[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.

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