,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ggac ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #ba1 #bjbj ,mr4 ,panetta introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,natural ,resources1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,armed ,services1 and ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to reauthorize the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program ,revitalization ,act or the ,,nopp ,revitalization ,act4 #b4 ,reauthorization of ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program ,chapter #hic of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended to read as follows3 #hica4 ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary of the ,navy shall establish a program to be known as the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program4 7b7 ,purposes ,the purposes of the program are as follows3 7#a7 ,to promote the national goals of assuring national security1 advancing economic development1 protecting quality of life1 ensuring environmental stewardship1 and strengthening science education and communication through improved knowledge of the ocean4 7#b7 ,to coordinate and strengthen oceanographic efforts in support of those goals by-- 7,a7 creating and carrying out partnerships among ,federal agencies1 academia1 industry1 and other members of the oceanographic community in the areas of science1 data1 resources1 education1 and communication2 and 7,b7 accepting1 planning1 and executing oceanographic research projects funded by grants1 contracts1 cooperative agreements1 or other vehicles as appropriate1 that contribute to assuring national security1 advancing economic development1 protecting quality of life1 ensuring environmental stewardship1 and strengthening science education and communication through improved knowledge of the ocean4 #hicb4 ,ocean ,policy ,committee 7a7 ,committee ,there is established an ,ocean ,policy ,committee 7hereinafter referred to as the ,committee74 ,the ,committee shall retain the membership1 co-chairs1 and subcommittees outlined in ,executive ,order #achdj4 7b7 ,responsibilities ,the ,committee shall continue the activities of that ,committee as it was in existence on the day before the date of enactment of this ,act4 ,in discharging its responsibilities and to assist in the execution of the activities delineated in this subparagraph1 the ,committee may delegate to a subcommittee1 as appropriate4 ,the ,committee shall3 7#a7 ,prescribe policies and procedures to implement the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program4 7#b7 ,engage and collaborate1 pursuant to existing laws and regulations1 with stakeholders1 including regional ocean partnerships1 to address ocean-related matters that may require interagency or intergovernmental solutions4 7#c7 ,facilitate coordination and integration of ,federal activities in ocean and coastal waters to inform ocean policy and identify priority ocean research1 technology1 and data needs4 7#d7 ,review1 select1 and identify partnership projects for implementation under the program1 based on the following criteria3 7,a7 ,whether the project addresses important research objectives or operational goals4 7,b7 ,whether the project has1 or is designed to have1 appropriate participation within the oceanographic community of public1 academic1 commercial1 private participation or support4 7,c7 ,whether the partners have a long-term commitment to the objectives of the project4 7,d7 ,whether the resources supporting the project are shared among the partners4 7,e7 ,whether the project has been subjected to adequate review according to each of the supporting agencies4 7c7 ,annual report and brief ,not later than ,march #a of each year1 the ,committee shall post a report on a publicly available website and brief the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate2 the ,committee on ,armed ,services of the ,senate2 the ,committee on ,natural ,resources of the ,house of ,representatives2 the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives2 and the ,committee on ,armed ,services of the ,house of ,representatives on the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program4 ,the report and brief shall discuss the following3 7#a7 ,a description of activities of the program carried out during the prior fiscal year4 7#b7 ,a general outline of the activities planned for the program during the current fiscal year4 7#c7 ,a summary of projects1 partnerships1 and collaborations1 including the ,federal and non-,federal sources of funding1 continued from the prior fiscal year and projects expected to begin during the current and subsequent fiscal years1 as required in the program office report outlined in section #hicb7;f77#b77;,c74 7#d7 ,the amounts requested in the budget submitted to ,congress pursuant to section #aaje7;a7 of title #ca for the subsequent fiscal year1 for the programs1 projects1 activities and the estimated expenditures under such programs1 projects1 and activities1 to execute the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program4 7#e7 ,a summary of national ocean research priorities informed by the ,ocean ,research ,advisory ,panel required in section #hicc7;b77#d74 7#f7 ,a list of the members of the ,ocean ,research ,advisory ,panel described in section #hicc7;a7 and any working groups described in section #hicb7;f77#b77;,a7 in existence during the fiscal years covered4 ,the report and all briefing materials shall be posted to a publicly available website not later than #cj days after the briefing4 7d7 ,national oceanographic partnership fund ,there is established in the ,treasury a separate account to be known as the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program ,fund to be jointly managed by the ,secretary of the ,navy1 the ,administrator of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration1 and any other ,federal agency that contributes amounts to the ,fund4 7#a7 ,appropriation and authorized uses ,amounts in the ,fund shall be available to the ,,nopp without further appropriation to remain available for up to #e years from the date contributed or until expended for the purpose of carrying out this section4 7#b7 ,crediting of amounts to fund ,there is authorized to be credited to the ,fund the following3 7,a7 ,such amounts as determined appropriate to be transferred to the ,fund by the head of a ,federal agency or entity participating in the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program4 7,b7 ,funds provided by a ,state1 local government1 tribal government1 territory1 or possession1 or any subdivisions thereof4 7,c7 ,funds contributed by a non-profit organization1 individual1 or ,congressionally established foundation2 by private grants1 contracts1 and donations4 7#c7 ,contract and grant authority ,for the purpose of carrying out this section1 as directed by the ,committee1 departments or agencies represented on the ,committee may enter into contracts1 make grants1 including transactions authorized by paragraph 7#d71 and may transfer funds available to the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program under paragraph 7#b7 to participating departments and agencies for such purposes4 7#d7 ,cooperation with other agencies1 states1 territories1 and political subdivisions ,the ,committee or any participating ,federal agency or entity may enter into an agreement to use1 with or without reimbursement1 the land1 services1 equipment1 personnel1 and facilities of any department1 agency1 or instrumentality of the ,united ,states1 or of any ,state1 local government1 ,indian tribal government1 ,territory1 ,district of ,columbia1 or possession1 or of any political subdivision thereof1 or of any foreign government or international organization or individual1 for the purpose of carrying out this section4 7e7 ,establishment and forms of partnership projects ,a partnership project under the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program-- 7#a7 may be established by any instrument that the ,committee considers appropriate2 and 7#b7 may include demonstration projects4 7f7 ,partnership program office 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of the ,navy and ,administrator of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration shall jointly establish a partnership program office for the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program4 ,competitive procedures will be used to select an external operator for the partnership program office4 7#b7 ,duties ,the ,committee will monitor the performance of the duties of the partnership program office1 which shall consist of the following3 7,a7 ,to support working groups established by the ,committee or subcommittee and report working group activities to the ,committee1 including working group proposals for partnership projects4 7,b7 ,to support the process for proposing partnership projects to the ,committee1 including1 where appropriate1 managing review of such projects4 7,c7 ,to submit to the ,committee and make publicly available an annual report on the status of all partnership projects1 including the ,federal and non-,federal sources of funding for each project1 and activities of the office4 7,d7 ,to perform any additional duties for the administration of the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program that the ,committee considers appropriate4 #hicc4 ,ocean ,research ,advisory ,panel 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,committee shall establish an ,ocean ,research ,advisory ,panel consisting of not less than #aj and not more than #ah members appointed by the ,co-chairs1 including the following3 7#a7 ,three members who will represent the ,national ,academies of ,sciences1 ,engineering1 and ,medicine4 7#b7 ,members selected from among individuals who will represent the views of ocean industries1 ,state1 tribal1 territorial or local governments1 academia1 and such other views as the ,co-chairs consider appropriate4 7#c7 ,members selected from among individuals eminent in the fields of marine science1 marine technology1 and marine policy1 or related fields4 ,the ,committee shall ensure that an appropriate balance of academic1 scientific1 industry1 and geographical interests and gender and racial diversity are represented by the members of the ,advisory ,panel4 7b7 ,responsibilities ,the ,committee shall assign the following responsibilities to the ,advisory ,panel3 7#a7 ,to advise the ,committee on policies and procedures to implement the ,national ,oceanographic ,partnership ,program4 7#b7 ,to advise the ,committee on matters relating to national oceanographic science1 engineering1 facilities1 or resource requirements4 7#c7 ,to advise the ,committee on improving diversity1 equity1 and inclusion in the ocean sciences and related fields 7#d7 ,to advise the ,committee on national ocean research priorities4 7#e7 ,any additional responsibilities that the ,committee considers appropriate4 7#f7 ,to meet no fewer than two times a year4 7c7 ,administrative and technical support ,the ,administrator of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration shall provide such administrative and technical support as the ,ocean ,research ,advisory ,panel may require4 7d7 ,federal advisory committee act ,section #ad of the ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app47 shall not apply to the ,ocean ,research ,advisory ,panel appointed under section #hicc4 4