SEA GRANT STRATEGIC RESEARCH PROGRAM.

SEC. 3106. SEA GRANT STRATEGIC RESEARCH PROGRAM. (a) In General.— Section 206 (33 U.S.C. 1125) is amended to read as follows: “SEC. 206. STRATEGIC MARINE RESEARCH PROGRAM. “(a) Grant and Contract Authority.— The Under Secretary may make grants and enter into contracts to carry out the strategic research program provided for under this section. A grant or contract may cover up to 100 percent of the cost of the research for which the grant or contract is made or awarded. “(b) Strategic Research Plan.— Within 1 year after the effective date of the Marine Science, Technology, and Policy Development Act of 1987, and every 3 years after that date, the Under Secretary shall develop and publish in the Federal Register, a sea grant strategic research plan for the next 3 years. The plan shall— “(1) identify and describe a limited number of priority areas for strategic research in fields associated with ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources; and “(2) indicate the goals and timetables for the research in those fields. “(c) Consultation and Congressional Review.— “(1) Consultation.— In developing each sea grant strategic research plan, the Under Secretary shall consult with relevant Federal agencies; sea grant directors; other representatives of sea grant colleges, sea grant programs, and sea grant regional consortia; non-governmental marine scientists; and other interested parties, both public and private. “(2) Submittal to congress.— Upon publication of each sea grant strategic research plan under subsection (b), the Under Secretary shall submit the plan to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of the House of Representatives. “(3) Restriction on grants and contracts.— The Under Secretary shall not make a grant or enter into a contract under this section for priority area research under a strategic research plan before the 45th day after the date of receipt of the plan by the Committees referred to in paragraph (2). 101 STAT. 1472 “(d) Criteria for Areas to be Included in Plan.— In selecting priority areas for inclusion in the sea grant strategic research plan, the Under Secretary shall concentrate on— “(1) critical resource and environmental areas that are precluded from adequate funding under other provisions of this Act because of— “(A) their national, international, or global scope, fundamental nature, or long-range aspects; “(B) the scale of the needed research effort; or “(C) the need for the broadest possible university involvement; and “(2) areas where the strength and capabilities of the sea grant colleges, sea grant programs, and sea grant regional consortia in mobilizing talent for sustained programmatic research and technology transfer make them particularly qualified to manage strategic marine research under this section. “(e) Contract and Grant Requirements.— Subsections (c) and (d) of section 205 apply to applications for grants or contracts, and to grants made and contracts entered into, under this section. (b) Regulations.— Within 1 year after the effective date of this title, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere shall adopt rules and regulations in accordance with section 553 of title 5, United States Code, to carry out section 206(a), after giving notice and opportunity for full participation by relevant Federal agencies; State agencies; local governments; regional organizations; nongovernmental marine scientists; sea grant directors and other representatives of sea grant colleges, programs, and regional consortia; and other interested parties, both public and private.