,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bgb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #aa1 #bjac
 ,mr4 ,begich introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to promote research1 monitoring1 and 
observation of the ,arctic and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,arctic ,research1  
,monitoring1 and ,observing ,act of     
#bjac4  #b4 ,findings and purpose  7a7  
,findings ,congress makes the following 
findings3  7#a7 ,the ,united ,states is 
an ,arctic ,nation with--  7,a7 an      
approximately #gjj-mile border with the 
,arctic ,ocean2  7,b7 more than         
#ajj1jjj1jjj acres of land above the    
,arctic ,circle2 and  7,c7 an even      
broader area defined as ,arctic by      
temperature1 which includes the ,bering 
,sea and ,aleutian ,islands4  7#b7 ,the 
,arctic region of the ,united ,states is
 home to an indigenous population that  

has subsisted for millennia on the      
abundance in marine mammals1 fish1 and  
wildlife1 many of which are unique to   
the region4  7#c7 ,temperatures in the  
,united ,states ,arctic region have     
warmed by #c to #d degrees ,celsius over
 the past half-century1 a rate of       
increase that is twice the global       
average4  7#d7 ,the ,arctic ice pack is 
rapidly diminishing and thinning1 and   
the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric 
,administration estimates the ,arctic   
,ocean may be ice free during summer    
months in as few as #cj years4  7#e7    
,such changes to the ,arctic region are 
having a significant impact on the      
indigenous people of the ,arctic1 their 
communities and ecosystems1 as well as  
the marine mammals1 fish1 and wildlife  
upon which they depend4  7#f7 ,such     
changes are opening new portions of the 
,united ,states ,arctic continental     
shelf to possible development for       
offshore oil and gas1 commercial        
fishing1 marine shipping1 and tourism4  

7#g7 ,existing ,federal research and    
science advisory programs focused on the
 environmental and socioeconomic impacts
 of a changing ,arctic lack a cohesive1 
coordinated1 and integrated approach and
 are not adequately coordinated with    
,state1 local1 academic1 and            
private-sector ,arctic research         
programs4  7#h7 ,the lack of research   
integration and synthesis of findings of
 ,arctic research has impeded the       
progress of the ,united ,states and     
international community in understanding
 climate change impacts and feedback    
mechanisms in the ,arctic ,ocean4  7#i7 
,an improved scientific understanding of
 the changing ,arctic is critical to the
 development of appropriate and         
effective regional1 national1 and global
 climate change adaptation strategies4  
7b7 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act  
is to establish a permanent program to  
conduct research1 monitoring1 and       
observation activities in the ,arctic-- 
7#a7 to promote and sustain a productive

 and resilient marine1 coastal1 and     
estuarine ecosystem in the ,arctic and  
the human uses of its natural resources 
through greater understanding of how the
 ecosystem works and monitoring and     
observation of its vital signs2 and     
7#b7 to track and evaluate the          
effectiveness of natural resource       
management in the ,arctic in order to   
facilitate improved performance and     
adaptive management4  #c4 ,arctic       
,research ,commission  7a7 ,duties of   
the ,arctic ,research ,commission       
,section #ajd7;a7 of the ,arctic        
,research and ,policy ,act of #aihd 7#ae
 ,u4,s4,c4 #dajc7;a77 is amended--  7#a7
 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking assist  
in establishing and inserting establish2
  7#b7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#c7 
through 7#aj7 as paragraphs 7#d7 through
 7#aa71 respectively2 and  7#c7 by      
inserting after paragraph 7#b7 the      
following3  7#c7 award--  7,a7 grants to
 ,federal1 ,state1 local1 or tribal     
governments and academic and private    

organizations to conduct research on or 
related to the ,arctic1 including to the
 marine environment of the ,arctic      
,ocean1 its adjacent seas or associated 
lesser bodies of water2 and  7,b7 such  
grants on the basis of merit in         
accordance with such national ,arctic   
research program plan2  4  7b7          
,administration of the ,commission      
,section #ajf of the ,arctic ,research  
and ,policy ,act of #aihd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4
 #daje7 is amended--  7#a7 in paragraph 
7#d71 by striking and at the end2  7#b7 
in paragraph 7#e71 by striking the      
period at the end and inserting 2 and2  
and  7#c7 by adding at the end the      
following3  7#f7 enter into agreements  
with appropriate agencies or            
organizations to administer grants made 
pursuant to this title for ,arctic      
research including reimbursement from   
funds of the ,commission to administer  
such grants4  4  7c7 ,compensation of   
,commission members ,section            
#ajc7;d77#a7 of the ,arctic ,research   

and ,policy ,act of #aihd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4
 #dajb7;d77#a77 is amended by striking  
for compensation in the second sentence 
and inserting by the ,federal           
,government or any ,state or local      
government4  7d7 ,conflicts of interest 
7#a7 ,arctic ,research ,commission      
,section #ajc of the ,arctic ,research  
and ,policy ,act of #aihd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4
 #dajb7 is amended by adding at the end 
the following3  7e7 ,conflict of        
interest ,the ,commission shall adopt   
conflict of interest and recusal        
provisions that apply to any decision by
 the ,commission and to all members of  
the ,commission as if each member of the
 ,commission is an affected individual  
within the meaning of section #cjb7;j7  
of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery      
,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af 
,u4,s4,c4 #aheb7;j771 except that in    
addition to the disclosure requirements 
of paragraph 7#b7 of such section       
#cjb7;j71 each member of the ,commission
 shall disclose any financial interest  

or relationship in an organization or   
with an individual that is applying for 
funding from the ,commission held by the
 member of the ,commission1 including an
 interest as an officer1 director1      
trustee1 partner1 employee1 contractor1 
agent1 or other representative4  4  7#b7
 ,north ,pacific ,research ,board       
,subsection 7e7 of section #dja of the  
,department of the ,interior and        
,related ,agencies ,appropriations ,act1
 #aiih 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #adgd;d7 is       
amended--  7,a7 in paragraph 7#d77;,b71 
by striking #ae percent and inserting   
#bj percent2 and  7,b7 by striking      
paragraph 7#e7 and inserting the        
following3  7#e7 ,the ,board shall adopt
 conflict of interest and recusal       
provisions that apply to any decision by
 the ,board and to all members of the   
,board as if each member of the ,board  
is an affected individual within the    
meaning of section #cjb7;j7 of the      
,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery             
,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af 

,u4,s4,c4 #aheb7;j771 except that in    
addition to the disclosure requirements 
of paragraph 7#b7 of such section       
#cjb7;j71 each member of the ,board     
shall disclose any financial interest or
 relationship in an organization or with
 an individual that is applying for     
funding from the ,board1 including an   
interest as an officer1 director1       
trustee1 partner1 employee1 contractor1 
agent1 or other representative4  4  #d4 
,environmental ,improvement and         
,restoration ,fund  7a7 ,transfer and   
availability of amounts earned          
,subsection 7c7 of section #dja of the  
,department of the ,interior and        
,related ,agencies ,appropriations ,act1
 #aiih 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #adgd;d7 is       
amended--  7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by   
striking ,to the extent provided in the 
subsequent appropriations ,acts1 #hj    
percent of such amounts shall be made   
available and inserting #dj percent of  
such amounts shall be made available    
without further appropriations2  7#b7 in

 paragraph 7#b71 by striking #bj percent
 and inserting #be percent2 and  7#c7 by
 adding at the end the following3  7#c7 
#be percent of such amounts shall be    
made without further appropriation to   
the ,united ,states ,arctic ,research   
,commission for the purposes of carrying
 out research and monitoring in the     
,arctic as provided in subsection 7f74  
7#d7 #aj percent of such amounts shall  
be made available without further       
appropriations to the ,secretary of     
,commerce to fund the ,alaska ,ocean    
,observing ,program as provided in      
subsection 7g74  4  7b7 ,authority ,to  
accept non-,federal funds for use by    
,north ,pacific ,research ,board        
,subsection 7e7 of such section is      
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  7#f7 ,acceptance of         
non-,federal funds ,the ,secretary of   
,commerce may accept funds from a source
 other than the ,government of the      
,united ,states to be used by the ,board
 to carry out this subsection4  4  7c7  

,use of funds ,such section is further  
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  7f7 ,united ,states ,arctic 
,research ,commission  7#a7 ,use of     
funds ,funds available under subsection 
7c77#c7 shall be used by the ,arctic    
,research ,commission established by    
section #ajc of the ,arctic ,research   
and ,policy ,act of #aihd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4
 #dajb7 to award grants under subsection
 7a77#c7 of such section4  7#b7         
,limitation ,not more than #bj percent  
of funds available under subsection     
7c77#c7 may be used for costs associated
 with administering the awarding of     
grants under section #ajc7;a77#c7 of the
 ,arctic ,research and ,policy ,act of  
#aihd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #dajb7;a77#c774    
7g7 ,alaska ,ocean ,observing ,system   
,funds available under subsection       
7c77#d7 shall be used to support the    
,alaska ,ocean ,observing ,system in a  
manner consistent with the ,integrated  
,coastal and ,ocean ,observation ,system
 ,act of #bjji 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #cfja et  

seq471 for the purpose of establishing  
long-term ocean observing systems and   
monitoring programs in waters of the    
,united ,states in the ,north ,pacific1 
,bering ,sea1 and ,arctic ,ocean4 ,not  
more than #bj percent of the funds made 
available pursuant to subsection 7c77#d7
 may be used to provide administrative  
support under this subsection4  7h7     
,duplication of effort2 report ,programs
 and grants funded pursuant to          
paragraphs 7#b71 7#c71 and 7#d7 of      
subsection 7c7 shall seek to avoid      
duplicating other research activities4  
,the ,north ,pacific ,research ,board1  
the ,arctic ,research ,commission1 and  
the ,alaska ,ocean ,observing ,system   
shall--  7#a7 meet not less than once   
annually to promote coordination among  
research programs and projects2 and     
7#b7 submit to ,congress and the        
,president an annual report on the      
status of research conducted pursuant to
 this title4  7i7 ,arctic defined ,in   
this section1 the term ,arctic has the  

meaning given that term in section #aab 
of the ,arctic ,research and ,policy    
,act of #aihd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #daaa74  4