NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 87 



Sec. 8. (a) The Commission or, on the authorization of the Commission, any 

 subcommittee oi* member thereftf, may. for the purpose of carrying out the 

 provisions of this Act, hold such hearings and sit and act at such times and places, 

 administer such oaths, and require, by subpeua or othenvise. the attendance and 

 testimony of such witnesses and the production of such books, records, cor- 

 respondence, memorandums, papers, and documents as the Commission or such 

 subcommittee or member may deem advisable. Subpenas may be issued under the 

 signature of the chairman of the Commission, of such committee, or any duly 

 designated member, and may be served by any person designated by such chair- 

 man or member. The provisions of sections 102 to 104. inclusive, of the Revised 

 Statutes of the United States (2 U.S.C. sees. 192-194), shall apply in the case 

 of any failure of any witness to comply with any subpena or to testify when sum- 

 moned under authority of this section. 



(b) The Commission is authorized to secure directly from any executive de- 

 partment, bureau, agency, board, commission, office, independent establishment, 

 or instrumentality information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics for the pur- 

 pose of this Act : and each such department, bureau, agency, board, commission, 

 office, establishment, or instrumentality is authorized and directed to furnish 

 such information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics directly to the Com- 

 mission, upon request made by the chairman or vice chairman. 



Sec. 9. The Commission shall submit an interim report within one year 

 from the date of enactment of this Act and submit a final report of its findings 

 and rec'ommendations to the President and Congress no later than the end of 

 two years after the date of enactment of this Act. The Commission shall cease 

 to exist thirty days after it has submitted its final report. 



U.S. Atomic Exergy Commission, 



Washington, D.C., July 28, 1965. 

 Hon. Herbert C Bonner, 



Chairman. Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 

 House oj Representatives. 



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

 comment on H.R. 9064, a bill to establish a National Commission on 

 Oceanography. 



The bill would estabhsh a National Commission on Oceanography 

 composed of members, appointed by the President, who would be 

 representatives from Gorernment, from industry, and from uni- 

 versities or laboratories engaged in oceanographic pursuits. The 

 Commission would be directed to make a comprehensive investigation 

 and study of all aspects of oceanography in order to recommend an 

 overall plan for an adequate national oceanographic program that will 

 meet the present and futm'e national needs. The Commission would 

 be directed to submit a final report of its findings and recommenda- 

 tions to the President and Congress within 2 years. 



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) established the perma- 

 nent Interagency Committee on Oceanography (ICO) in I960; a 

 primary function of ICO has been to coordinate the activities of var- 

 ious agencies having an interest in oceanography and related marine 

 sciences. The AEC is a member of the ICO and participates in the 

 annual preparation of the Government's national oceanographic pro- 

 gram, which is reviewed and approved by the FCST. 



The ICO has also formulated a long range national oceanographic 

 plan (1963-72). The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) par- 

 ticipated in the review of this plan, and the NAS Committee on 



