[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 145 (Tuesday, November 12, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H8064-H8067]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2002
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in
the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 3389), an Act to reauthorize the
National Sea Grant College Program Act, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
Senate amendment:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Sea Grant College
Program Act Amendments of 2002''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO FINDINGS.
Section 202(a)(6) of the National Sea Grant College Program
Act (33 U.S.C. 1121(a)(6)) is amended by striking the period
at the end and inserting ``, including strong collaborations
between Administration scientists and scientists at academic
institutions.''.
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE
PROGRAM.
(a) Quadrennial Strategic Plan.--Section 204 (c)(1) of the
National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1123
(c)(1)) is amended to read as follows:
``(1) The Secretary, in consultation with the panel, sea
grant colleges, and sea grant institutes, shall develop at
least every 4 years a strategic plan that establishes
priorities for the national sea grant college program,
provides an appropriately balanced response to local,
regional, and national needs, and is reflective of
integration with the relevant portions of the strategic plans
of the Department of Commerce and of the Administration.''.
(b) Program Evaluation and Rating.--
(1) Evaluation and rating requirement.--Section
204(d)(3)(A) of the National Sea Grant College Program Act
(33 U.S.C. 1123(d)(3)(A)) is amended to read as follows:
``(A)(i) evaluate the performance of the programs of sea
grant colleges and sea grant institutes, using the
priorities, guidelines, and qualifications established by the
Secretary under subsection (c), and determine which of the
programs are the best managed and carry out the highest
quality research, education, extension, and training
activities; and
``(ii) rate the programs according to their relative
performance (as determined under clause (i)) into no less
than 5 categories, with each of the 2 best-performing
categories containing no more than 25 percent of the
programs;''.
(2) Review of evaluation and rating process.--(A) After 3
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary of
Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, shall contract with the
National Academy of Sciences--
(i) to review the effectiveness of the evaluation and
rating system under the amendment made by paragraph (1) in
determining the relative performance of programs of sea grant
colleges and sea grant institutes;
(ii) to evaluate whether the sea grant programs have
improved as a result of the evaluation process; and
(iii) to make appropriate recommendations to improve the
overall effectiveness of the evaluation process.
(B) The National Academy of Sciences shall submit a report
to the Congress on the findings and recommendations of the
panel under subparagraph (A) by not later than 4 years after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(c) Allocation of Funding.--Section 204(d)(3)(B) of the
National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C.
1123(d)(3)(B)) is amended by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon at the end of clause (ii) and by adding at the end
the following:
``(iv) encourage and promote coordination and cooperation
between the research, education, and outreach programs of the
Administration and those of academic institutions; and''.
SEC. 4. COST SHARE.
Section 205(a) of the National Sea Grant College Program
Act (33 U.S.C. 1124(a)) is amended by striking ``section
204(d)(6)'' and inserting ``section 204(c)(4)(F)''.
SEC. 5. FELLOWSHIPS.
(a) Ensuring Equal Access.--Section 208(a) of the National
Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1127(a)) is amended
by adding at the end the following: ``The Secretary shall
strive to ensure equal access for minority and economically
disadvantaged students to the program carried out under this
subsection. Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of the National Sea Grant College Program Act
Amendments of 2002, and every 2 years thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress describing
the efforts by the Secretary to ensure equal access for
minority and economically disadvantaged students to the
program carried out under this subsection, and the results of
such efforts.''.
(b) Postdoctoral Fellows.--Section 208(c) of the National
Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1127(c)) is
repealed.
SEC. 6. TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP FOR SEA GRANT REVIEW PANEL.
Section 209(c)(2) of the National Sea Grant College Program
Act (33 U.S.C. 1128(c)(2)) is amended by striking the first
sentence and inserting the following: ``The term of office of
a voting member of the panel shall be 3 years for a member
appointed before the date of enactment of the National Sea
Grant College Program Act Amendments of 2002, and 4 years for
a member appointed or reappointed after the date of enactment
of the National Sea Grant College Program Act Amendments of
2002. The Director may extend the term of office of a voting
member of the panel appointed before the date of enactment of
the National Sea Grant College Program Act Amendments of 2002
by up to 1 year.''.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Subsections (a), (b), and (c) of section 212 of the
National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1131) are
amended to read as follows:
``(a) Authorization.--
``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to the Secretary to carry out this title--
``(A) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
``(B) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
``(C) $77,500,000 for fiscal year 2005;
``(D) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
``(E) $82,500,000 for fiscal year 2007; and
``(F) $85,000,000 for fiscal year 2008.
``(2) Priority activities.--In addition to the amounts
authorized under paragraph (1), there are authorized to be
appropriated for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2008--
``(A) $5,000,000 for competitive grants for university
research on the biology and control of zebra mussels and
other important aquatic nonnative species;
``(B) $5,000,000 for competitive grants for university
research on oyster diseases, oyster restoration, and oyster-
related human health risks;
``(C) $5,000,000 for competitive grants for university
research on the biology, prevention, and forecasting of
harmful algal blooms, including Pfiesteria piscicida; and
``(D) $3,000,000 for competitive grants for fishery
extension activities conducted by sea grant
[[Page H8065]]
colleges or sea grant institutes to enhance, and not
supplant, existing core program funding.
``(b) Limitations.--
``(1) Administration.--There may not be used for
administration of programs under this title in a fiscal year
more than 5 percent of the lesser of--
``(A) the amount authorized to be appropriated under this
title for the fiscal year; or
``(B) the amount appropriated under this title for the
fiscal year.
``(2) Use for other offices or programs.--Sums appropriated
under the authority of subsection (a)(2) shall not be
available for administration of this title by the National
Sea Grant Office, for any other Administration or department
program, or for any other administrative expenses.
``(c) Distribution of Funds.--In any fiscal year in which
the appropriations made under subsection (a)(1) exceed the
amounts appropriated for fiscal year 2003 for the purposes
described in such subsection, the Secretary shall distribute
any excess amounts (except amounts used for the
administration of the sea grant program) to any combination
of the following:
``(1) sea grant programs, according to their rating under
section 204(d)(3)(A);
``(2) national strategic investments authorized under
section 204(b)(4);
``(3) a college, university, institution, association, or
alliance for activities that are necessary for it to be
designated as a sea grant college or sea grant institute;
``(4) a sea grant college or sea grant institute designated
after the date of enactment of the National Sea Grant College
Program Act Amendments of 2002 but not yet evaluated under
section 204(d)(3)(A).''.
SEC. 8. ANNUAL REPORT ON PROGRESS IN BECOMING DESIGNATED AS
SEA GRANT COLLEGES AND SEA GRANT INSTITUTES.
Section 207 of the National Sea Grant College Program Act
(16 U.S.C. 1126) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(e) Annual Report on Progress.--
``(1) Report requirement.--The Secretary shall report
annually to the Committee on Resources and the Committee on
Science of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, on
efforts and progress made by colleges, universities,
institutions, associations, and alliances to become
designated under this section as sea grant colleges or sea
grant institutes, including efforts and progress made by sea
grant institutes in being designated as sea grant colleges.
``(2) Territories and freely associated states.--The report
shall include description of--
``(A) efforts made by colleges, universities, associations,
institutions, and alliances in United States territories and
freely associated States to develop the expertise necessary
to be designated as a sea grant institute or sea grant
college;
``(B) the administrative, technical, and financial
assistance provided by the Secretary to those entities
seeking to be designated; and
``(C) the additional actions or activities necessary for
those entities to meet the qualifications for such
designation under subsection (a)(1).''.
SEC. 9. COORDINATION.
Not later than February 15 of each year, the Under
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the
Director of the National Science Foundation shall jointly
submit to the Committees on Resources and Science of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on how the
oceans and coastal research activities of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including the Coastal
Ocean Program and the National Sea Grant College Program, and
of the National Science Foundation will be coordinated during
the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the report
is submitted. The report shall describe in detail any
overlapping ocean and coastal research interests between the
agencies and specify how such research interests will be
pursued by the programs in a complementary manner.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen).
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present to the House H.R. 3389, the
National Sea Grant College Program Act Amendments, a bill introduced
last fall by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) with 113
cosponsors. The Committee on Resources, the House Committee on Science,
and the Senate Committee on Commerce have worked together to thoroughly
review the Sea Grant College Program Act and thoughtfully crafted
changes to strengthen and improve the authority. The bill reauthorizes
Sea Grant for 5 years within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and makes some minor improvements to the program.
Sea Grant Colleges were envisioned as the Land-Grant colleges of the
sea, and in 1966, Congress established Sea Grant as an academic/
industry/government partnership by passing the National Sea Grant
College Act. Since then, Sea Grant colleges have developed and
sponsored research that improves conservation and management of coastal
and marine resources for the benefit of future generations.
Today, there are 30 Sea Grant College programs representing a network
of researchers, educators, and marine advisory agents at over 300
academic institutions. Although America's inland sea, the Great Salt
Lake, is not under the purview of the Sea Grant institutions, I am
still a strong supporter of the Sea Grant Program, not only because of
the importance of marine and coastal issues, but also because these
institutions are held to the highest standards of excellence and a
rigorous peer review process to ensure the quality of their research.
This bill strengthens the act by calling for an increase in
collaboration between other ocean research funding entities and the
National Sea Grant College Program to limit duplication of efforts and
enhance related research. It increases authorization levels that have
stagnated over the past number of years and ensures that the quality of
research and management within the Sea Grant College system is rewarded
through competitive merit-based disbursements of funds.
On June 19 of this year, we passed H.R. 3389 out of the House and
sent it to the Senate. They have recently, bless their hearts, passed
their version of the bill containing minor technical modifications to
our bill. We concur with and support those changes.
Sea Grant is important to the country and the reauthorization of its
underlying authority is necessary. We have improved the act through
this process, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on H.R. 3389.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, as a former Sea Grant extension agent, I am
pleased to rise in support of H.R. 3389, a bill to reauthorize the
National Sea Grant College Program Act. There is little more that I can
add to the summary of the legislation provided by the chairman of the
Committee on Resources, the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen).
However, I wanted to say that this final version of H.R. 3389
reflects a fair and noncontroversial compromise between legislation
passed by the House in June by a 407 to 2 vote and the companion
legislation passed by the other body.
Certainly the higher authorized levels for program appropriations,
revised rating and evaluation procedures, and new requirements to
enhance cooperation and coordination between Federal agencies and Sea
Grant programs will help ensure that the National Sea Grant Program
stays on the cutting edge of applied marine research, technology
transfer, education, and outreach.
Perhaps most important, Mr. Speaker, this legislation represents a
clear repudiation by the Congress of the administration's ill-advised
budget proposal to transfer the National Sea Grant Program from NOAA,
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to the National
Science Foundation.
{time} 1415
While I approve and respect NSF's mission and scientists, and while I
continue to support full funding for NSF, I, like many other Members,
believe that the national interest is best served by keeping Sea Grant
in NOAA. This legislation unequivocally reaffirms that commitment. Let
us also hope that it puts this misbegotten issue to rest once and for
all.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support passage of this important
legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert).
(Mr. BOEHLERT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3389,
which was referred to the Committee on Science, as well as the
Committee on
[[Page H8066]]
Resources. I wanted to thank the Committee on Resources, and especially
the chairman of the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife,
and Oceans, my good friend, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr.
Gilchrest), for working so cooperatively with us on this measure.
I also want to acknowledge the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers),
the chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and
Standards, who shepherded this bill through our committee.
Mr. Speaker, this bill took a little bit of work to get through the
process because we were not satisfied with simply reauthorizing the
program, or even with simply increasing its funding, although that is
an important part of the bill. We wanted to make sure that an excellent
program would become even better, and we took seriously the
administration's interest in making the funding for the program more
competitive, even as we rejected moving the program to the National
Science Foundation.
As a result, this bill will make some changes in the Sea Grant
program. The State programs will now be subject to a competitive
evaluation and ranking, and new monies will be distributed based on
those rankings. New money can also be used for national initiatives and
for new entrants in the Sea Grant program. We hope and expect that this
new approach to Sea Grant so common elsewhere in the scientific
community will spur the program to new heights.
The bill includes a review of how the new evaluation system is
working, so we are not just going to assume that our idea will pan out,
but we will put it to the test.
I am very pleased that we were able to develop a bill that recognizes
the great contributions of the Sea Grant program, retains it within
NOAA, provides additional funds, and challenges it to be more
competitive.
I want to thank the staff who worked so hard on this bill,
particularly Eric Webster on the Committee on Science and John Rayfield
on the Committee on Resources. This is a cooperative, bipartisan
effort, and I urge its approval.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).
Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to
me. I want to join in praise of the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen)
for his work on this bill, and for his longtime work on this committee.
He has done yeoman's work, and we can be very thankful for all the good
work he has done for the Congress and for the people on this particular
committee over the years.
I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3389, which reauthorizes the
National Sea Grant College Program. This final version of H.R. 3389
resolves the few minor differences between the House and Senate while
maintaining the provisions to strengthen the merit review component of
the program, and to interject more competition for additional funding.
This bill will make an important marine research and outreach program
even better. The National Sea Grant Program is unique in connecting
research results to coastal communities through a combination of
research, extension and education. In this way, it is somewhat similar
to the land grant program we developed for universities and agriculture
extension many years ago. Of course, it is not as well-funded as that
program, but this is a very good start.
Currently, there are 30 Sea Grant College Programs which fund and
incorporate research from hundreds of universities throughout the
country. I am especially proud of my home State program, the Michigan
Sea Grant Program. It plays a vital role in enhancing our Nation's
knowledge and understanding of Great Lakes issues.
While the administration has proposed to transfer the National Sea
Grant Program from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
to the National Science Foundation in its fiscal year 2003 budget
proposal, we determined it was best to keep the program in NOAA.
However, the administration did raise some legitimate concerns with the
program which we have addressed in the final version of H.R. 3389.
First, the legislation ensures that Sea Grant will better coordinate
its activities with other programs within NOAA and with NSF. To this
end, the bill requires NOAA to provide a strategic plan that
establishes the priorities for the National Sea Grant College Program
and jointly submit a report with NSF about how the oceans and coastal
research activities of both agencies will be coordinated. This will
reduce duplication and should increase the overall breadth of Federal
marine research.
Secondly, we acknowledge the unfair nature of how Federal funding is
allocated to the State programs, which appears to be based mostly on
historical averages rather than merit or need. Therefore, H.R. 3389
will require that any monies appropriated above the fiscal year 2003
levels shall be distributed to the State Sea Grant Programs on a merit
review competitive basis or distributed to national strategic
initiatives. This will ensure the State programs can continue their
vital outreach efforts while increasing the level of competition among
the State programs, and providing the National Sea Grant Office the
flexibility to use some of the additional money to address national
problems as they arise.
In addition, we added a review of this new evaluation system to
ensure that it works as we intend it. In other words, what we are
trying to do in this bill is to make certain that the peer review
mechanism applies very stringently to the research that is done, but
that the States will be able to continue their educational and
extension programs as they have in the past.
H.R. 3389 also provides much needed increases in overall funding
levels for Sea Grant. The authorization gradually increases from a
total of $78 million for fiscal year 2003 to $103 million for fiscal
year 2008. Included in that amount is $18 million a year specifically
for research into aquatic nuisance species, harmful algae blooms,
oysters, and fisheries outreach activities.
Finally, I wanted to thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr.
Gilchrest) as well as the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) for their
work in introducing H.R. 3389, and thank the gentleman from Maryland
(Mr. Gilchrest) for his leadership in these areas.
I am particularly pleased that our two committees, the Committee on
Science and the Committee on Resources, were able to work so well
together throughout this process. I look forward to working with the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) and his staff on similar joint
ventures in the next Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3389. Our
Nation's coasts, oceans, and Great Lakes will benefit from this
legislation.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu).
Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for
yielding time to me.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3389, the bill to
reauthorize the National Sea Grant College Program and to make
important amendments. These vital marine research programs provide
money to academic institutions to study marine ecosystems. The work
made possible by the Sea Grant program has led to greater understanding
of the ocean world, vitally important to our fishing communities like
Astoria, Oregon, and to the long-term health of our marine ecosystems.
In Oregon, the vast majority of marine research is done out of the
excellent College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State
University. With the help of funding through Sea Grant funds, OSU has
been able to fund important research initiatives, including the Marine
Resource Management Program, which focuses on the effective management
of marine and coastal ecosystems. Research initiatives like these are
important for long-term, responsible stewardship of our oceans.
To help our hard-hit fishing communities, we need to design better
management strategies that allow for sustainable and economically
productive fishing.
In addition, I would like to say that better understanding of our
marine ecosystems and better understanding of our marine world is a
fundamental need of expanding our base of knowledge about the world in
which we live.
[[Page H8067]]
Furthermore, as someone who wanted originally to be a marine biologist
when I was in high school, had there been more programs like this
funding for our national universities, who knows, I might have found a
more constructive thing to do with my life.
Mr. Speaker, during consideration of this bill in the Committee on
Science, I enjoyed working with my colleagues to keep Sea Grant and the
Coastal Ocean Program, another marine research program, as two distinct
programs with separate missions and scopes.
I would also like to recognize the sponsor of this bill, my good
friend, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest), and thank him for
his leadership on this bill.
In closing, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3389.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Culberson). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) that the House
suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 3389.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate amendment was
concurred in.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________