Fritz Hollings

Mr. HOLLINGS

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, the distinguished chairman, Senator McCain, and myself have four amendments that we will send to the desk in due time. One is a Wyden amendment which is a privacy study of the CAPP Program, Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening. I send it to the desk.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Yes, we are going to go ahead and vote on it.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I also have another amendment by the distinguished Senator from Florida, Mr. Nelson, which deals with the background checks of new pilots on the smaller planes.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Yes, it has been approved. I send the amendment to the desk.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, let me check with my distinguished colleague from Mississippi. This is a Jeffords amendment.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I urge adoption of the amendment.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, on behalf of the distinguished Senator from Vermont, Mr. Jeffords, this amendment takes care of the EAS eligibility up in Vermont. This has been checked through. I send the amendment to the desk.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. HOLLINGS. That is correct.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, the Department of the Interior and the Park Service approved the amendment. We also support its adoption.

Mr. HOLLINGS. I thank the Senator from South Carolina for supporting the amendment.

Mr. HOLLINGS. This has to do with air quality of new equipment that has been cleared. I urge its adoption.

Mr. HOLLINGS. On behalf of the distinguished Senator from West Virginia, Senator Rockefeller, I send an amendment to the desk and ask the clerk to report. It has to do with the small carrier sharing and the war supplemental.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, on behalf of the Senator from Hawaii, Senator Inouye, and the Senator from Ohio, Senator Voinovich, I send an amendment to the desk and ask it be reported. It has to do with credit cards, when one of the carriers is in default and the other carrier has to pick up or honor the tickets. Since there is a peculiar situation, this is taking care of that situation. It has been cleared on both sides.

Mr. HOLLINGS. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. HOLLINGS. I thank the Senator. As you know, I voted against this amendment when it came before the Senate Commerce Committee. I agree with the Senator from Virginia that we should not change the slot rules at National whatsoever. It is foolhardy and is bad aviation policy. We should not change the rules just because of politics. They have served the local community well, enabling the expansion of Dulles while protecting those that live near the airport. Short hauls leave from National, and long hauls from Dulles. We may not like to drive all the way out to Dulles, but we built, with Federal airport grant moneys, that highway dedicated to access to Dulles. We used the law to plan for growth. We should not change it now at the behest of some. I yield back to the Senator from Virginia.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, let me also thank the distinguished chairman of our committee who has led the fight on the floor today. He did a most efficient job. With respect to, of course, Senator Lott and Senator Rockefeller of the Subcommittee on Aviation of the Commerce Committee, they are the ones who did the lion's share of the work with the hearings and preparing us so that we could handle this with expedition today. I thank staff on both sides. Let me add this for my good friend, the Senator from Mississippi. I happen to favor the Specter amendment for the simple reason that I cannot understand the Federal Aviation Administration requiring rules of safety for repair facilities in the United States but not requiring those same rules of safety for repair facilities by the U.S. contractors for U.S. aircraft. I just can't get that separation in my mind. I have listened closely. I hate to not come down on the side of the Senator from Mississippi because he has been our chairman and has led the way all day here. I say that publicly because, on the Democratic side of the aisle, there could be those who would favor language and the admonition of the Senator from Mississippi in the perfecting amendment. Senator Boxer has spoken in behalf of Senator Specter's amendment. I happen to favor it. Usually we note at the desk the disposition on this side. I don't want to mislead. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HOLLINGS

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to spur the advent of an exciting new field of research, one that explores the role of the oceans in human health. I am pleased to be joined in this effort by the distinguished Senator from Alaska, Ted Stevens, who is cosponsoring this bill. The Oceans and Human Health Act proposes to establish a national interagency program that will coordinate research efforts and ensure the availability of an adequate Federal investment in this critical area. It also would establish a program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to strengthen and coordinate its work in this very important arena. In recent years, we have gained a renewed appreciation for the importance of the ocean to our future and well-being. We now recognize that human health is one are in which the oceans exert major influences that are both positive and negative. However, studying this relationship is challenging. To be successful, a research program must integrate disciplines, bringing together oceanographers and biomedical researchers to better understand marine processes, reduce public health risks and enhance our biomedical capabilities. Pioneering scientists are needed to tackle marine environmental issues that affect human and marine life alike, such as ocean pollution, marine pathogens and potential drug discoveries. A number of Federal agencies would share responsibility and expertise for such a program, requiring that capabilities be harnessed across such diverse entities as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. The rich biodiversity of marine organisms represent an important biomedical resource, a promising source of novel compounds with therapeutic potential, and a potentially significant contribution to the national economy. A 1999 National Research Council report, From Monsoons to Microbes, noted that nature has been the traditional source of new pharmaceuticals and found that over 50 percent of the marketed drugs are extracted from natural sources or produced using natural products. Virtually every type of life that exists on this planet is found in the sea and many types of plants and animals are exclusively marine. While the oceans are a repository for much of our biodiversity, little of it has been catalogued or studied. One important aspect that we have yet to explore is the potential of marine life to produce chemicals for treating diseases. There are only three marine compounds now in clinical use--and these were developed in the 1950s. While there are some new compounds in the pipeline, we need to speed this effort up to ensure we get more approved sooner. But our relationship to the sea also has a darker side. The oceans drive climate and weather factors causing severe weather events and shifts in temperature and rainfall patterns. These changes in turn affect the density and distribution of disease-causing organisms and the ability of public health systems to address them. In addition, the oceans act as a route of exposure for human disease and illnesses through ingestion of contaminated seafood and direct contact with seawater containing toxins and disease-causing organisms. We need to know more about how our health is affected by the marine environment. We must ensure that the sea maintains its capacity to sustain itself without becoming a ``Dead Zone.'' We must find ways to monitor and reduce the occurrence of ocean toxins that kill marine mammals and taint seafood. As with cancer, our goal must be understanding and prevention, rather than relying exclusively on treatment. Research on the health of marine organisms, including marine mammals and other sentinel species, can assist scientists in their efforts to investigate and understand human physiology and biochemical processes, as well as providing a means for monitoring the health of marine ecosystems. Unfortunately such research often does not fall clearly within a single federal agency's mission. The dolphins of Florida's Indian River Lagoon provide an example of a marine population that is the victim of contaminated habitat and food. The result is unusually high mortality rates and harmful health effects. Not only is the population at risk, but it provides a clear indicator of environmental pollution concerns for its human neighbors. We must harness the sciences of genomics, forensics and ecology and put them to work in the marine world, creating an ocean Center for Disease Control--a ``CDC for the Oceans''. An exciting example of this new interdisciplinary and medically- oriented approach to ocean research can be found at NOAA's two marine laboratories in Charleston, including a unique research partnership among NOAA, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), the State of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina, and the College of Charleston, formerly known as the Marine Environmental Health Research Laboratory, and now referred to as the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML). HML works with a variety of Federal, State, and academic partners around the Nation and is on the front lines of discovery and prevention, particularly in the emerging field of marine genomics. They are hard at work on today's important public and marine environmental health issues. Their exciting dolphin health research will for the first time utilize a traditional medical approach to diagnosing and documenting dolphin health, which will help us learn more about dolphins in the wild than we have ever known. In addition, HML scientists, important partners in the Coral Disease and Health Consortium, are already analyzing samples from the two Florida coral reefs ``quarantined'' by NOAA today because of a fast-spreading coral disease. The HML epitomizes the variety of important disciplines that must work side-by-side if we are to make progress in this area. It is home to cutting-edge research involving algal toxins, natural products with potential pharmaceutical applications, and viral and bacterial pathogens that cause disease in marine animals, with potential links to human illness and disease processes and natural product chemistry. Scientists at HML and its partner NOAA facility use unique medical tools such as nuclear magnetic resonators to help ``map'' cellular and genetic structure of marine organisms and have developed methods for detecting pesticides in water, sediments, fish and marine mammals that may potentially affect both the health of the marine environment and human health. They also are developing exposure, toxicology and disease models to assess their effects on a variety of marine organisms. Their work will better define ocean health and bridge the gap with existing human health models. A number of Federal agencies are now recognizing the importance of understanding health-related ocean research and to make needed investments. Last year, initiatives began both through our ocean agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as two of our Federal research institutions, the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, NIEHS, and the National Science Foundation, NSF. This past year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, received appropriations of $8 million to develop an oceans and human health initiative. Within NOAA, many programs and laboratories perform research and related activities that could contribute significantly to a national research effort, but such efforts have not realized their potential. Establishment of this coordinated, interdisciplinary program consisting of nationally-recognized research centers and an external interdisciplinary research grant program will enhance the NOAA program. In addition, last November, the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, NIEHS, National Science Foundation, NSF, invited applications for research programs to explore the relationship between marine processes and public health. The joint initiative commits $6 million annually to establish centers of excellence focusing on harmful algal blooms, water and vector-borne diseases, and marine pharmaceuticals and probes. Taken together, the NIEHS-NSF and NOAA research initiatives offer an excellent basis for building a comprehensive national program. In addition, a number of other Federal agencies are poised to make significant contributions. The Oceans and Human Health Act provides the legislative framework for a coordinated national investment to improve understanding of marine ecosystems, address marine public health problems and tap into the ocean's potential contribution to new biomedical treatments and advances. The legislation would amend the 1976 Science and Technology Act to clarify the role of the National Science and Technology Council in coordinating interagency research efforts. It would also establish an interagency committee on oceans and human health to develop a research plan and coordinate participation by NOAA, NSF, NIEHS and other agencies. Governing NOAA's contribution to the interagency effort, the bill would establish a new NOAA program on oceans and human health. At the heart of this legislation and key to its success is our commitment to building new partnerships--among Federal health, science and ocean agencies, among diverse scientific disciplines, and among academic researchers and government experts. A more detailed summary of the legislation follows: Section-by-Section Analysis Oceans and Human Health Act The Oceans and Human Health Act would authorize the establishment of a coordinated federal research program to aid in understanding and responding to the role of oceans in human health. The bill would establish a Federal interagency Oceans and Human Health initiative coordinated through the National Science and Technology Council, NSTC, as well as create an Oceans and Human Health program at the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The bill also directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coordinated public information and outreach program with the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, the Centers for Disease Control CDC, and the States to provide information on potential ocean-related human health risks. Section 1. Short Title Section 1 provides the short title of the Act is the ``Oceans and Human Health Act.'' Section 2. Findings Section 2 sets forth findings and purposes for the Act. Section 3. National Science and Technology Council Section 3 would amend the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976, 42 U.S.C. 6616, to codify the responsibilities of the National Science and Technology Council NSTC, which was established by executive Order in 1993, and whose functions have superceded the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology, FCCSET, the functions of which were transferred to the President under a 1977 executive order. The Act is also amended to clarify the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, OSTP, serves as chair of the NSTC. Subsection b replaces existing section 401 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 6651) with new text specifying NSTC functions, which focus on prompting domestic and international coordination among government, industry and university scientists. Subsection b sets forth the following as NSTC functions: 1. promote interagency efforts and communication with respect to the planning and administration of Federal scientific, engineering, and technology program. 2. identify research needs; achieve more effective use of Federal facilities and resources; 3. further international cooperation in science, engineering and technology; and 4. develop long-range and coordinated research plans. The NSTC is directed to carry out these and other related duties with the assistance of the Federal agencies represented on the Council. This subsection also authorizes the NSTC Chairman to establish standing committees and working groups to assist in developing interagency plans, conduct studies and make reports for the Chairman. Section 4. Interagency Oceans and Human Health Research Program Interagency Program. Section 4 provides for the establishment of an Interagency Oceans and Human Health Research Program, Interagency OHH Program, to be coordinated and supported by the NSTC. Subsection (a) directs the NSTC to establish a Committee on Oceans and Human Health comprised of at least one representative from NOAA, the National Science Foundation, NSF, the National Institutes of Health, NIH, CDC, EPA, FDA, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, and other agencies and department deemed appropriate by the NSTC. This section also provides for the biennial selection of a Chairman of the Committee, who shall represent an agency that contributes substantially to the Interagency OHH Program. 10-Year Implementation Plan. Subsection b directs the NSTC, through the Committee on the Oceans and Human Health, to submit to Congress within one year of enactment a 10-year implementation plan for coordinated federal activities under the Interagency OHH Program. In developing the plan, the Committee is required to consult with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia. The implementation plan will complement the ongoing activities of NOAA, NSF, the NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIEHS, and other departments and agencies, and: 1. establish the goals and priorities for Federal research related to oceans and human health; 2. describe specific activities required to achieve such goals; 3. identify relevant Federal programs and activities that would contribute to the Interagency OHH Program; 4. consider and use reports and studies conducted by Federal agencies and departments, the National Research Council, the Ocean Research Advisory Panel, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and other entities; 5. make recommendations for the coordination of national and international programs; and 6. estimate Federal funding for research activities to be conducted under the Interagency OHH Program. Scope of Interagency Program. Subsection c outlines the scope of the Interagency OHH Program, as follows: 1. Interdisciplinary and coordinated research and activities to improve our understanding of how ocean processes and marine organisms can relate to human health and contribute to medicine and research; 2. Coordination with the National Ocean Leadership Council (established under 10 U.S.C. 7902(a)) to ensure any ocean and coastal observing system provides information necessary to monitor, predict and reduce marine public health problems; 3. Development of new technologies and approaches for detecting and reducing hazards to human health from ocean sources and to strengthen understanding of the value of marine biodiversity to biomedicine; and 4. Support for scholars, trainees and education opportunities that encourage a multidisciplinary approach to exploring the diversity of life in the oceans. section 5. NOAA Oceans and human health program Establishment of NOAA Program. Section 5 would establish a NOAA program on Oceans and Human Health that would coordinate NOAA activities with the Interagency OHH Program. Subsection (a) directs the Secretary of Commerce to develop an Oceans and Human Health Program, consistent with the interagency program developed under Section 4, that will coordinate and implement research and activities within NOAA related to the role of the oceans in human health. In establishing the program, the Secretary is required to consult with other Federal agencies conducting integrated ocean health research or research in related areas, including the CDC, NSF, and HIEHS. The NOAA Oceans and Human Health Program will provide support for the following components: 1. a Program and Research Coordination Office; 2. an Advisory Panel; 3. National Center(s) of Excellence; 4. Research grants and 5. Distinguished scholars and traineeships. Program Office. Subsection (b) directs the Secretary to establish a program to coordinate oceans and human health- related research and activities within NOAA and to carry out the elements of the program. In cooperation with the Oceans and Human Health Advisory Panel established under subsection (c), the program office will serve as liaison with academic institutions and other agencies participating in the Interagency OHH Program established under Section 3. Advisory Panel. Under subsection (c), the Secretary will establish an Oceans and Human Health Advisory Panel to assist in the development and implementation of the NOAA Oceans and Human Health Program. Membership of the Advisory Group will include a balanced representation of individuals with multi- disciplinary expertise in the marine and biomedical sciences. The subsection provides that Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 1, shall not apply to the Panel. Centers of Excellence. Subsection (d) provides that the Secretary shall, through a competitive process, establish and support Centers of Excellence that strengthen NOAA's capabilities to carry out programs and activities related to the ocean's role in human health. These NOAA Centers of Excellence shall complement and be in addition to any centers of excellence for oceans and human health established through NSF or NIEHS. Centers selected for funding and support under Section 4 would focus on areas related to NOAA missions, including: 1. use of marine organisms as indicators for marine environmental health; 2. ocean pollutants; 3. marine toxins and pathogens, harmful algal blooms, seafood testing, drug discovery, biology and pathobiology of marine mammals; and 4. such disciplines as marine genomics, marine environmental microbiology, ecological chemistry and conservation medicine. The Secretary will consider the need for geographic representation and will encourage proposals that have strong scientific and interdisciplinary merit. Research Grants. Subsection (e) authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to provide grants for research and projects that explore the relationship between the oceans and human health, and that complement or strengthen NOAA-related programs and activities. In implementing this subsection, the Secretary is directed to consult with the Oceans and Human Health Advisory Panel and the National Sea Grant College Program, and may work cooperatively with other agencies in the Intergency OHH Program to establish joint criteria for such research projects. This subsection specifies that the grants shall be awarded through a peer-review or other competitive process and that such a process may be conducted jointly with other agencies participating in the Interagency OHH Program or under the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, 10

Mr. HOLLINGS

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, tomorrow I will be attending the funeral of a former colleague from the South Carolina congressional delegation, Tom Gettys, and I rise to recognize this legend from Rock Hill. I have known Congressman Gettys for many years. He came to Washington 2 years before I did, having already been an officer in the Navy, a school principal, a postmaster, and so he came in with a reputation of a person's person. It did not matter who you were in the world, he was your buddy; and since he was in a position to help people as a Member of Congress, he would and he did. He stayed just 10 years, but he made an impression for the next 30. I never heard a single bad thing said about him, and I don't know very many politicians I can say that about. He has been out of office since 1974, but everybody in my State still always refers to him as Congressman because he was just one great guy who cared about people. This Senator will miss this gentleman, always the statesman, always the one with a good story. Tomorrow, I will extend the Senate's sympathy to his wife Mary, and his daughters Julia and Sara. And to share just how much Tom meant to his community, I ask unanimous consent that this article from the Herald in Rock Hill be printed in the Record.

Mr. HOLLINGS

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to spur the advent of an exciting new field of research, one that explores the role of the oceans in human health. I am pleased to be joined in this effort by the distinguished Senator from Alaska, Ted Stevens, who is cosponsoring this bill. The Oceans and Human Health Act proposes to establish a national interagency program that will coordinate research efforts and ensure the availability of an adequate Federal investment in this critical area. It also would establish a program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to strengthen and coordinate its work in this very important arena. In recent years, we have gained a renewed appreciation for the importance of the ocean to our future and well-being. We now recognize that human health is one are in which the oceans exert major influences that are both positive and negative. However, studying this relationship is challenging. To be successful, a research program must integrate disciplines, bringing together oceanographers and biomedical researchers to better understand marine processes, reduce public health risks and enhance our biomedical capabilities. Pioneering scientists are needed to tackle marine environmental issues that affect human and marine life alike, such as ocean pollution, marine pathogens and potential drug discoveries. A number of Federal agencies would share responsibility and expertise for such a program, requiring that capabilities be harnessed across such diverse entities as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. The rich biodiversity of marine organisms represent an important biomedical resource, a promising source of novel compounds with therapeutic potential, and a potentially significant contribution to the national economy. A 1999 National Research Council report, From Monsoons to Microbes, noted that nature has been the traditional source of new pharmaceuticals and found that over 50 percent of the marketed drugs are extracted from natural sources or produced using natural products. Virtually every type of life that exists on this planet is found in the sea and many types of plants and animals are exclusively marine. While the oceans are a repository for much of our biodiversity, little of it has been catalogued or studied. One important aspect that we have yet to explore is the potential of marine life to produce chemicals for treating diseases. There are only three marine compounds now in clinical use--and these were developed in the 1950s. While there are some new compounds in the pipeline, we need to speed this effort up to ensure we get more approved sooner. But our relationship to the sea also has a darker side. The oceans drive climate and weather factors causing severe weather events and shifts in temperature and rainfall patterns. These changes in turn affect the density and distribution of disease-causing organisms and the ability of public health systems to address them. In addition, the oceans act as a route of exposure for human disease and illnesses through ingestion of contaminated seafood and direct contact with seawater containing toxins and disease-causing organisms. We need to know more about how our health is affected by the marine environment. We must ensure that the sea maintains its capacity to sustain itself without becoming a ``Dead Zone.'' We must find ways to monitor and reduce the occurrence of ocean toxins that kill marine mammals and taint seafood. As with cancer, our goal must be understanding and prevention, rather than relying exclusively on treatment. Research on the health of marine organisms, including marine mammals and other sentinel species, can assist scientists in their efforts to investigate and understand human physiology and biochemical processes, as well as providing a means for monitoring the health of marine ecosystems. Unfortunately such research often does not fall clearly within a single federal agency's mission. The dolphins of Florida's Indian River Lagoon provide an example of a marine population that is the victim of contaminated habitat and food. The result is unusually high mortality rates and harmful health effects. Not only is the population at risk, but it provides a clear indicator of environmental pollution concerns for its human neighbors. We must harness the sciences of genomics, forensics and ecology and put them to work in the marine world, creating an ocean Center for Disease Control--a ``CDC for the Oceans''. An exciting example of this new interdisciplinary and medically- oriented approach to ocean research can be found at NOAA's two marine laboratories in Charleston, including a unique research partnership among NOAA, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), the State of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina, and the College of Charleston, formerly known as the Marine Environmental Health Research Laboratory, and now referred to as the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML). HML works with a variety of Federal, State, and academic partners around the Nation and is on the front lines of discovery and prevention, particularly in the emerging field of marine genomics. They are hard at work on today's important public and marine environmental health issues. Their exciting dolphin health research will for the first time utilize a traditional medical approach to diagnosing and documenting dolphin health, which will help us learn more about dolphins in the wild than we have ever known. In addition, HML scientists, important partners in the Coral Disease and Health Consortium, are already analyzing samples from the two Florida coral reefs ``quarantined'' by NOAA today because of a fast-spreading coral disease. The HML epitomizes the variety of important disciplines that must work side-by-side if we are to make progress in this area. It is home to cutting-edge research involving algal toxins, natural products with potential pharmaceutical applications, and viral and bacterial pathogens that cause disease in marine animals, with potential links to human illness and disease processes and natural product chemistry. Scientists at HML and its partner NOAA facility use unique medical tools such as nuclear magnetic resonators to help ``map'' cellular and genetic structure of marine organisms and have developed methods for detecting pesticides in water, sediments, fish and marine mammals that may potentially affect both the health of the marine environment and human health. They also are developing exposure, toxicology and disease models to assess their effects on a variety of marine organisms. Their work will better define ocean health and bridge the gap with existing human health models. A number of Federal agencies are now recognizing the importance of understanding health-related ocean research and to make needed investments. Last year, initiatives began both through our ocean agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as two of our Federal research institutions, the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, NIEHS, and the National Science Foundation, NSF. This past year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, received appropriations of $8 million to develop an oceans and human health initiative. Within NOAA, many programs and laboratories perform research and related activities that could contribute significantly to a national research effort, but such efforts have not realized their potential. Establishment of this coordinated, interdisciplinary program consisting of nationally-recognized research centers and an external interdisciplinary research grant program will enhance the NOAA program. In addition, last November, the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, NIEHS, National Science Foundation, NSF, invited applications for research programs to explore the relationship between marine processes and public health. The joint initiative commits $6 million annually to establish centers of excellence focusing on harmful algal blooms, water and vector-borne diseases, and marine pharmaceuticals and probes. Taken together, the NIEHS-NSF and NOAA research initiatives offer an excellent basis for building a comprehensive national program. In addition, a number of other Federal agencies are poised to make significant contributions. The Oceans and Human Health Act provides the legislative framework for a coordinated national investment to improve understanding of marine ecosystems, address marine public health problems and tap into the ocean's potential contribution to new biomedical treatments and advances. The legislation would amend the 1976 Science and Technology Act to clarify the role of the National Science and Technology Council in coordinating interagency research efforts. It would also establish an interagency committee on oceans and human health to develop a research plan and coordinate participation by NOAA, NSF, NIEHS and other agencies. Governing NOAA's contribution to the interagency effort, the bill would establish a new NOAA program on oceans and human health. At the heart of this legislation and key to its success is our commitment to building new partnerships--among Federal health, science and ocean agencies, among diverse scientific disciplines, and among academic researchers and government experts. A more detailed summary of the legislation follows: Section-by-Section Analysis Oceans and Human Health Act The Oceans and Human Health Act would authorize the establishment of a coordinated federal research program to aid in understanding and responding to the role of oceans in human health. The bill would establish a Federal interagency Oceans and Human Health initiative coordinated through the National Science and Technology Council, NSTC, as well as create an Oceans and Human Health program at the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The bill also directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coordinated public information and outreach program with the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, the Centers for Disease Control CDC, and the States to provide information on potential ocean-related human health risks. Section 1. Short Title Section 1 provides the short title of the Act is the ``Oceans and Human Health Act.'' Section 2. Findings Section 2 sets forth findings and purposes for the Act. Section 3. National Science and Technology Council Section 3 would amend the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976, 42 U.S.C. 6616, to codify the responsibilities of the National Science and Technology Council NSTC, which was established by executive Order in 1993, and whose functions have superceded the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology, FCCSET, the functions of which were transferred to the President under a 1977 executive order. The Act is also amended to clarify the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, OSTP, serves as chair of the NSTC. Subsection b replaces existing section 401 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 6651) with new text specifying NSTC functions, which focus on prompting domestic and international coordination among government, industry and university scientists. Subsection b sets forth the following as NSTC functions: 1. promote interagency efforts and communication with respect to the planning and administration of Federal scientific, engineering, and technology program. 2. identify research needs; achieve more effective use of Federal facilities and resources; 3. further international cooperation in science, engineering and technology; and 4. develop long-range and coordinated research plans. The NSTC is directed to carry out these and other related duties with the assistance of the Federal agencies represented on the Council. This subsection also authorizes the NSTC Chairman to establish standing committees and working groups to assist in developing interagency plans, conduct studies and make reports for the Chairman. Section 4. Interagency Oceans and Human Health Research Program Interagency Program. Section 4 provides for the establishment of an Interagency Oceans and Human Health Research Program, Interagency OHH Program, to be coordinated and supported by the NSTC. Subsection (a) directs the NSTC to establish a Committee on Oceans and Human Health comprised of at least one representative from NOAA, the National Science Foundation, NSF, the National Institutes of Health, NIH, CDC, EPA, FDA, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, and other agencies and department deemed appropriate by the NSTC. This section also provides for the biennial selection of a Chairman of the Committee, who shall represent an agency that contributes substantially to the Interagency OHH Program. 10-Year Implementation Plan. Subsection b directs the NSTC, through the Committee on the Oceans and Human Health, to submit to Congress within one year of enactment a 10-year implementation plan for coordinated federal activities under the Interagency OHH Program. In developing the plan, the Committee is required to consult with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia. The implementation plan will complement the ongoing activities of NOAA, NSF, the NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIEHS, and other departments and agencies, and: 1. establish the goals and priorities for Federal research related to oceans and human health; 2. describe specific activities required to achieve such goals; 3. identify relevant Federal programs and activities that would contribute to the Interagency OHH Program; 4. consider and use reports and studies conducted by Federal agencies and departments, the National Research Council, the Ocean Research Advisory Panel, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and other entities; 5. make recommendations for the coordination of national and international programs; and 6. estimate Federal funding for research activities to be conducted under the Interagency OHH Program. Scope of Interagency Program. Subsection c outlines the scope of the Interagency OHH Program, as follows: 1. Interdisciplinary and coordinated research and activities to improve our understanding of how ocean processes and marine organisms can relate to human health and contribute to medicine and research; 2. Coordination with the National Ocean Leadership Council (established under 10 U.S.C. 7902(a)) to ensure any ocean and coastal observing system provides information necessary to monitor, predict and reduce marine public health problems; 3. Development of new technologies and approaches for detecting and reducing hazards to human health from ocean sources and to strengthen understanding of the value of marine biodiversity to biomedicine; and 4. Support for scholars, trainees and education opportunities that encourage a multidisciplinary approach to exploring the diversity of life in the oceans. section 5. NOAA Oceans and human health program Establishment of NOAA Program. Section 5 would establish a NOAA program on Oceans and Human Health that would coordinate NOAA activities with the Interagency OHH Program. Subsection (a) directs the Secretary of Commerce to develop an Oceans and Human Health Program, consistent with the interagency program developed under Section 4, that will coordinate and implement research and activities within NOAA related to the role of the oceans in human health. In establishing the program, the Secretary is required to consult with other Federal agencies conducting integrated ocean health research or research in related areas, including the CDC, NSF, and HIEHS. The NOAA Oceans and Human Health Program will provide support for the following components: 1. a Program and Research Coordination Office; 2. an Advisory Panel; 3. National Center(s) of Excellence; 4. Research grants and 5. Distinguished scholars and traineeships. Program Office. Subsection (b) directs the Secretary to establish a program to coordinate oceans and human health- related research and activities within NOAA and to carry out the elements of the program. In cooperation with the Oceans and Human Health Advisory Panel established under subsection (c), the program office will serve as liaison with academic institutions and other agencies participating in the Interagency OHH Program established under Section 3. Advisory Panel. Under subsection (c), the Secretary will establish an Oceans and Human Health Advisory Panel to assist in the development and implementation of the NOAA Oceans and Human Health Program. Membership of the Advisory Group will include a balanced representation of individuals with multi- disciplinary expertise in the marine and biomedical sciences. The subsection provides that Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 1, shall not apply to the Panel. Centers of Excellence. Subsection (d) provides that the Secretary shall, through a competitive process, establish and support Centers of Excellence that strengthen NOAA's capabilities to carry out programs and activities related to the ocean's role in human health. These NOAA Centers of Excellence shall complement and be in addition to any centers of excellence for oceans and human health established through NSF or NIEHS. Centers selected for funding and support under Section 4 would focus on areas related to NOAA missions, including: 1. use of marine organisms as indicators for marine environmental health; 2. ocean pollutants; 3. marine toxins and pathogens, harmful algal blooms, seafood testing, drug discovery, biology and pathobiology of marine mammals; and 4. such disciplines as marine genomics, marine environmental microbiology, ecological chemistry and conservation medicine. The Secretary will consider the need for geographic representation and will encourage proposals that have strong scientific and interdisciplinary merit. Research Grants. Subsection (e) authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to provide grants for research and projects that explore the relationship between the oceans and human health, and that complement or strengthen NOAA-related programs and activities. In implementing this subsection, the Secretary is directed to consult with the Oceans and Human Health Advisory Panel and the National Sea Grant College Program, and may work cooperatively with other agencies in the Intergency OHH Program to establish joint criteria for such research projects. This subsection specifies that the grants shall be awarded through a peer-review or other competitive process and that such a process may be conducted jointly with other agencies participating in the Interagency OHH Program or under the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, 10

Mr. HOLLINGS

Mr. HOLLINGS. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.