[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3739 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3739

   To amend the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 to modify the 
 membership of the Arctic Research Commission, to establish an Arctic 
         Executive Steering Committee, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 11, 2018

 Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr. Sullivan) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 to modify the 
 membership of the Arctic Research Commission, to establish an Arctic 
         Executive Steering Committee, 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 ``Arctic Policy Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP OF ARCTIC RESEARCH COMMISSION.

    Section 103 of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 
U.S.C. 4102) is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the 
following:
    ``(b) Membership.--
            ``(1) Appointed members.--The Commission shall be comprised 
        of 9 members, to be appointed by the President, of whom--
                    ``(A) 4 shall be appointed from among individuals 
                from academic or other research institutions with 
                expertise in areas of research relating to the Arctic, 
                including the physical, biological, health, 
                environmental, social, and behavioral sciences;
                    ``(B) 3 shall be appointed from among indigenous 
                residents of the Arctic who are representative of the 
                needs and interests of Arctic residents; and
                    ``(C) 2 shall be appointed from among individuals 
                familiar with the Arctic who are representative of the 
                needs and interests of private industry undertaking 
                resource development in the Arctic.
            ``(2) Chairperson.--The President shall designate 1 of the 
        members of the Commission appointed under paragraph (1) to be 
        chairperson of the Commission.
            ``(3) Ex officio member.--The Director of the National 
        Science Foundation shall serve as a nonvoting, ex officio 
        member of the Commission.''.

SEC. 3. ARCTIC EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Advisory committee.--The term ``Advisory Committee'' 
        means the Arctic Advisory Committee established under 
        subsection (c)(1).
            (2) Advisory group.--The term ``Advisory Group'' means the 
        Bering Sea Regional Tribal Advisory Group established under 
        subsection (b)(6)(A).
            (3) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
            (4) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Alaska.
            (5) Steering committee.--The term ``Steering Committee'' 
        means the Arctic Executive Steering Committee established by 
        subsection (b)(1).
    (b) Steering Committee.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is established a steering 
        committee, to be known as the ``Arctic Executive Steering 
        Committee''--
                    (A) to provide guidance to agencies with respect to 
                Arctic issues;
                    (B) to enhance coordination of Federal Arctic 
                policies across agencies; and
                    (C) to collaborate with State, local, and Alaska 
                Native Tribal governments and similar Alaska Native 
                organizations, academic and research institutions, and 
                the private and nonprofit sectors, as appropriate, with 
                respect to Arctic issues.
            (2) Membership.--The Steering Committee shall be comprised 
        of--
                    (A) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
                    (B) the heads of each of--
                            (i) the Office of Science and Technology 
                        Policy;
                            (ii) the Council on Environmental Quality;
                            (iii) the Domestic Policy Council;
                            (iv) the National Economic Council;
                            (v) the Council of Economic Advisers; and
                            (vi) the National Security Council;
                    (C) the Executive Officer of the Steering 
                Committee, who shall be designated by the Chair of the 
                Steering Committee; and
                    (D) a senior official holding the rank of Deputy 
                Secretary or higher (or an equivalent officer) from 
                each of--
                            (i) the Department of Agriculture;
                            (ii) the Department of Commerce;
                            (iii) the Department of Defense;
                            (iv) the Department of Energy;
                            (v) the Department of Health and Human 
                        Services;
                            (vi) the Department of the Interior;
                            (vii) the Department of Justice;
                            (viii) the Department of Labor;
                            (ix) the Department of State;
                            (x) the Department of Transportation;
                            (xi) the Office of the Director of National 
                        Intelligence;
                            (xii) the Environmental Protection Agency;
                            (xiii) the National Aeronautics and Space 
                        Administration;
                            (xiv) the National Science Foundation;
                            (xv) the Arctic Research Commission;
                            (xvi) the Office of Management and Budget; 
                        and
                            (xvii) such other agencies or offices as 
                        the Chair of the Steering Committee determines 
                        to be appropriate.
            (3) Administration.--
                    (A) Chair.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
                shall be the Chair of the Steering Committee.
                    (B) Vice chair.--The Director of the Office of 
                Science and Technology Policy shall be the Vice Chair 
                of the Steering Committee.
                    (C) Meetings.--Under the leadership of the Chair of 
                the Steering Committee, the Steering Committee shall 
                meet quarterly or, as the Chair of the Steering 
                Committee determines to be appropriate, more 
                frequently--
                            (i) to shape priorities for the Steering 
                        Committee;
                            (ii) to establish the strategic direction 
                        of the Steering Committee;
                            (iii) to oversee implementation of 
                        activities of the Steering Committee; and
                            (iv) to ensure coordination of Federal 
                        activities in the Arctic.
                    (D) Coordination.--The Steering Committee shall 
                coordinate activities of the Steering Committee with 
                activities of existing working groups established by 
                law or Executive order.
                    (E) Subcommittees and working groups.--As 
                appropriate, the Chair of the Steering Committee may 
                establish subcommittees and working groups, consisting 
                of representatives from relevant agencies--
                            (i) to focus on specific key issues under 
                        the jurisdiction of the Steering Committee; and
                            (ii) to assist in carrying out the 
                        responsibilities of the Steering Committee.
                    (F) Administrative support.--
                            (i) In general.--Agencies shall provide 
                        administrative support and additional 
                        resources, as appropriate, to support the 
                        participation of the agencies in the Steering 
                        Committee, to the extent permitted by law and 
                        using existing appropriations.
                            (ii) Expenses.--Each agency shall be 
                        responsible for the expenses of the agency in 
                        supporting the participation of the agency in 
                        the Steering Committee and any subcommittees or 
                        working groups established under subparagraph 
                        (E).
                    (G) Point of contact.--Each member of the Steering 
                Committee shall provide to the Executive Officer of the 
                Steering Committee the name of a representative 
                designated by the member to serve as a point of contact 
                for the member, who shall be responsible for--
                            (i) coordinating efforts with interagency 
                        partners;
                            (ii) collaborating with State, local, and 
                        Alaska Native Tribal governments and similar 
                        Alaska Native organizations; and
                            (iii) assisting in carrying out any 
                        functions and duties assigned by the Steering 
                        Committee.
            (4) Responsibilities.--The Steering Committee shall--
                    (A) examine the policies of the United States with 
                respect to the Arctic to identify policy areas that 
                need to be updated or revised;
                    (B) provide guidance to agencies on ways to 
                increase the participation in, consultation with, and 
                coordination of Federal Arctic programs with 
                individuals who live in the Arctic; and
                    (C) provide guidance to agencies on ways in which 
                Arctic programs could be structured so as to be better 
                coordinated and most effective.
            (5) Duties of the executive officer.--The Executive Officer 
        of the Steering Committee shall--
                    (A) be responsible for facilitating interagency 
                coordination efforts with respect to implementing the 
                guidance and strategic priorities developed by the 
                Steering Committee; and
                    (B) coordinate with the Chair of the Steering 
                Committee to provide regular reports to the Steering 
                Committee on agency implementation and planning efforts 
                for the Arctic region.
            (6) Engagement with the state of alaska and alaska native 
        tribal governments.--
                    (A) Bering sea regional tribal advisory group.--Not 
                later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
                Act, the Steering Committee shall establish an advisory 
                group, to be known as the ``Bering Sea Regional Tribal 
                Advisory Group'', comprised of regional elected 
                officials representing Alaska Native Tribal governments 
                for the purpose of providing input and recommendations 
                to the Steering Committee on activities, regulations, 
                guidance, the incorporation of traditional knowledge, 
                or policies that may affect actions or conditions in 
                the northern Bering Sea and the Bering Strait region, 
                with attention given to the rights, needs, and 
                knowledge of Alaska Native Tribes.
                    (B) Additional advisory groups.--The Steering 
                Committee, as appropriate, shall establish regional 
                Tribal advisory groups to provide the Steering 
                Committee with input and recommendations on a specific 
                issue or additional regions of the Arctic.
                    (C) Coordination.--The Steering Committee shall 
                develop a process to improve coordination and the 
                sharing of information and knowledge, including 
                traditional knowledge, among Federal, State, local, and 
                Alaska Native Tribal governments and similar Alaska 
                Native organizations, and private-sector and nonprofit-
                sector groups on Arctic issues.
                    (D) Point of contact.--The Steering Committee shall 
                identify an appropriate Federal entity to be the point 
                of contact for Arctic matters for State, local, and 
                Alaska Native Tribal governments and similar Alaska 
                Native organizations.
    (c) Arctic Advisory Committee.--
            (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the Steering Committee shall 
        establish an advisory committee, to be known as the ``Arctic 
        Advisory Committee''.
            (2) Membership.--The Advisory Committee shall be comprised 
        of 13 members--
                    (A) who are appointed by the Chair of the Steering 
                Committee;
                    (B) who have sufficient experience and expertise in 
                the Arctic region; and
                    (C) of whom--
                            (i) 1 shall be from the Arctic Slope;
                            (ii) 1 shall be from the North West Arctic;
                            (iii) 1 shall be from Norton Sound;
                            (iv) 1 shall be from the Interior;
                            (v) 1 shall be from Yukon-Kuskokwim;
                            (vi) 1 shall be from Bristol Bay;
                            (vii) 1 shall be from the Aleutian Islands;
                            (viii) 1 shall be from the Pribilof 
                        Islands;
                            (ix) at least 2 may be from outside of the 
                        State; and
                            (x) 3 may be at-large members.
            (3) Chair.--The Chair of the Advisory Committee shall be 
        selected from among the members of the Advisory Committee.
            (4) Mission.--The mission of the Advisory Committee is to 
        advise the Chair of the Steering Committee and members of the 
        Steering Committee on Federal Arctic policies, including 
        existing Arctic policies and Arctic policies that are under 
        consideration.
            (5) Applicability of federal advisory committee act.--
        Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the Federal 
        Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the 
        Advisory Committee.
            (6) Duration.--The Advisory Committee shall continue to 
        operate during any period in which the Steering Committee is in 
        existence.
    (d) Effect.--Nothing in this section impairs or otherwise affects--
            (1) the authority granted by law to an executive 
        department, agency, or the head of an executive department or 
        agency; or
            (2) the functions of the Director of the Office of 
        Management and Budget with respect to budgetary, 
        administrative, or legislative proposals.
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