68, NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



for the reimbursement from appropriations made pursuant to section 305(a) 

 of expenses incurred by such agencies in carrying out such activities ; 



(2) to enter into agreements with public or private scientific institutions, 

 or with private enterprises or individuals, for the carrying out of any ac- 

 tivities authorized by this title, and for the payment from appropriations 

 made pursuant to section 305(a) of all or any portion of the expenses in- 

 curred by such institutions, enterprises, or individuals in carrying out such 

 activities ; and 



(3) to make loans, grants, or other cost-sharing arrangements from the 

 fund established under section 304 to public or private scientific institutions, 

 or to business enterprises or individuals for the pui'pose of enabling them to 

 carry out activities to further the programs of the Commission. 



Sec. 304. There is hereby established on the books of the Treasury a marine 

 exploration and development fund which shall be available to the Commission 

 for making loans, grants or other cost-sharing arrangements authorized by 

 section 303(8). The fund shall consist of amounts appropriated thereto pur- 

 suant to section 305 together with amounts received as repayments of principal 

 and payments of interest on such loans. In establishing terms for loans, grants 

 or other cost-sharing arrangements made from such fund, the Commission shall 

 give due weight to the benefits inuring to the Government from the activities 

 carried out with the proceeds of such loans. 



Sec. 305. (a) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums, not 

 to exceed $50,000,000 for any fiscal year, as may be necessary to enable the 

 Commission to carry out its functions under this title. 



(b) In addition to appropriations authorized by subsection (a) , there is hereb.v 

 authorized to be appropriated to the fund established by section 304 the sum of 

 $100,000,000 to remain available until expended. 



Sec. 306. The Commission shall make available to other interested Government 

 agencies and, to the extent consistent with national security, to public and private 

 institutions, business enterprises, and individuals any information obtained by 

 the Commission in carrying out its functions under this title. 



Sec. 307. The Commission shall transmit to the Congress, at the beginning of 

 each regular session of the Congress, an annual report of its activities under this 

 title, together with such legislative recommendations as it may deem desirable. 



U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, 



Washington, B.C., July 29, 1965. 

 Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 

 House of Representatives. 



Dear Mr. Bonner: The Atomic Energy Commission is pleased to 

 comment on H.R. 7849, a bill to provide for the development of ocean 

 resom"ces, to provide for economic development of the Continental 

 Shelf, to provide for expanded research in the oceans and the Great 

 Lakes, to establish a National Oceanographic Council, and for other 

 purposes. 



As you know, the Atomic Energy Commission was one of the four 

 Federal agencies that first suggested and participated in efforts to 

 coordinate the national program in oceanography. The Federal 

 Council for Science and Technology (FCST) created by Executive 

 Order No. 10807 on March 13, 1959, established the permanent 

 Interagency Committee on Oceanography (ICO) by letter dated 

 March 3, 1960, from George Kistiakowsky, Chairman of the FCST, 

 to the Honorable James H. Wakelin, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the 

 Navy for Research and Development. A primary function of the 

 ICO has been to coordinate the activities of various agencies having 

 an interest in oceanography and related marine sciences. These 

 activities include exploration of the Continental Shelf as well as 

 research involving the physical, chemical, geological, and biological 



