SEA GRANT INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM.

SEC. 3111. SEA GRANT INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM. Section 3 of the Sea Grant Program Improvement Act of 1976 (33 U.S.C. 1124a) is amended to read as follows: “SEC. 3. SEA GRANT INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM. “(a) In General.— The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere may enter into contracts and make grants under this section to— 101 STAT. 1475 “(1) enhance cooperative international research and educational activities on ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources; “(2) promote shared marine activities with universities in countries with which the United States has sustained mutual interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources; “(3) encourage technology transfer that enhances wise use of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources in other countries and in the United States; “(4) promote the exchange among the United States and foreign nations of information and data with respect to the assessment, development, utilization, and conservation of such resources; “(5) use the national sea grant college program as a resource in other Federal civilian agency international initiatives whose purposes are fundamentally related to research, education, technology transfer and public service programs concerning the understanding and wise use of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources; and “(6) enhance regional collaboration between foreign nations and the United States with respect to marine scientific research, including activities which improve understanding of global oceanic and atmospheric processes, undersea minerals resources within the exclusive economic zone, and productivity and enhancement of living marine resources in— “(A) the Caribbean and Latin American regions; “(B) the Pacific Islands region; “(C) the Arctic and Antarctic regions; “(D) the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; and “(E) the Great Lakes. “(b) Eligibility, Procedures, and Requirements.— Any sea grant college, sea grant program, or sea grant regional consortium, and any institution of higher education, laboratory, or institute (if the institution, laboratory, or institute is located within a State, as defined in section 203(14) of the National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1122(14)), may apply for and receive financial assistance under this section. The Under Secretary shall prescribe rules and regulations, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to carry out this section. Before approving an application for a grant or contract under this section, the Under Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of State. A grant made, or contract entered into, under this section is subject to section 205(d) (2) and (4) of the National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1124(d) (2) and (4)) and to any other requirements that the Under Secretary considers necessary and appropriate.”.