Hydrographic Services Amendments of 2004

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 958 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

2d Session
H. R. 958

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 24, 2004

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

AN ACT

To authorize certain hydrographic services programs, to name a cove in
Alaska in honor of the late Able Bodied Seaman Eric Steiner Koss, and
for other purposes.

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 ``Hydrographic Services Amendments of
2004''.

TITLE I--NOAA HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES IMPROVEMENT

SEC. 101. REFERENCES.

Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this title an
amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal
of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to
be made to a section or other provision of the Hydrographic Services
Improvement Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 892 et seq.).

SEC. 102. FUNCTIONS OF ADMINISTRATOR.

(a) Regional Navigation Response Teams.--Section 303(a) (33 U.S.C.
892a(a)) is amended by striking paragraphs (7) and (8) and inserting
the following:
``(7) establish, equip, and maintain up to 4 Regional
Navigation Response teams in priority coastal areas identified
by the Secretary, in consultation with the Commandant of the
Coast Guard, to conduct activities related to navigational
safety and the validation of hydrographic data;
``(8) to the greatest extent practicable and cost-
effective, fulfill the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (7)
through contracts or other agreements with private sector
entities; and
``(9) participate in the development of, and implement for
the United States in cooperation with other appropriate Federal
agencies, international standards for hydrographic data and
hydrographic services.''.
(b) Authority To Accept Volunteer Services.--Section 303 (33 U.S.C.
892a) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Authority To Accept Volunteer Services.--
``(1) In general.--To help fulfill the duties of the
Administrator, including authorities under the Act of 1947 (33
U.S.C. 883a et seq.), this Act, or in response to a maritime
emergency, the Administrator may--
``(A) establish a volunteer program; and
``(B) enter into special agreements with qualified
organizations to assist in the implementation of a
volunteer program.
``(2) Legal status of volunteers.--
``(A) Paragraphs (1) through (5) of section 7(c) of
the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(c))
shall apply to volunteers who provide services to the
Administrator under a volunteer program established
under paragraph (1).
``(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), any
reference in section 7(c) of the Fish and Wildlife Act
of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(c)) to the Secretary of
Interior or the Secretary of Commerce is deemed to
refer to the Administrator.
``(3) Qualified organization.--In this subsection, the term
`qualified organization' means a nongovernmental, not-for-
profit organization, determined by the Administrator to have
demonstrated expertise in boating safety and a commitment to
improving the quality of hydrographic services and related
oceanographic and meteorological information that is made
available to mariners.
``(e) Participation in Joint Institute.--The Secretary may
participate in a joint institute that develops new hydrographic
technology and conducts academic, educational, and outreach activities
that assist the Administrator in fulfilling the functions of the
Administrator under this section.''.

SEC. 103. KOSS COVE.

(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law or
existing policy, the cove described in subsection (b) shall be known
and designated as ``Koss Cove'', in honor of the late Able Bodied
Seaman Eric Steiner Koss of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration vessel RAINIER who died in the performance of a nautical
charting mission off the Alaskan coast.
(b) Cove Described.--The cove referred to in subsection (a) is--
(1) adjacent to and southeast of Point Elrington, Alaska,
and forms a portion of the southern coast of Elrington Island;
(2) \3/4\ mile across the mouth;
(3) centered at 59 degrees 56.1 minutes North, 148 degrees
14 minutes West; and
(4) 45 miles of Seward, Alaska.
(c) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, document,
record, map, or other paper of the United States to the cove described
in subsection (b) is deemed to be a reference to Koss Cove.

SEC. 104. DEPICTION OF SAME SHORELINES ON CHARTS AND MAPPING PRODUCTS.

Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of the Act, the
Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior, in
consultation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall
provide to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate a plan to depict the same shorelines on National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration nautical charts and United States Geological
Survey mapping products.

SEC. 105. AMENDMENTS TO THE HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES PANEL.

Section 305 of the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998
(33 U.S.C. 892c) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``Secretary'' and
inserting ``Secretary of Commerce''; and
(2) in subsection (c)(3), subsection (d), and subsection
(e), by striking ``Secretary'' each place it appears and
inserting ``Administrator''.

SEC. 106. GREAT LAKES WATER LEVEL MEASUREMENTS.

Section 306(5) of the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998
(33 U.S.C. 892d(5)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (E) as
clauses (i) through (v), respectively;
(2) by striking ``(5)'' and inserting ``(5)(A)''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(B) Of the amounts authorized under subparagraph (A),
$2,000,000 in each fiscal year is authorized for the Great
Lakes Water Level Observation Network.''.

TITLE II--FISHERY SURVEY VESSELS

SEC. 201. FISHERY SURVEY VESSELS.

Section 302(c) of the Fisheries Survey Vessel Authorization Act of
2000 (33 U.S.C. 891b note) is amended by striking ``$60,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2002 and 2003'' and inserting ``$51,000,000 for
fiscal year 2005 and $39,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.

SEC. 202. ACQUISITION OF HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY VESSEL.

No later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Commerce shall submit to the Committee on Resources of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate--
(1) a detailed requirements package and cost estimate for
the construction and equipping of a hydrographic survey vessel
that is capable of--
(A) staying at sea continuously for at least 30
days;
(B) carrying at least 4 hydrographic survey
launches;
(C) conducting hydrographic surveys; and
(D) conducting other work necessary to provide
mariners with the accurate and timely data needed to
conduct safe and efficient maritime commerce;
(2) an explanation of what vessel or vessels would be
retired if a vessel described in paragraph (1) were to become
operational; and
(3) a comparison of the 10-year estimated costs of
operation and maintenance of a new vessel described in
paragraph (1) versus such costs for a vessel or vessels
proposed for retirement under paragraph (2).

Passed the House of Representatives March 23, 2004.

Attest:

JEFF TRANDAHL,

Clerk.

By Gerasimos C. Vans,

Deputy Clerk.