S. 140, BLUE GLOBE Act (Dec. 17, 2021)
Summary
Senate bill S. 140 of the 117th Congress, 1st Session, was introduced January 28, 2021, to improve data collection and monitoring of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts, and for other purposes. Whitehouse introduced it for himself, Murkowski, Merkley, and Portman, and it was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. On December 17, 2021, Cantwell reported it with an amendment. The short title is the BLUE GLOBE Act. Section 2 states the purpose of promoting the monitoring, understanding, and exploration of those waters and the sharing of related data. Section 11 states that no additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Act.
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Cite this document
“S. 140, BLUE GLOBE Act (Dec. 17, 2021).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/bills-bills-117s140rs-bills-117s140rs/
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II
Calendar No. 206
117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 140
To improve data collection and monitoring of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays,
estuaries, and coasts, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY 28, 2021
Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. MERKLEY, and Mr.
PORTMAN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and re-
ferred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
DECEMBER 17, 2021
Reported by Ms. CANTWELL, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
A BILL
To improve data collection and monitoring of the Great
Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts, and for other
purposes.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bolstering Long-term
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5 Understanding and Exploration of the Great Lakes,
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2
1 Oceans, Bays, and Estuaries Act’’ or the ‘‘BLUE GLOBE
2 Act’’.
3 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
4 The purpose of this Act is to promote and support—
5 (1) the monitoring, understanding, and explo-
6 ration of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries,
7 and coasts; and
8 (2) the collection, analysis, synthesis, and shar-
9 ing of data related to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays,
10 estuaries, and coasts to facilitate science and oper-
11 ational decision making.
12 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
13 It is the sense of Congress that—
14 (1) agencies should optimize data collection,
15 management, and dissemination, to the extent prac-
16 ticable, to maximize their impact for research, com-
17 mercial, regulatory, and educational benefits and to
18 foster innovation, scientific discoveries, the develop-
19 ment of commercial products, and the development
20 of sound policy with respect to the Great Lakes,
21 oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts;
22 (2) agencies should consider current and future
23 needs relating to supercomputing capacity, data
24 storage capacity, and public access, address gaps in
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1 those areas, and coordinate across agencies as need-
2 ed;
3 (3) the United States is a leading member of
4 the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of
5 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cul-
6 tural Organization, a founding member of the Atlan-
7 tic Ocean Research Alliance, and a key partner in
8 developing the United Nations Decade of Ocean
9 Science for Sustainable Development;
10 (4) the Integrated Ocean Observing System and
11 the Global Ocean Observing System are key assets
12 and networks that bolster understanding of the ma-
13 rine environment;
14 (5) the National Oceanographic Partnership
15 Program is a meaningful venue for collaboration and
16 coordination among Federal agencies, scientists, and
17 ocean users;
18 (6) the National Centers for Environmental In-
19 formation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
20 Administration should be looked to by other Federal
21 agencies as a primary, centralized repository for
22 Federal ocean data;
23 (7) the Marine Cadastre, a joint effort of the
24 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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25 and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, pro-
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1 vides access to data and information for specific
2 issues and activities in ocean resources management
3 to meet the needs of offshore energy and planning
4 efforts;
5 (8) the regional associations of the Integrated
6 Ocean Observing System, certified by the National
7 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the
8 quality and reliability of their data, are important
9 sources of observation information for the Great
10 Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts; and
11 (9) the Regional Ocean Partnerships and re-
12 gional data portals, which provide publicly available
13 tools such as maps, data, and other information to
14 inform decisions and enhance marine development,
15 should be supported by and viewed as collaborators
16 with Federal agencies and ocean users.
17 SEC. 4. DEFINITION OF ADMINISTRATOR.
18 In this Act, the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the
19 Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
20 in the Under Secretary’s capacity as Administrator of the
21 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
22 SEC. 5. INCREASED COORDINATION AMONG AGENCIES
23 WITH RESPECT TO DATA AND MONITORING.
24 (a) INTERAGENCY OCEAN OBSERVATION COM-
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25 MITTEE.—In addition to its responsibilities as of the date
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1 of the enactment of this Act, and in consultation with the
2 associated advisory committee authorized by section
3 12304(d) of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observa-
4 tion System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3603(d)), the Inter-
5 agency Ocean Observation Committee shall—
6 (1) work with international coordinating bodies,
7 as necessary, to ensure robust, direct measurements
8 of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and
9 coasts, including oceanographic data; and
10 (2) support cross-agency and multi-platform
11 synergy, by coordinating overlapping data collection
12 by satellites, buoys, submarines, gliders, vessels, and
13 other data collection vehicles and technologies.
14 (b) FEDERAL GEOGRAPHIC DATA COMMITTEE.—In
15 addition to its responsibilities as of the date of the enact-
16 ment of this Act, and in consultation with the National
17 Geospatial Advisory Committee, the Federal Geographic
18 Data Committee shall—
19 (1) work with international coordinating bodies,
20 as necessary, to ensure robust, continuous measure-
21 ments of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries,
22 and coasts, including satellite and geospatial data;
23 and
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1 (2) support new and old data and metadata cer-
2 tification, quality assurance, quality control, integra-
3 tion, and archiving.
4 (c) INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON OCEAN AND
5 COASTAL MAPPING.—In addition to its responsibilities as
6 of the date of the enactment of this Act, and in consulta-
7 tion with its associated advisory panel authorized by sec-
8 tion 12203(g) of the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integra-
9 tion Act (33 U.S.C. 3502(g)), the Interagency Committee
10 on Ocean and Coastal Mapping shall—
11 (1) work with international coordinating bodies,
12 as necessary, to ensure robust, continuous satellite
13 and direct measurements of the Great Lakes,
14 oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts, including bathy-
15 metric data; and
16 (2) make recommendations on how to make
17 data, metadata, and model output accessible to a
18 broader public audience, including through geo-
19 graphic information system layers, graphics, and
20 other visuals.
21 SEC. 6. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION TO COMBAT ILLEGAL,
22 UNREPORTED, AND UNREGULATED FISHING.
23 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3532 of the Maritime Se-
24 curity and Fisheries Enforcement Act (16 U.S.C. 8001)
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25 is amended—
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1 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through
2 (13) as paragraphs (7) through (14), respectively;
3 and
4 (2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the fol-
5 lowing:
6 ‘‘(6) INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES.—The term
7 ‘innovative technologies’ includes the following:
8 ‘‘(A) Improved satellite imagery and track-
9 ing.
10 ‘‘(B) Advanced electronic monitoring
11 equipment.
12 ‘‘(C) Vessel location data.
13 ‘‘(D) Improved genetic, molecular, or other
14 biological methods of tracking sources of sea-
15 food.
16 ‘‘(E) Electronic catch documentation and
17 traceability.
18 ‘‘(F) Such other technologies as the Ad-
19 ministrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
20 pheric Administration considers appropriate.’’.
21 (b) TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS.—Section 3546 of the
22 Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement Act (16
23 U.S.C. 8016) is amended—
24 (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ after
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25 the semicolon;
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1 (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at
2 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
3 (3) by adding at the end the following:
4 ‘‘(5) coordinating the application of existing in-
5 novative technologies and the development of emerg-
6 ing innovative technologies.’’.
7 SEC. 7. WORKFORCE STUDY.
8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 303(a) of the America
9 COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (33 U.S.C.
10 893c(a)) is amended—
11 (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by
12 striking ‘‘Secretary of Commerce’’ and inserting
13 ‘‘Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and At-
14 mosphere’’;
15 (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, skillsets,
16 or credentials’’ after ‘‘degrees’’;
17 (3) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘or highly
18 qualified technical professionals and tradespeople’’
19 after ‘‘atmospheric scientists’’;
20 (4) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘, skillsets,
21 or credentials’’ after ‘‘degrees’’;
22 (5) in paragraph (5)—
23 (A) by striking ‘‘scientist’’; and
24 (B) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting ‘‘,
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25 observations, and monitoring;’’
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1 (6) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘into Federal’’
2 and all that follows and inserting ‘‘, technical profes-
3 sionals, and tradespeople into Federal career posi-
4 tions;’’
5 (7) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through
6 (6) as paragraphs (3) through (7), respectively;
7 (8) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
8 lowing:
9 ‘‘(2) whether there is a shortage in the number
10 of individuals with technical or trade-based skillsets
11 or credentials suited to a career in oceanic and at-
12 mospheric data collection, processing, satellite pro-
13 duction, or satellite operations;’’; and
14 (9) by adding at the end the following:
15 ‘‘(8) workforce diversity and actions the Fed-
16 eral Government can take to increase diversity in the
17 scientific workforce; and
18 ‘‘(9) actions the Federal Government can take
19 to shorten the hiring backlog for such workforce.’’.
20 (b) COORDINATION.—Section 303(b) of such Act (33
21 U.S.C. 893c(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘Secretary of
22 Commerce’’ and inserting ‘‘Under Secretary of Commerce
23 for Oceans and Atmosphere’’.
24 (c) REPORT.—Section 303(c) of such Act (33 U.S.C.
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25 893c(c)) is amended—
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1 (1) by striking ‘‘the date of enactment of this
2 Act’’ and inserting ‘‘the date of the enactment of the
3 Bolstering Long-term Understanding and Explo-
4 ration of the Great Lakes, Oceans, Bays, and Estu-
5 aries Act’’;
6 (2) by striking ‘‘Secretary of Commerce’’ and
7 inserting ‘‘Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans
8 and Atmosphere’’; and
9 (3) by striking ‘‘to each committee’’ and all
10 that follows through ‘‘section 302 of this Act’’ and
11 inserting ‘‘to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
12 and Transportation of the Senate and the Com-
13 mittee on Natural Resources and the Committee on
14 Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
15 Representatives’’.
16 (d) PROGRAM AND PLAN.—Section 303(d) of such
17 Act (33 U.S.C. 893c(d)) is amended—
18 (1) by striking ‘‘Administrator of the National
19 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’’ and in-
20 serting ‘‘Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans
21 and Atmosphere’’; and
22 (2) by striking ‘‘academic partners’’ and all
23 that follows and inserting ‘‘academic partners.’’.
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1 SEC. 8. ACCELERATING INNOVATION AT COOPERATIVE IN-
2 STITUTES.
3 (a) FOCUS ON EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.—The Ad-
4 ministrator shall ensure that the goals of the Cooperative
5 Institutes of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
6 ministration include focusing on advancing or applying
7 emerging technologies, which may include—
8 (1) applied uses and development of real-time
9 and other advanced genetic technologies and applica-
10 tions, including such technologies and applications
11 that derive genetic material directly from environ-
12 mental samples without any obvious signs of biologi-
13 cal source material;
14 (2) deployment of, and improvements to, the
15 durability, maintenance, and other lifecycle concerns
16 of advanced unmanned vehicles, regional small re-
17 search vessels, and other research vessels that sup-
18 port and launch unmanned vehicles and sensors; and
19 (3) supercomputing and big data management,
20 including data collected through electronic moni-
21 toring and remote sensing.
22 (b) DATA SHARING.—Each Cooperative Institute
23 shall ensure that data collected from the work of the insti-
24 tute, other than classified, confidential, or proprietary
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25 data, are archived and made publicly accessible.
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1 (c) COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS.—The
2 Cooperative Institutes shall work with the Interagency
3 Ocean Observation Committee, the regional associations
4 of the Integrated Ocean Observing System, and other
5 ocean observing programs to coordinate technology needs
6 and the transition of new technologies from research to
7 operations.
8 SEC. 9. OCEAN INNOVATION PRIZE AND PRIORITIZATION.
9 (a) OCEAN INNOVATIVE PRIZES.—Not later than 4
10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and
11 under the authority provided by section 24 of the Steven-
12 son-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C.
13 3719), the Administrator, in consultation with the heads
14 of relevant Federal agencies, including the Secretary of
15 Defense, and in conjunction with nongovernmental part-
16 ners, as appropriate and at the discretion of the Adminis-
17 trator, shall establish at least one Ocean Innovation Prize
18 to catalyze the rapid development and deployment of data
19 collection and monitoring technology related to the Great
20 Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts in at least one
21 of the areas specified in subsection (b).
22 (b) AREAS.—The areas specified in this subsection
23 are the following:
24 (1) Improved eDNA analytics and deployment
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1 (2) Plastic pollution detection, quantification,
2 and mitigation, including with respect to used fish-
3 ing gear and tracking technologies to reduce or
4 eliminate bycatch.
5 (3) Advanced satellite data and other advanced
6 technology for improving scientific assessment.
7 (4) New stock assessment methods using sat-
8 ellite data or other advanced technologies.
9 (5) Advanced electronic fisheries monitoring
10 equipment and data analysis tools, including im-
11 proved fish species recognition software, confidential
12 data management, data analysis and visualization,
13 and storage of electronic reports, imagery, location
14 information, and other data.
15 (6) Autonomous and other advanced surface ve-
16 hicles, underwater vehicles, or airborne platforms for
17 data collection and monitoring.
18 (7) Artificial intelligence and machine learning
19 applications for data collection and monitoring re-
20 lated to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries,
21 and coasts.
22 (8) Coral reef ecosystem monitoring.
23 (9) Electronic equipment, chemical or biological
24 sensors, data analysis tools, and platforms to iden-
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25 tify and fill gaps in robust and shared continuous
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1 data related to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estu-
2 aries, and coasts to inform global earth system mod-
3 els.
4 (10) Means for protecting aquatic life from in-
5 jury or other ill effects caused, in whole or in part,
6 by monitoring or exploration activities.
7 (11) Discovery and dissemination of data re-
8 lated to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries,
9 and coasts.
10 (12) Water quality monitoring, including im-
11 proved detection and prediction of harmful algal
12 blooms and pollution.
13 (13) Enhancing blue carbon sequestration and
14 other ocean acidification mitigation opportunities.
15 (14) Such other areas as may be identified by
16 the Administrator.
17 (c) PRIORITIZATION OF PROPOSALS.—In selecting re-
18 cipients of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
19 and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) solicita-
20 tions and interagency grants for ocean innovation, includ-
21 ing the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, the
22 Administrator shall prioritize proposals for fiscal years
23 2021 and 2022 that address at least one of the areas spec-
24 ified in subsection (b).
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1 SEC. 10. REAUTHORIZATION OF NOAA PROGRAMS.
2 Section 306 of the Hydrographic Services Improve-
3 ment Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 892d) is amended—
4 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘$70,814,000
5 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023’’ and in-
6 serting ‘‘$71,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021
7 through 2024’’;
8 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘$25,000,000
9 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023’’ and in-
10 serting ‘‘$34,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021
11 through 2024’’;
12 (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘$29,932,000
13 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023’’ and in-
14 serting ‘‘$38,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021
15 through 2024’’;
16 (4) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘$26,800,000
17 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023’’ and in-
18 serting ‘‘$45,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021
19 through 2024’’; and
20 (5) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘$30,564,000
21 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023’’ and in-
22 serting ‘‘$35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021
23 through 2024’’.
24 SEC. 11. BLUE ECONOMY VALUATION.
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25 (a) MEASUREMENT OF BLUE ECONOMY INDUS-
26 TRIES.—The Administrator, the Director of the Bureau
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1 of Economic Analysis, the Commissioner of the Bureau
2 of Labor Statistics, the Secretary of the Treasury, and
3 the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall
4 prioritize the collection, aggregation, and analysis of data
5 to measure the value and impact of industries related to
6 the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts on
7 the economy of the United States, including living re-
8 sources, marine construction, marine transportation, off-
9 shore mineral extraction, ship and boat building, tourism,
10 recreation, subsistence, and such other industries the Ad-
11 ministrator considers appropriate (known as ‘‘Blue Econ-
12 omy’’ industries).
13 (b) COLLABORATION.—In carrying out subsection
14 (a), the Administrator shall—
15 (1) work with the Director of the Bureau of
16 Economic Analysis and the heads of other relevant
17 Federal agencies to develop a Coastal and Ocean
18 Economy Satellite Account that includes national
19 and State-level statistics to measure the contribution
20 of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and
21 coasts to the overall economy of the United States;
22 and
23 (2) collaborate with national and international
24 organizations and governments to promote consist-
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1 ency of methods, measurements, and definitions to
2 ensure comparability of results between countries.
3 (c) REPORT.—Not less frequently than once every 2
4 years, the Administrator, in consultation with the Director
5 of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Commissioner
6 of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Secretary of the
7 Treasury, and the heads of other relevant Federal agen-
8 cies, shall publish a report that—
9 (1) defines the Blue Economy, in coordination
10 with Tribal governments, academia, industry, non-
11 governmental organizations, and other relevant ex-
12 perts;
13 (2) makes recommendations for updating North
14 American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
15 reporting codes to reflect the Blue Economy; and
16 (3) provides a comprehensive estimate of the
17 value and impact of the Blue Economy with respect
18 to each State and territory of the United States, in-
19 cluding—
20 (A) the value and impact of—
21 (i) economic activities that are de-
22 pendent upon the resources of the Great
23 Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts;
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1 (ii) the population and demographic
2 characteristics of the population along the
3 coasts;
4 (iii) port and shoreline infrastructure;
5 (iv) the volume and value of cargo
6 shipped by sea or across the Great Lakes;
7 and
8 (v) data collected from the Great
9 Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts,
10 including such data collected by businesses
11 that purchase and commodify the data, in-
12 cluding weather prediction and seasonal
13 agricultural forecasting; and
14 (B) to the extent possible, the qualified
15 value and impact of the natural capital of the
16 Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts
17 with respect to tourism, recreation, natural re-
18 sources, and cultural heritage, including other
19 indirect values.
20 SEC. 12. ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY–
21 OCEANS.
22 (a) AGREEMENT.—Not later than 45 days after the
23 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall
24 seek to enter into an agreement with the National Acad-
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1 emy of Sciences to conduct the comprehensive assessment
2 under subsection (b).
3 (b) COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT.—
4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Under an agreement be-
5 tween the Administrator and the National Academy
6 of Sciences under this section, the National Acad-
7 emy of Sciences shall conduct a comprehensive as-
8 sessment of the need for and feasibility of estab-
9 lishing an Advanced Research Projects Agency–
10 Oceans (ARPA–O) that operates in coordination
11 with and with nonduplication of existing Federal
12 oceanic research programs, including programs of
13 the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research of
14 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
15 tion.
16 (2) ELEMENTS.—The comprehensive assess-
17 ment carried out pursuant to paragraph (1) shall in-
18 clude—
19 (A) an assessment of how an ARPA–O
20 could help overcome the long-term and high-risk
21 technological barriers in the development of
22 ocean technologies, with the goal of enhancing
23 the economic, ecological, and national security
24 of the United States through the rapid develop-
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25 ment of technologies that result in—
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1 (i) improved data collection, moni-
2 toring, and prediction of the ocean environ-
3 ment, including sea ice conditions;
4 (ii) overcoming barriers to the appli-
5 cation of new and improved technologies,
6 such as high costs and scale of operational
7 missions;
8 (iii) improved management practices
9 for protecting ecological sustainability;
10 (iv) improved national security capac-
11 ity;
12 (v) improved technology for fishery
13 population assessments;
14 (vi) expedited processes between and
15 among Federal agencies to successfully
16 identify, transition, and coordinate re-
17 search and development output to oper-
18 ations, applications, commercialization, and
19 other uses; and
20 (vii) ensuring that the United States
21 maintains a technological lead in devel-
22 oping and deploying advanced ocean tech-
23 nologies;
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1 (B) an evaluation of the organizational
2 structures under which an ARPA–O could be
3 organized, which takes into account—
4 (i) best practices for new research
5 programs;
6 (ii) consolidation and reorganization
7 of existing Federal oceanic programs to ef-
8 fectuate coordination and nonduplication of
9 such programs;
10 (iii) metrics and approaches for peri-
11 odic program evaluation;
12 (iv) capacity to fund and manage ex-
13 ternal research awards; and
14 (v) options for oversight of the activ-
15 ity through a Federal agency, an inter-
16 agency organization, nongovernmental or-
17 ganization, or other institutional arrange-
18 ment; and
19 (C) an estimation of the scale of invest-
20 ment necessary to pursue high priority ocean
21 technology projects.
22 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the
23 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall
24 submit to Congress a report on the comprehensive assess-
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25 ment conducted under subsection (b).
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bolstering Long-term
3 Understanding and Exploration of the Great Lakes, Oceans,
4 Bays, and Estuaries Act’’ or the ‘‘BLUE GLOBE Act’’.
5 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
6 The purpose of this Act is to promote and support—
7 (1) the monitoring, understanding, and explo-
8 ration of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and
9 coasts; and
10 (2) the collection, analysis, synthesis, and shar-
11 ing of data related to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays,
12 estuaries, and coasts to facilitate science and oper-
13 ational decision making.
14 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
15 It is the sense of Congress that Federal agencies should
16 optimize data collection, management, and dissemination,
17 to the extent practicable, to maximize their impact for re-
18 search, conservation, commercial, regulatory, and edu-
19 cational benefits and to foster innovation, scientific discov-
20 eries, the development of commercial products, and the de-
21 velopment of sound policy with respect to the Great Lakes,
22 oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts.
23 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
24 In this Act:
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25 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
26 trator’’ means the Under Secretary of Commerce for
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1 Oceans and Atmosphere in the Under Secretary’s ca-
2 pacity as Administrator of the National Oceanic and
3 Atmospheric Administration.
4 (2) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’
5 has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the
6 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
7 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
8 SEC. 5. WORKFORCE STUDY.
9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 303(a) of the America
10 COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (33 U.S.C.
11 893c(a)) is amended—
12 (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by
13 striking ‘‘Secretary of Commerce’’ and inserting
14 ‘‘Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and At-
15 mosphere’’;
16 (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, skillsets, or
17 credentials’’ after ‘‘degrees’’;
18 (3) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘or highly
19 qualified technical professionals and tradespeople’’
20 after ‘‘atmospheric scientists’’;
21 (4) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘, skillsets, or
22 credentials’’ after ‘‘degrees’’;
23 (5) in paragraph (5)—
24 (A) by striking ‘‘scientist’’; and
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1 (B) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting ‘‘, ob-
2 servations, and monitoring;’’
3 (6) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘into Federal’’
4 and all that follows and inserting ‘‘, technical profes-
5 sionals, and tradespeople into Federal career posi-
6 tions;’’
7 (7) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (6)
8 as paragraphs (3) through (7), respectively;
9 (8) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
10 lowing:
11 ‘‘(2) whether there is a shortage in the number
12 of individuals with technical or trade-based skillsets
13 or credentials suited to a career in oceanic and at-
14 mospheric data collection, processing, satellite produc-
15 tion, or satellite operations;’’; and
16 (9) by adding at the end the following:
17 ‘‘(8) workforce diversity and actions the Federal
18 Government can take to increase diversity in the sci-
19 entific workforce; and
20 ‘‘(9) actions the Federal Government can take to
21 shorten the hiring backlog for such workforce.’’.
22 (b) COORDINATION.—Section 303(b) of such Act (33
23 U.S.C. 893c(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘Secretary of Com-
24 merce’’ and inserting ‘‘Under Secretary of Commerce for
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1 (c) REPORT.—Section 303(c) of such Act (33 U.S.C.
2 893c(c)) is amended—
3 (1) by striking ‘‘the date of enactment of this
4 Act’’ and inserting ‘‘the date of the enactment of the
5 Bolstering Long-term Understanding and Exploration
6 of the Great Lakes, Oceans, Bays, and Estuaries Act’’;
7 (2) by striking ‘‘Secretary of Commerce’’ and in-
8 serting ‘‘Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans
9 and Atmosphere’’; and
10 (3) by striking ‘‘to each committee’’ and all that
11 follows through ‘‘section 302 of this Act’’ and insert-
12 ing ‘‘to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
13 Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
14 Natural Resources and the Committee on Science,
15 Space, and Technology of the House of Representa-
16 tives’’.
17 (d) PROGRAM AND PLAN.—Section 303(d) of such Act
18 (33 U.S.C. 893c(d)) is amended—
19 (1) by striking ‘‘Administrator of the National
20 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’’ and in-
21 serting ‘‘Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans
22 and Atmosphere’’; and
23 (2) by striking ‘‘academic partners’’ and all that
24 follows and inserting ‘‘academic partners.’’.
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1 SEC. 6. ACCELERATING INNOVATION AT COOPERATIVE IN-
2 STITUTES.
3 (a) FOCUS ON EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.—The Ad-
4 ministrator shall consider evaluating the goals of one or
5 more Cooperative Institutes of the National Oceanic and
6 Atmospheric Administration to include focusing on advanc-
7 ing or applying emerging technologies, which may in-
8 clude—
9 (1) applied uses and development of real-time
10 and other advanced genetic technologies and applica-
11 tions, including such technologies and applications
12 that derive genetic material directly from environ-
13 mental samples without any obvious signs of biologi-
14 cal source material;
15 (2) deployment of, and improvements to, the du-
16 rability, maintenance, and other lifecycle concerns of
17 advanced unmanned vehicles, regional small research
18 vessels, and other research vessels that support and
19 launch unmanned vehicles and sensors; and
20 (3) supercomputing and big data management,
21 including data collected through model outputs, elec-
22 tronic monitoring, and remote sensing.
23 (b) COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS.—If ap-
24 propriate, the Cooperative Institutes shall work with the
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25 Interagency Ocean Observation Committee, the regional as-
26 sociations of the Integrated Ocean Observing System, and
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1 other ocean observing programs to coordinate technology
2 needs and the transition of new technologies from research
3 to operations.
4 SEC. 7. ELECTRONIC MONITORING INNOVATION PRIZE.
5 Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment
6 of this Act, and under the authority provided by section
7 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of
8 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), the Administrator, in consultation
9 with the heads of relevant Federal agencies and nongovern-
10 mental partners, as appropriate, shall establish an Elec-
11 tronic Monitoring Innovation Prize, which may be awarded
12 for the development of advanced electronic fisheries moni-
13 toring equipment and data analysis tools, including im-
14 proved fish species recognition software.
15 SEC. 8. BLUE ECONOMY VALUATION.
16 (a) MEASUREMENT OF BLUE ECONOMY INDUS-
17 TRIES.—The Administrator, in consultation with the heads
18 of other relevant Federal agencies, shall establish a program
19 to improve the collection, aggregation, and analysis of data
20 to measure the value and impact of industries related to
21 the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts on the
22 economy of the United States, including living resources,
23 marine construction, marine transportation, offshore en-
24 ergy development and siting including for renewable en-
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25 ergy, offshore mineral production, ship and boat building,
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1 tourism, recreation, subsistence, commercial, recreational,
2 and charter fishing, seafood processing, and other fishery-
3 related businesses, aquaculture such as kelp and shellfish,
4 and other industries the Administrator considers appro-
5 priate (known as ‘‘Blue Economy’’ industries).
6 (b) COLLABORATION.—In carrying out subsection (a),
7 the Administrator shall—
8 (1) work with the Director of the Bureau of Eco-
9 nomic Analysis and the heads of other relevant Fed-
10 eral agencies to develop a Coastal and Ocean Econ-
11 omy Satellite Account that includes national, Tribal,
12 and State-level statistics to measure the contribution
13 of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts
14 to the overall economy of the United States; and
15 (2) collaborate with national and international
16 organizations and governments to promote consist-
17 ency of methods, measurements, and definitions to en-
18 sure comparability of results between countries.
19 (c) REPORT.—Not less frequently than once every 2
20 years until the date that is 20 years after the date of the
21 enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation
22 with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall pub-
23 lish a report that—
24 (1) defines the Blue Economy, in coordination
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25 with Indian Tribes, academia, the private sector,
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1 nongovernmental organizations, and other relevant
2 experts;
3 (2) makes recommendations for updating North
4 American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
5 reporting codes to reflect the Blue Economy; and
6 (3) provides a comprehensive estimate of the
7 value and impact of the Blue Economy with respect
8 to each State and territory of the United States, in-
9 cluding—
10 (A) the value and impact of—
11 (i) economic activities that are depend-
12 ent upon the resources of the Great Lakes,
13 oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts;
14 (ii) the population and demographic
15 characteristics of the population along the
16 coasts;
17 (iii) port and shoreline infrastructure;
18 (iv) the volume and value of cargo
19 shipped by sea or across the Great Lakes;
20 and
21 (v) data collected from the Great
22 Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts,
23 including such data collected by businesses
24 that purchase and commodify the data, in-
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1 cluding weather prediction and seasonal ag-
2 ricultural forecasting; and
3 (B) to the extent possible, the qualified
4 value and impact of the natural capital of the
5 Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts
6 with respect to tourism, recreation, natural re-
7 sources, and cultural heritage, including other
8 indirect values.
9 SEC. 9. ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY–OCEANS.
10 (a) AGREEMENT.—Not later than 45 days after the
11 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall
12 seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academy
13 of Sciences to conduct the comprehensive assessment under
14 subsection (b).
15 (b) COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT.—
16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Under an agreement between
17 the Administrator and the National Academy of
18 Sciences under this section, the National Academy of
19 Sciences shall conduct a comprehensive assessment to
20 evaluate—
21 (A) whether there is a need for an Advanced
22 Research Projects Agency–Oceans (ARPA–O)
23 that operates within the National Oceanic and
24 Atmospheric Administration in coordination
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25 with, but not duplicative of, existing Federal re-
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1 search programs relating to oceanic, coastal,
2 Great Lakes, estuarine, and related systems, in-
3 cluding programs of the Office of Oceanic and
4 Atmospheric Research of the National Oceanic
5 and Atmospheric Administration; and
6 (B) if there is such a need, the feasibility of
7 establishing such an ARPA–O.
8 (2) ELEMENTS.—The comprehensive assessment
9 conducted under paragraph (1) shall include—
10 (A) an assessment of how an ARPA–O may
11 help overcome the long-term and high-risk tech-
12 nological barriers in the development of ocean
13 technologies, with the goal of enhancing the eco-
14 nomic, ecological, and national security of the
15 United States through the rapid development of
16 technologies that result in—
17 (i) improved data collection, moni-
18 toring, and prediction of the ocean environ-
19 ment, including sea ice conditions;
20 (ii) overcoming barriers to the applica-
21 tion of new and improved technologies, such
22 as high costs and scale of operational mis-
23 sions;
24 (iii) improved technology for fishery
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25 stock assessments and surveys; and
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1 (iv) ensuring that the United States
2 maintains a technological lead in devel-
3 oping and deploying advanced ocean tech-
4 nologies;
5 (B) an evaluation of the organizational
6 structures under which an ARPA–O could be or-
7 ganized, which takes into account—
8 (i) best practices for new research pro-
9 grams;
10 (ii) metrics and approaches for peri-
11 odic program evaluation;
12 (iii) capacity to fund and manage ex-
13 ternal research awards; and
14 (iv) options for oversight of the activity
15 through the National Oceanic and Atmos-
16 pheric Administration;
17 (C) an estimation of the scale of investment
18 necessary to pursue high priority ocean tech-
19 nology projects; and
20 (D) in a case in which an ARPA–O is not
21 recommended as an independent office, rec-
22 ommendations to improve the Office of Oceanic
23 and Atmospheric Research of the National Oce-
24 anic and Atmospheric Administration to achieve
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25 the goals described in subparagraph (A).
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1 (c) REPORT.—
2 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months
3 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Admin-
4 istrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of
5 Congress a report on the comprehensive assessment
6 conducted under subsection (b).
7 (2) DEFINITION OF APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES
8 OF CONGRESS.—In this section, the term ‘‘appro-
9 priate committees of Congress’’ means—
10 (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science,
11 and Transportation of the Senate;
12 (B) the Committee on Appropriations of the
13 Senate;
14 (C) the Committee on Natural Resources of
15 the House of Representatives;
16 (D) the Committee on Science, Space, and
17 Technology of the House of Representatives; and
18 (E) the Committee on Appropriations of the
19 House of Representatives.
20 SEC. 10. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.
21 No additional funds are to be authorized to carry out
22 this Act.
23 SEC. 11. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.
24 No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated
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25 to carry out this Act.
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Calendar No. 206
117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION S. 140
A BILL S140
E:\BILLS\S140.RS
To improve data collection and monitoring of the
Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts,
and for other purposes.
DECEMBER 17, 2021
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