NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 13 



obtained support from the various agencies for the undertaking Df new 

 programs and has been effective in the development of oceanographic 

 policy in the United States. 



An integral part of the normal programs of numerous Federal 

 agencies relates to oceanographic activities. The Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution would be greatly weakened in its operation of the Museum of 

 Natural History if its competence in biological oceanography were 

 removed to some other agency. The Board of Regents of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, therefore, recommends against the enactment 

 of H.R. 921. 



The Bm-eau of the Budget advises that there is no objection to the 

 submission of this report from the standpoint of the administration's 

 program. 



Sincerely yours, 



S. Dillon Ripley, Secretary. 



General Counsel of the Treasury, 



Washington, B.C., July 30, 1965. 

 Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 

 House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 



Dear Mr. Chairman : This is in reply to your request for the views 

 and recommendations of this Department on H.R. 921, to establish the 

 National Oceanographic Agency. 



Tlie bill would establish an independent National Oceanographic 

 Agency headed by an Administrator. The Agency would have the re- 

 sponsibility for establishing a coordinated national program for ocean- 

 ography and related sciences including meteorology. Tlie bill would 

 transfer to the Agency all functions relating to oceanography and re- 

 lated sciences which are vested, on the date of enactment, in any offi- 

 cer, employee, department, agency, or instrumentality of the United 

 States. Further, the bill would transfer to the Agency so much of 

 the personnel, property, records, and unexpended balances of ap- 

 propriations, allocation, and other funds of any department, agency, 

 or instrumentality of the United States with respect to which any 

 function is transferred as the Director of the Bureau of the Budget 

 determines necessary in connection with the exercises by the Agency 

 of tlie functions so transferred. 



The Coast Guard's mission in oceanography constitutes an impor- 

 tant but collateral part of its activities. Normally, oceanographic 

 tasks are accomplished in conjunction with or as a part of the ac- 

 complishment of other Coast Guard activities. There is only one 

 vessel of the Coast Guard whose functions are primarily oceanographic 

 and this is a vessel used in connection with the International Ice Pa- 

 trol. Most of the other major vessels of the Coast Guard, although 

 engaged in work involving oceanography, carry out these tasks in con- 

 nection with the performance of other statutory functions. Such 

 methods have resulted in the accumulation of significant data with a 

 minimum expenditure of funds. 



As proposed, H.R. 921 presents difficulties of application. One dif- 

 ficulty relates to the role of the proposed Agency and a second to tha;t 

 Agency's scope of operations. 



