[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5081 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5081

  To amend the Arctic Research Policy Act of 1984 to improve the Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 18, 2024

 Ms. Murkowski 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 Policy Act of 1984 to improve the Act.

    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 Research and Policy 
Amendments Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. LONG TITLE AMENDMENT.

    The Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.) 
is amended in the long title by striking ``provide'' and all that 
follows through the period at the end and inserting ``provide a 
comprehensive national policy on national research needs and objectives 
in the Arctic, for programs necessary to carry out that policy, 
including Federal programs of advanced materials research and 
technology, and for other purposes.''.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    Section 102(a) of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 
U.S.C. 4101(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``and homeland'' after 
        ``national'';
            (2) in paragraph (4), by striking ``weather patterns and 
        must be understood in order to promote better agricultural 
        management throughout the United States'' and inserting 
        ``weather and climate patterns and must be better understood to 
        address their impacts, challenges, and opportunities'';
            (3) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through (17), as 
        paragraphs (7) through (19), respectively;
            (4) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
            ``(5) a rapidly changing climate reshapes the economic, 
        social, cultural, political, environmental, and security 
        landscape of the region;
            ``(6) sustained, robust, coordinated, and appropriately 
        funded Arctic research is required to inform United States and 
        international Arctic policy;''; and
            (5) in paragraph (7), as redesignated by paragraph (3), by 
        inserting ``and climate'' after ``weather''.

SEC. 4. ARCTIC RESEARCH COMMISSION.

    Section 103 of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 
U.S.C. 4102) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A), by striking ``seven'' and inserting 
                        ``eight'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)--
                                    (I) by striking ``are 
                                representatives of'' and inserting 
                                ``represents'';
                                    (II) by striking ``who live in 
                                areas'' and inserting ``who lives in an 
                                area''; and
                                    (III) by striking ``and'' after the 
                                semicolon;
                            (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iv) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) one non-voting member appointed by the 
                Governor of Alaska from among individuals familiar with 
                Alaska and the Arctic region.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``chairperson'' 
                and inserting ``Chair''; and
            (2) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking the second 
                sentence and inserting the following: ``A member of the 
                Commission not presently employed for compensation 
                shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily 
                equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed 
                for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 
                5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day 
                (including travel time) during which such member is 
                engaged in the performance of the duties of the 
                Commission, not to exceed 90 days of service each year, 
                or in the case of the Chair, not to exceed 120 days of 
                service each year.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``Chairman'' and 
                inserting ``Chair''.

SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    Section 104 of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 
U.S.C. 4103) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by inserting ``Duties of the Commission.--'' 
                before ``The Commission'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (10) as 
                paragraphs (5) through (12), respectively;
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) hold an annual joint meeting with the Interagency 
        Arctic Research Policy Committee to discuss national Arctic 
        research policy;
            ``(4) work with the Interagency Arctic Research Policy 
        Committee to identify research infrastructure priorities and 
        develop a joint research infrastructure plan with a single 
        budget to fund the research infrastructure activities of both 
        the Commission and the Interagency Arctic Research Policy 
        Committee;''; and
                    (D) in paragraph (5), as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (B), by inserting ``, Tribal,'' after 
                ``State'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);
            (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) Commission Awards for Excellence in Research.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each year, the Commission may make a 
        cash award to any person in recognition of excellence in Arctic 
        research conducted by such person or outstanding support of 
        Arctic research provided by such person.
            ``(2) Amount.--The amount of a cash award made to a person 
        under paragraph (1) shall be fixed by the Commission and shall 
        not exceed $10,000.
            ``(3) Ineligibility of commission members.--An individual 
        who is or has been a member of the Commission shall be 
        ineligible to receive an award under paragraph (1).''; and
            (4) in subsection (c), as redesignated by paragraph (2), by 
        inserting ``Report.--'' before ``Not later than''.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION OF THE COMMISSION.

    Section 106 of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 
U.S.C. 4105) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The Commission may'' and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(a) In General.--The Commission may'';
            (2) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
            ``(4) enter into agreements with the General Services 
        Administration, or, at the discretion of the Commission, such 
        other Federal agency or private entity that reaches an 
        agreement with the Commission, for the procurement of necessary 
        financial and administrative services, for which payment shall 
        be made in advance or by reimbursement from funds of the 
        Commission in amounts to be agreed upon by the Chair or 
        Executive Director of the Commission and the authorized 
        representative of the General Services Administration or other 
        Federal agency or private entity that will provide the 
        services;'';
            (3) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (4) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
            ``(6) expend for representation and reception expenses each 
        fiscal year not more than 1 percent of the amounts made 
        available to the Commission under section 111 for such fiscal 
        year.''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Applicable Regulations.--With respect to agreements entered 
into under subsection (a)(4), if a Federal agency affords the services 
described in such subsection, the regulations of that agency for the 
collection of indebtedness of personnel resulting from erroneous 
payments required under section 5514(b) of title 5, United States Code, 
shall apply to the collection of erroneous payments made to or on 
behalf of a Commission employee and regulations of that agency for the 
administrative control of funds, as required under sections 1513(d) and 
1514 of title 31, United States Code, shall apply to appropriations of 
the Commission. The Commission shall not be required to prescribe such 
regulations.''.

SEC. 7. LEAD AGENCY AND INTERAGENCY ARCTIC RESEARCH POLICY COMMITTEE.

    Section 107(b)(2) of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 
U.S.C. 4106(b)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraph (L) as subparagraph (P);
            (2) in subparagraph (K), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon; and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (K) the following:
                    ``(L) the Department of Agriculture;
                    ``(M) the Marine Mammal Commission;
                    ``(N) the Smithsonian Institution;
                    ``(O) the Denali Commission; and''.

SEC. 8. CONSULTATION.

    Section 108(a) of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 
U.S.C. 4107(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (9)(B), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (10) as paragraph (12); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following:
            ``(10) hold an annual joint meeting with the full 
        Commission to discuss national Arctic research policy;
            ``(11) work with the Commission to identify research 
        infrastructure priorities and develop a joint research 
        infrastructure plan with a single budget to fund the research 
        infrastructure activities of both the Commission and the 
        Interagency Committee; and''.

SEC. 9. ARCTIC RESEARCH PLAN.

    Section 109(a) of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 
U.S.C. 4108(a)) is amended by striking ``The Plan'' and inserting 
``Notwithstanding section 3003 of the Federal Reports Elimination and 
Sunset Act of 1995 (31 U.S.C. 1113 note), the plan''.

SEC. 10. COORDINATION AND REVIEW OF BUDGET REQUESTS.

    Section 110 of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 
U.S.C. 4109) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (a) and (b) as subsections 
        (b) and (c), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting before subsection (b), as redesignated by 
        paragraph (1), the following:
    ``(a) Budget Request of Interagency Committee.--The Interagency 
Committee shall submit budget requests specifying and commensurate with 
the resources needed to meet the obligations of the Interagency 
Committee included in the Arctic Research Plan under section 109.''.
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