FEDERAL LEGISLATION FOR OCEANOGRAPHY, 195 6-65 3 



April 20-22, 1960. "Marine Science" hearings on S. 2692 convened 

 by Senate Commerce Committee. 



Ai^ril 28-29, 1960. General bearings on "Frontiers in Oceanic Re- 

 searcb" convened by House Science and Astroneaitics Committee. 



May 2, 1960. H.R. 12018, introduced by Congressman George P. 

 Miller, to establish within Coast and Geodetic Survey a new 

 National Oceanographic Data Center and National Instrumenta- 

 tion Test and Calibration Center (Note 8). 



May 17-25, 1960. Hearings on H.R. 9361 convened by Special 

 Committee on Oceanography, House Merchant Marine and 

 Fisheries Committee. 



June 7, 1960. Senate Commerce Committee reported out favorably 

 Marine Sciences and Research Act, S. 2692, as amended; Senate 

 Report 1525 (Note 9). 



June 17, 1960. H.R. 12700, introduced by Congressman Overton 

 Brooks to amend the NSF Act of 1950 by creating, in the Na- 

 tional Science Board, a Special Committee on Marine Sciences 

 composed of Government officials and university scientists to 

 develop and encourage a national program in marine sciences, to 

 encourage cooperation, and to evaluate Government-wide pro- 

 grams in this field. 



June 25, 1960. Senate passed S. 2692 unanimously. 



July 1, 1960. House Science and Astronautics Committee released 

 Report 2078 detailing the importance of oceanography to the 

 Nation, and resources necessary to achieve these goals, and con- 

 cluding that a federally sponsored program was probably needed 

 amounting to $160 million per year for the next 10 years (Note 10). 



87th Congress 



February 9, 1961. S. 901, Marine Sciences and Research Act of 1961, 

 similar to S. 2692 of 86th Congress, introduced by Senator 

 Warren G. Alagnuson. 



February 13, 1961, H.R. 4276, Oceanographic Act of 1961, introduced 

 by Congressman George P. Miller, to expand and develop 

 aquatic resources of the United States by creating a new National 

 Oceanographic Council with representation of six agencies at 

 Cabinet level, (1) to develop long-range plans, (2) coordinate 

 interagency programs, (3) to establish a new data center and 

 instrum^entation center, (4) to strengthen Smithsonian Institution 

 activity in the programs, and (5) to report annually to Congress. 

 The proposed National Oceanographic Council, patterned after 

 the National Aeronautics and Space Council, was established 

 under Public Law 85-568 when NASA was established. 



February 15, 1961. H.R. 4340, introduced by Congressman George P. 

 Miller, to expand functions of Coast Guard to include oceano- 

 graphic research. 



February 15, 1961. House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee 

 established Standing Subcommittee on Oceanography. 



February 23, 1961. Special message on Natural Resources trans- 

 mitted to Congress by President John F. Kennedy, emphasizing, 

 among other areas, need for oceanographic research. 



51-129—65- 



