[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2328 Referred in House (RFH)]
<DOC>
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2328
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 30, 2015
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act,
and for other purposes.
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 ``National Sea Grant College Program
Amendments Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO THE NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM ACT.
Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever 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 National Sea Grant
College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.).
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF DEAN JOHN A. KNAUSS MARINE POLICY FELLOWSHIP.
(a) In General.--Section 208(b) (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)) is amended by
striking ``may'' and inserting ``shall''.
(b) Placements in Congress.--Such section is further amended--
(1) in the first sentence, by striking ``The Secretary''
and inserting the following:
``(1) In general.--The Secretary''; and
(2) in paragraph (1), as designated by paragraph (1), in
the second sentence, by striking ``A fellowship'' and inserting
the following:
``(2) Placement priorities.--
``(A) In general.--In each year in which the
Secretary awards a legislative fellowship under this
subsection, when considering the placement of fellows,
the Secretary shall prioritize placement of fellows in
the following:
``(i) Positions in offices of, or with
members on, committees of Congress that have
jurisdiction over the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
``(ii) Positions in offices of members of
Congress that have a demonstrated interest in
ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes resources.
``(B) Equitable distribution.--In placing fellows
in offices described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary
shall ensure, to the maximum degree practicable, that
placements are equitably distributed among the
political parties.
``(3) Duration.--A fellowship''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (b) shall
apply with respect to the first calendar year beginning after the date
of enactment of this Act.
(d) Sense of Congress Concerning Federal Hiring of Former
Fellows.--It is the sense of Congress that in recognition of the
competitive nature of the fellowship under section 208(b) of the
National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)), and of the
exceptional qualifications of fellowship awardees, the Secretary of
Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere, should encourage participating Federal agencies to consider
opportunities for fellowship awardees at the conclusion of their
fellowship for workforce positions appropriate for their education and
experience.
SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF COMMERCE TO ACCEPT
DONATIONS FOR NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 204(c)(4)(E) (33 U.S.C. 1123(c)(4)(E)) is
amended to read as follows:
``(E) accept donations of money and,
notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States
Code, of voluntary and uncompensated services;''.
(b) Priorities.--The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, shall establish
priorities for the use of donations accepted under section 204(c)(4)(E)
of the National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C.
1123(c)(4)(E)), and shall consider among those priorities the
possibility of expanding the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy
Fellowship's placement of additional fellows in relevant legislative
offices under section 208(b) of that Act (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)), in
accordance with the recommendations under subsection (c) of this
section.
(c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Sea Grant College
Program, in consultation with the National Sea Grant Advisory Board and
the Sea Grant Association, shall--
(1) develop recommendations for the optimal use of any
donations accepted under section 204(c)(4)(E) of the National
Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1123(c)(4)(E)); and
(2) submit to Congress a report on the recommendations
developed under paragraph (1).
(d) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to
limit or otherwise affect any other amounts available for marine policy
fellowships under section 208(b) of the National Sea Grant College
Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)), including amounts--
(1) accepted under section 204(c)(4)(F) of that Act (33
U.S.C. 1123(c)(4)(F)); or
(2) appropriated under section 212 of that Act (33 U.S.C.
1131).
SEC. 5. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT FOR REPORT ON COORDINATION OF OCEANS AND
COASTAL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.
Section 9 of the National Sea Grant College Program Act Amendments
of 2002 (33 U.S.C. 857-20) is repealed.
SEC. 6. REDUCTION IN FREQUENCY REQUIRED FOR NATIONAL SEA GRANT ADVISORY
BOARD REPORT.
Section 209(b)(2) (33 U.S.C. 1128(b)(2)) is amended--
(1) in the heading, by striking ``Biennial'' and inserting
``Periodic''; and
(2) in the first sentence, by striking ``The Board shall
report to the Congress every two years'' and inserting ``Not
less frequently than once every 3 years, the Board shall submit
to Congress a report''.
SEC. 7. MODIFICATION OF ELEMENTS OF NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM.
Section 204(b) (33 U.S.C. 1123(b)) is amended, in the matter before
paragraph (1), by inserting ``for research, education, extension,
training, technology transfer, and public service'' after ``financial
assistance''.
SEC. 8. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY; DEAN JOHN A. KNAUSS MARINE POLICY
FELLOWSHIP.
(a) In General.--During fiscal year 2016 and thereafter, the head
of any Federal agency may appoint, without regard to the provisions of
subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code, other than
sections 3303 and 3328 of that title, a qualified candidate described
in subsection (b) directly to a position with the Federal agency for
which the candidate meets Office of Personnel Management qualification
standards.
(b) Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship.--Subsection (a)
applies with respect to a former recipient of a Dean John A. Knauss
Marine Policy Fellowship under section 208(b) of the National Sea Grant
College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1127(b)) who--
(1) earned a graduate or post-graduate degree in a field
related to ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources or policy
from an accredited institution of higher education; and
(2) successfully fulfilled the requirements of the
fellowship within the executive or legislative branch of the
United States Government.
(c) Limitation.--The direct hire authority under this section shall
be exercised with respect to a specific qualified candidate not later
than 2 years after the date that the candidate completed the
fellowship.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 212(a) (33 U.S.C. 1131(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``;''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(G) $72,000,000 for fiscal year 2015;
``(H) $75,600,000 for fiscal year 2016;
``(I) $79,380,000 for fiscal year 2017;
``(J) $83,350,000 for fiscal year 2018;
``(K) $87,520,000 for fiscal year 2019;
``(L) $91,900,000 for fiscal year 2020; and
``(M) $96,500,000 for fiscal year 2021.'';
(2) in the heading for paragraph (2), by inserting ``for
fiscal years 2009 through 2014'' after ``Priority activities'';
and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Priority activities for fiscal years 2015 through
2020.--In addition to the amounts authorized under paragraph
(1), there is authorized to be appropriated $6,000,000 for each
of fiscal years 2015 through 2020 for competitive grants for
the following:
``(A) University research on the biology,
prevention, and control of aquatic nonnative species.
``(B) University research on oyster diseases,
oyster restoration, and oyster-related human health
risks.
``(C) University research on the biology,
prevention, and forecasting of harmful algal blooms.
``(D) University research, education, training, and
extension services and activities focused on coastal
resilience and U.S. working waterfronts and other
regional or national priority issues identified in the
strategic plan under section 204(c)(1).
``(E) University research on sustainable
aquaculture techniques and technologies.
``(F) Fishery extension activities conducted by sea
grant colleges or sea grant institutes to enhance, and
not supplant, existing core program funding.''.
(b) Modification of Limitations on Amounts for Administration.--
Paragraph (1) of section 212(b) (33 U.S.C. 1131(b)) is amended to read
as follows:
``(1) Administration.--
``(A) In general.--There may not be used for
administration of programs under this title in a fiscal
year more than 5.5 percent of the lesser of--
``(i) the amount authorized to be
appropriated under this title for the fiscal
year; or
``(ii) the amount appropriated under this
title for the fiscal year.
``(B) Critical staffing requirements.--
``(i) In general.--The Director shall use
the authority under subchapter VI of chapter 33
of title 5, United States Code, to meet any
critical staffing requirement while carrying
out the activities authorized in this title.
``(ii) Exception from cap.--For purposes of
subparagraph (A), any costs incurred as a
result of an exercise of authority as described
in clause (i) shall not be considered an amount
used for administration of programs under this
title in a fiscal year.''.
(c) Allocation of Funding.--
(1) In general.--Section 204(d)(3) (33 U.S.C. 1123(d)(3))
is amended--
(A) in the matter before subparagraph (A), by
striking ``With respect to sea grant colleges and sea
grant institutes'' and inserting ``With respect to sea
grant colleges, sea grant institutes, sea grant
programs, and sea grant projects''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), in the matter before
clause (i), by striking ``funding among sea grant
colleges and sea grant institutes'' and inserting
``funding among sea grant colleges, sea grant
institutes, sea grant programs, and sea grant
projects''.
(2) Repeal of requirements concerning distribution of
excess amounts.--Section 212 (33 U.S.C. 1131) is amended--
(A) by striking subsection (c); and
(B) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as
subsections (c) and (d), respectively.
SEC. 10. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.
The National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.)
is amended--
(1) in section 204(d)(3)(B) (33 U.S.C. 1123(d)(3)(B)), by
moving clause (vi) two ems to the right; and
(2) in section 209(b)(2) (33 U.S.C. 1128(b)(2)), as amended
by section 6, in the third sentence, by striking ``The
Secretary shall'' and inserting the following:
``(3) Availability of resources of department of
commerce.--The Secretary shall''.
Passed the Senate November 19, 2015.
Attest:
JULIE E. ADAMS,
Secretary.