1.Short title; amendment of
Oceans and Human Health act
(a)This Act may be cited as the Oceans and Human Health Reauthorization Act of
2011
.
(b)Amendment of
Oceans and Human Health ActExcept as otherwise expressly
provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of
an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference
shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the Oceans
and Human Health Act (33 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.).
2.Interagency
oceans and human health research program
(a)Section
902(a) (33 U.S.C. 3101(a)) is amended by striking oceans in human
health.
and inserting oceans in human health and deliver
information, products, and services to assist the Nation in reducing public
health risks, and enhancing health benefits, from the ocean.
.
(b)Section 902(b) (33 U.S.C. 3101(b)) is amended—
(1)by striking the
matter preceding paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
(b)Within 2 years after the date of the enactment of the Oceans
and Human Health Reauthorization Act of 2011, and every 10 years thereafter,
the National Science and Technology Council, through the Director of the Office
of Science and Technology Policy, shall revise and update the 2007
Interagency Oceans and Human Health Research Implementation Plan
and submit the updated plan to the Congress. The updated Plan shall define the
roles of Federal agencies and departments in order to avoid duplication of
activities and coordinate efforts in support of the research program. Nothing
in this subsection is intended to duplicate or supersede the activities of the
Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia established under
section 603 of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of
1998 (16 U.S.C. 1451 note). The updated Plan shall build on and complement the
ongoing research, monitoring, surveillance, and outreach activities of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science
Foundation, the National Institutes of Health (including the National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences), the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug
Administration, and other Federal departments and agencies, and
shall—
;
(2)in paragraph
(1)—
(A)by striking
prediction
and inserting monitoring, surveillance,
prediction forecasting, and mitigation
;
(B)by inserting
and chemical
after biological
; and
(C)by striking
treatments
and inserting products for the prevention and
treatment
;
(3)in paragraph (2),
by striking training
and all that follows and inserting
Federal oceans and human health research centers, training, and support
for scientists, and participation in national and international research and
outreach efforts, including outreach to the public health and medical
communities, and the public;
;
(4)in paragraph (4),
by striking preventive
and inserting
preventing
;
(5)in paragraph (5),
by inserting the National Ocean Council,
after the Ocean
Research Advisory Panel,
; and
(6)by striking
paragraph (7) and inserting the following:
(7)estimate funding
needed for research, surveillance, prediction, education, and outreach
activities to be conducted within and supported by Federal agencies under the
program.
.
(c)Section 902(c) (33 U.S.C. 3101(c)) is amended—
(1)by striking
paragraphs (1) and (2) and inserting the following:
(1)Interdisciplinary
research among the ocean, atmospheric, biological, 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-, water-,
and food-borne diseases of humans and marine organisms, including marine
mammals, corals, fish, and shellfish;
(B)human health
effects associated with harmful algal blooms and hypoxia (in collaboration with
the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia);
(C)marine-derived
pharmaceuticals and other natural products;
(D)marine organisms
and habitats as models for biomedical research and as indicators of human
health and well being and marine environmental health;
(E)marine
environmental microbiology linked to human health;
(F)human health
effects associated with legacy and emerging chemicals of concern, including
bioaccumulative and endocrine-disrupting chemical contaminants;
(G)predictive models
of public health risks based on indicators and assessments of marine ecosystem
health and marine animal health; and
(H)social, economic,
and behavioral studies of relationships between the condition of oceans,
coasts, and the Great Lakes and human health and well-being, risk
communication, and decision-making processes.
(2)Coordination with
appropriate interagency working groups of the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and
Technology, or its successor body, through the National Science and Technology
Council, to ensure that any integrated ocean and coastal observing system
provides information necessary to monitor and reduce marine public health
problems, including climate change information, health-related data on
biological populations, and detection of toxins and contaminants in marine
waters and seafood.
;
and
(2)in paragraph
(3)—
(A)in subparagraph
(A), by striking genomics and proteomics
and inserting
genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other related
sciences
;
(B)by striking
subparagraph (C) and inserting the following:
(C)in situ,
laboratory, and remote sensors—
(i)to
detect, quantify, and predict the presence, distribution, concentration,
toxicity, or virulence of infectious microbes, harmful algae, toxins, and
chemical contaminants in ocean waters, sediments, organisms, and seafood;
and
(ii)to identify new
genetic resources for biomedical
purposes;
;
and
(C)in subparagraph
(E), by striking equipment and technologies
and inserting
equipment, technologies, and methodologies used in human health, and
other fields, for application to oceans and human health
objectives
.
(d)Section 902(d) (33 U.S.C. 3101(d)) is amended—
(1)by striking
Annual
in the heading and inserting
Biennial
;
(2)in the matter
preceding paragraph (1)—
(A)by striking
Beginning with the first year occurring more than 24 months after the
date of enactment of the Act, the
and inserting
The
;
(B)by striking
each year an annual
and inserting alternate years a
biennial
; and
(C)by striking
fiscal year
and inserting 2 fiscal years
;
(3)in paragraph (1),
by striking fiscal year;
and inserting 2 fiscal
years;
;
(4)in paragraph (4),
by striking that preceding fiscal year;
and inserting the
preceding 2 fiscal years;
and
(5)in paragraph (5),
by striking action
and inserting action, funding
needs,
.
3.National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration Oceans and Human Health Program
(a)Section
903(a) (33 U.S.C. 3102(a)) is amended to read as follows:
(a)
(1)As part of the interagency oceans and human health
research program, 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, the coasts, and the Great Lakes in human health. The program shall link
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research programs with
operational activities focused on—
(A)forecasting to
provide early warning and prediction of near-term and long-term health
risks;
(B)surveillance,
monitoring and diagnosis to recognize emerging threats to public health;
(C)assessment of risk
perception, management needs, and response actions; and
(D)developing ocean
health products and services.
(2)Coordination
with other agencies’ effortsThe Secretary shall consult with
other Federal agencies conducting integrated oceans and human health research,
monitoring, and disease surveillance activities and research in related areas,
including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health
(including the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences), the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection
Agency, and other agencies and departments and shall coordinate the development
of a strategic implementation plan with defined goals and benchmarks for the
program.
(3)To
the extent practical based on appropriations, the Oceans and Human Health
Program may provide support for—
(A)centralized
program and research coordination;
(B)an external
advisory panel;
(C)one or more
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration national centers of excellence
that may include diagnostic laboratories to provide processing of marine
organism samples;
(D)transitioning
scientific discoveries from research activities into applications;
(E)research grants;
and
(F)distinguished
scholars and
training.
.
(b)Section 903(b) (33 U.S.C. 3102(b)) is amended by striking
sciences.
and inserting sciences, including public health
professionals, veterinarians, and other health professionals.
.
(c)Section 903(c) (33 U.S.C. 3102(c)) is amended—
(1)in paragraph (1),
by striking for
; and
(2)by striking
paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
(2)The centers shall
focus on areas related to agency missions and the program scope (as defined in
section
902(c)).
.
(d)Extramural
research grantsSection 903(d) (33 U.S.C. 3102(d)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
(3)Grants under this
subsection shall support research and activities within the program scope (as
defined in section
902(c)).
.
(e)Section 903(e) (33 U.S.C. 3102(e)) is amended—
(1)by striking the
heading and inserting (e) Training Program—
;
(2)by striking
program to provide traineeships, training,
and inserting
competitive program to provide training, exposure,
; and
(3)by striking
initiative.
and inserting Oceans and Human Health
Program.
.
(f)Distinguished
scholars; cooperative agreements; coordination; etcSection 903
(33 U.S.C. 3102) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(f)The Secretary of Commerce may establish a competitive
program to recognize highly distinguished external scientists in any area of
oceans and human health research and to involve those scientists in
collaborative work with the NOAA Oceans and Human Health Program.
(g)The
Secretary of Commerce may execute and perform such contracts, leases, grants,
or cooperative agreements as may be necessary to carry out this section.
(h)
(1)Integrated ocean
observing systemThe
Secretary shall ensure that the Oceans and Human Health Program and the
National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System work together to
develop and deploy instruments for sensing and predicting ocean changes linked
to health, develop early warning systems that detect biological and chemical
indicators, and support the data management and analysis functions to develop
forecasts for ocean conditions that threaten health.
(2)Harmful algal
blooms and hypoxiaThe Secretary shall ensure that the Oceans and
Human Health Program and Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Program work together
to coordinate and avoid duplication of activities.
(3)The Secretary shall ensure that the Program also
coordinates its efforts across the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to link and support ocean and human health-related research and
programs.
(i)Within 6 months after the date of enactment of the
Oceans and Human Health Reauthorization Act of 2011, the Secretary shall report
to the Congress on how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
plans to implement the recommendations of its Science Advisory Board Working
Group on Oceans and Health.
(j)
(1)The Secretary of Commerce shall operate the Oceans and
Human Health Program as an interdisciplinary research, development, and
application program spanning the agency and in partnership with the external
scientific and health communities.
(2)To
achieve this vision and maximize potential for leveraging appropriations, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may—
(A)apply for, accept,
use, and spend Federal, State, and private funds and in-kind contributions as
necessary to further the mission of the program without regard to section
3302(b) of title 31, United States Code, and without regard to the source or of
the period of availability of such funds;
(B)apply for and hold
patents either solely or in partnership with others and receive royalties from
patents or licenses; and
(C)share personnel
and facilities with public and private partners as well as provide and accept
reimbursement for the sharing of such personnel and
facilities.
.
4.Public
information and outreach
(a)Section 904(a) (33 U.S.C. 3103(a)) is amended—
(1)by striking
National Sea Grant program, relevant National Ocean Service and National
Marine Fisheries Service research programs
and inserting all
relevant the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration programs and
institutions of higher education,
; and
(2)by striking
Initiative
and inserting Program
.
(b)Section
904(b) (33 U.S.C. 3103(b)) is amended to read as follows:
(b)
(1)As part of this program, the Secretary of Commerce shall
submit to Congress a biennial report describing—
(A)projects,
products, and programs funded under the Oceans and Human Health Program;
(B)the work of the
Advisory Panel;
(C)how the Oceans and
Human Health Program is meeting the goals and objectives of its strategic plan;
and
(D)any
recommendations the Secretary may have for improving or expanding the Oceans
and Human Health Program.
(2)The report required by paragraph (1) may be the same as
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration input for the interagency
report required by section
902(d).
.
5.Authorization of
appropriationsSection 905 (33
U.S.C. 3104) is amended—
(1)by striking
Initiative,
, initiative
, and
Initiative.
, and inserting Program,
,
Program
, and Program.
, respectively;
(2)by striking
$60,000,000 for fiscal years 2005 through 2008
and inserting
$6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015
;
and
(3)by striking
grant and traineeship
and inserting grant, distinguished
scholars, and training
.
6.Oceans defined to
include the Great LakesThe
Act is amended by adding after section 905 (33 U.S.C. 3104) the
following:
906.In this title, the
term oceans includes the Great Lakes, and the coastal areas
appertaining
thereto.
.