24 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



General Counsel of the Treasury, 



Washington, D.G., July SO, 1965. 

 Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman, Gomnmbtee 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. 2218, to provide for 

 a comprehensive, long-range, and coordinated national program in 

 oceanography, and for other purposes. 



In addition to declaring a national policy on oceanography, the bill 

 would delineate the duties of the President in that field, authorize him 

 to utilize such advisory arrangements as he finds desirable, and author- 

 ize him to appoint an Advisory Committee for Oceanography. This 

 Committee would review the national program in oceanography and 

 make recommendations concerning it. The bill would provide for a 

 report, by the President to Congress which would contain, among other 

 items, a financial analysis of the amounts proposed for appropriations 

 for oceanography for each department and agency of the Government. 



The bill is clearly intended to advance the national program in 

 oceanography. The Department is in full sympathy with this objec- 

 tive. The bill would appear to be a constructive step toward the ad- 

 vancement and improvement of this program without derogating from 

 the authority of the President or the lieads of the agencies supporting 

 oceanographic activities. The Department, therefore, supports its 

 enactment. 



The Department has been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that 

 there is no objection from the standpoint of the administration's pro- 

 gram to the submission of this report to your committee. 

 Sincerely yours, 



Fred B. SMrrs, 

 Acting General Counsel. 

 ^/ 



[H.R. 5654, H.R. 6512, H.R. 7301, H.R. 7798, 89th Cong., 1st sess.] 'I 



BILLS To provide for expanded research in the oceans and the Great Lakes, to establSlB 

 a National Oceanographic Council, and for other purposes 



Be it enacted ty the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States 

 of America in Congress assembled, 



Sec. 101. This Act may be cited as the National Oceanographic Act of 1965. 



DECLARATION OF POLICY AND PURPOSE 



Seo. 201. The oceanographic and marine activities of the United States should 

 be conducted so as to contribute to the following objectives : 



(1) The expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in and related to the 

 oceans, the marine environment, and the Great Lakes, their boundaries and 

 contents. 



(2) The preservation of the role of the United States as a leader in oceano- 

 graphic and marine science and technology. 



(3) The enhancement of the general welfare and security of the United States. 



(4) The advancement of education and training in marine science and tech- 

 nology. 



(5) The development and improvement of the capabilities, performance, and 

 eflSciency of vehicles, equipment, and instruments for use in exploration, research, 

 surveys, the recovery of resources, and the transmission of energy in the marine 

 environment. 



(6) The coordination of activities of the various agencies concerned with the 

 marine sciences, and the collection, storing, and distribution of significant data 

 acquired as a result of these activities. 



