NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 81 



sciences; (5) authorize the Council, under the foreign poUcy guidance 

 of the President, to engage in an international cooperative program 

 in these fields; (6) provide for the issuance of an annual report by the 

 President describing and evaluating the activities of the United States 

 in the fields of oceanography and the marine sciences, containing such 

 legislative recommendations as the President may deem necessary; 

 (7) prescribe certain security provisions relating to the Council's 

 employees and activities; and (8) authorize annual appropriations, not 

 exceeding $500,000, to carry out the purposes of H.R. 7849. 



Title III of H.R. 7849 would (1) establish a Marine Exploration and 

 Development Commission, composed of two private citizens appointed 

 by the President and the Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, and the 

 Interior, to formulate and carry out programs of exploration and de- 

 velopment of the marine resources of the Continental Shelf and the 

 water above it, including certain designated programs; (2) grant the 

 Commission authority to employ a staff, to enter into certain cooper- 

 ative agreements with public and private scientific institutions or 

 with private individuals or enterprises, and to make loans, grants, or 

 other cost-sharing arrangements; (3) establish a marine exploration 

 and development fund to be available to the Commission for making 

 loans, grants, or other cost-sharing arrangements; (4) authorize an 

 annual appropriation not exceeding $50 million to the Commission 

 to carry out its functions, and a $100 million appropriation into the 

 marine exploration and development fund, to remain available until 

 expended; (5) direct the Commission to the extent found consistent 

 with the national security requirements to make available to the public 

 information obtained in carrying out its functions; and (6) direct the 

 Commission to make an annual report of its activities, including such 

 legislative recommendations as are deemed desirable. 



It is noted that the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution is 

 included in the membership of the proposed National Oceanographic 

 Council to be established under title II of H.R. 7849. 



The Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution will be asked 

 to consider this legislation as soon as practicable. I shall be pleased 

 to advise you of its views at that time. 

 Sincerely yours, 



S. Dillon Ripley, Secretary. 



Department of State, 

 Washington, B.C., July SO, 1965. 

 Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 

 House of Representatives. 



Dear Mr. Chairman: Your letter of May 11, 1965, acknowledged 

 on May 14, requested the Department's comments on H.R. 7849, a bill 

 to provide for the 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 pruposes. Essen- 

 tially, the bill combines the features of H.R. 5654 and H.R. 5884 

 (and companion bills). 



The Department of State is in full agreement with the necessity for 

 joint planning and coordination of the multiple oceanographic activ- 



