consist of 
        representatives from those agencies with programs or missions 
        that could contribute to or benefit from the program. The 
        Committee shall consist of at least one representative from--
                    (A) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration;
                    (B) the National Science Foundation;
                    (C) the National Institute of Environmental Health 
                Sciences and other institutes within the National 
                Institutes of Health;
                    (D) the Centers for Disease Control;
                    (E) the Environmental Protection Agency;
                    (F) the Food and Drug Administration;
                    (G) the Department of Homeland Security; and
                    (H) such other agencies and departments as the 
                Council deems appropriate.
            (2) The members of the Committee biennially shall select 
        one of its members to serve as Chair. The Chair shall be 
        knowledgeable and experienced with regard to the administration 
        of scientific research programs, and shall be a representative 
        of an agency that contributes substantially, in terms of 
        scientific research capability and budget, to the interagency 
        program.
    (b) Implementation Plan.--Within one year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Chair of the National Science and Technology 
Council, through the Committee on the Oceans and Human Health, shall 
develop and submit to the Congress a plan for coordinated Federal 
activities under the program. In developing the plan, the Committee 
will consult with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms 
and Hypoxia. Such plan will build on and complement the ongoing 
activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 
National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Environmental 
Health Sciences, and other departments and agencies and shall--
            (1) establish, for the 10-year period beginning in the year 
        it is submitted, the goals and priorities for Federal research 
        which most effectively advance scientific understanding of the 
        connections between the oceans and human health, provide usable 
        information for the prediction and prevention of marine public 
        health problems and use the biological potential of the oceans 
        for development of new treatments of human diseases and a 
        greater understanding of human biology;
            (2) describe specific activities required to achieve such 
        goals and priorities, including establishment of national 
        centers of excellence, the funding of competitive research 
        grants, ocean and coastal observations, training and support 
        for scientists, and participation in international research 
        efforts;
            (3) identify and address, as appropriate, relevant programs 
        and activities of the Federal agencies and departments that 
        would contribute to the program;
            (4) consider and use, as appropriate, reports and studies 
        conducted by Federal agencies and departments, the National 
        Research Council, the Ocean Research Advisory Panel, the 
        Commission on Ocean Policy and other entities;
            (5) make recommendations for the coordination of program 
        activities with ocean and human health-related activities of 
        other national and international organizations; and
            (6) estimate Federal funding for research activities to be 
        conducted under the program.
    (c) Program Scope.--The program shall include the following 
activities related to the role of oceans in human health:
            (1) Interdisciplinary research among the ocean and medical 
        sciences, and coordinated research and activities to improve 
        understanding of processes within the ocean that may affect 
        human health and to explore the potential contribution of 
        marine organisms to medicine and research, including--
                    (A) vector- and water-borne diseases of humans and 
                marine organisms, including marine mammals and fish;
                    (B) harmful algal blooms;
                    (C) marine-derived pharmaceuticals;
                    (D) marine organisms as models for biomedical 
                research and as indicators of marine environmental 
                health;
                    (E) marine environmental microbiology;
                    (F) bioaccumulative and endocrine-disrupting 
                chemical contaminants; and
                    (G) predictive models based on indicators of marine 
                environmental health.
            (2) Coordination with the National Ocean Research 
        Leadership Council (10 U.S.C. 7902(a)) to ensure that any 
        integrated ocean and coastal observing system provides 
        information necessary to monitor, predict and reduce marine 
        public health problems including--
                    (A) baseline observations of physical ocean 
                properties to monitor climate variation;
                    (B) measurement of oceanic and atmospheric 
                variables to improve prediction of severe weather 
                events;
                    (C) compilation of global health statistics for 
                analysis of the effects of oceanic events on human 
                health;
                    (D) documentation of harmful algal blooms; and
                    (E) development and implementation of sensors to 
                measure biological processes, acquire health-related 
                data on biological populations and detect contaminants 
                in marine waters and seafood.
            (3) Development through partnerships among Federal 
        agencies, States, or academic institutions of new technologies 
        and approaches for detecting and reducing hazards to human 
        health from ocean sources and to strengthen understanding of 
        the value of marine biodiversity to biomedicine, including--
                    (A) genomics and proteomics to develop genetic and 
                immunological detection approaches and predictive tools 
                and to discover new biomedical resources;
                    (B) biomaterials and bioengineering;
                    (C) in situ and remote sensors to detect and 
                quantify contaminants in marine waters and organisms 
                and to identify new genetic resources;
                    (D) techniques for supplying marine resources, 
                including chemical synthesis, culturing and 
                aquaculturing marine organisms, new fermentation 
                methods and recombinant techniques; and
                    (E) adaptation of equipment and technologies from 
                human health fields.
            (4) Support for scholars, trainees and education 
        opportunities that encourage an interdisciplinary and 
        international approach to exploring the diversity of life in 
        the oceans.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION OCEANS AND 
              HUMAN HEALTH PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--As part of the interagency program planned and 
coordinated under section 4, the Secretary of Commerce shall establish 
an Oceans and Human Health Program to coordinate and implement research 
and activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
related to the role of the oceans in human health. In establishing the 
program, the Secretary shall consult with other Federal agencies 
conducting integrated oceans and human health research and research in 
related areas, including the Centers for Disease Control, the National 
Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Environmental Health 
Sciences. The Oceans and Human Health Program shall provide support 
for--
            (1) a program and research coordination office;
            (2) an advisory panel;
            (3) one or more National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration national centers of excellence;
            (4) research grants; and
            (5) distinguished scholars and traineeships.
    (b) Program Office.--The Secretary shall establish a program office 
to identify and coordinate oceans and human health-related research and 
activities within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
and carry out the elements of the program. The program office will 
provide support for administration of the program and, in cooperation 
with the oceans and human health advisory panel, will serve as liaison 
with academic institutions and other agencies participating in the 
interagency oceans and human health research program planned and 
coordinated under section 3.
    (c) Advisory Panel.--The Secretary shall establish an oceans and 
human health advisory panel to assist in the development and 
implementation of the Oceans and Human Health Program. Membership of 
the advisory group shall provide for balanced representation of 
individuals with multi-disciplinary expertise in the marine and 
biomedical sciences. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) 
shall not apply to the oceans and human health advisory panel.
    (d) National Centers.--
            (1) The Secretary shall identify and provide financial 
        support through a competitive process to develop, within the 
        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for one or 
        more centers of excellence that strengthen the capabilities of 
        the Administration to carry out programs and activities related 
        to the oceans' role in human health. Such centers shall 
        complement and be in addition to the centers established by the 
        National Science Foundation and the National Institute of 
        Environmental Health Sciences.
            (2) The centers shall focus on areas related to agency 
        missions, including use of marine organisms as indicators for 
        marine environmental health, ocean pollutants, marine toxins 
        and pathogens, harmful algal blooms, seafood testing, drug 
        discovery, and biology and pathobiology of marine mammals, and 
        on disciplines including marine genomics, marine environmental 
        microbiology, ecological chemistry and conservation medicine.
            (3) In selecting centers for funding, the Secretary will 
        consider the need for geographic representation and give 
        priority to proposals with strong interdisciplinary scientific 
        merit that encourage educational opportunities and provide for 
        effective partnerships among the Administration, other Federal 
        entities, State, academic, medical, and industry participants.
    (e) Research Grants.--
            (1) The Secretary is authorized to provide grants of 
        financial assistance for critical research and projects that 
        explore the relationship between the oceans and human health 
        and that complement or strengthen Administration programs and 
activities related to the ocean's role in human health. The Secretary 
shall consult with the oceans and human health advisory panel 
established under subsection (c) and the National Sea Grant College 
Program and may work cooperatively with other agencies participating in 
the interagency program under section 3 to establish joint criteria for 
such research and projects.
            (2) Grants under this subsection shall be awarded through a 
        peer-review process that may be conducted jointly with other 
        agencies participating in the interagency program established 
        in section 3 or under the National Oceanographic Partnership 
        Program under section 7901 of title 10, United States Code.
    (f) Distinguished Scholars and Traineeships.--
            (1) The Secretary shall designate and provide financial 
        assistance to support distinguished scholars from academic 
        institutions, industry or State governments for collaborative 
        work with scientists and facilities of the Administration.
            (2) In consultation with the Directors of the National 
        Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, the 
        Secretary of Commerce may establish a program to provide 
        training and experience to scientists at the beginning of their 
        careers who are interested in the role of the oceans in human 
        health.

SEC. 6. PUBLIC INFORMATION AND OUTREACH.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with 
the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration, the 
Environmental Protection Agency and the States, shall design and 
implement a national public information and outreach program on 
potential ocean-related human health risks, including health hazards 
associated with the human consumption of seafood. Under such program, 
the Secretary shall--
            (1) collect and analyze information on ocean-related health 
        hazards and illnesses, including information on the number of 
        individuals affected, causes and geographic location of the 
        hazard or illness;
            (2) disseminate the results of the analysis to any 
        appropriate Federal or State agency, the public, involved 
        industries, and other interested persons;
            (3) provide advice regarding precautions that may be taken 
        to safeguard against the hazard or illness; and
            (4) assess and make recommendations for observing systems 
        to support the program.
    (b) Seafood Safety.--To address health hazards associated with 
human consumption of seafood, the Secretary, in consultation with the 
Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration, the 
Environmental Protection Agency and the States, shall assess risks 
related to--
            (1) seafood that is domestically harvested and processed as 
        compared with imported seafood that is harvested and processed 
        outside the United States;
            (2) seafood that is commercially harvested and processed as 
        compared with that harvested for recreational or subsistence 
        purposes and not prepared commercially; and
            (3) contamination originating from certain practices that 
        occur both prior to and after sale of seafood to consumers, 
        especially those connected to the manner in which consumers 
        handle and prepare seafood.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) NOAA Oceans and Human Health Program.--There are authorized to 
be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce to carry out the NOAA 
Oceans and Human Health program established under section 5, $8,000,000 
for fiscal year 2004, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, and $20,000,000 
annually for fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2008.
    (b) Public Information.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
the Secretary to carry out the public information and outreach program 
established under section 6, $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 
through 2007.
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