112 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



Comicil and Commission could lead to the proliferation of similar 

 Ooimcils in other scientific areas. 



The Department of the Navy, on behalf of the Department of De- 

 fense, opposes enactment of S. 944. 



This report has been coordinated within the Department of Defense 

 in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. 

 The Bureau of the Budget advises that, from the standpoint of the 

 Administration's program, there is no objection to the presentation 

 of this report on S. 944 for the consideration of the Committee. 

 For the Secretary of the Navy. 

 Sincerely yours, 



M. K. Disney, 

 Captain^ U.S. Navy, 

 Director., Legislative Division. 



U.S. Department or the Interior, 



Office of the Secretary, 

 Washington., D.C, August 16., 1965. 

 Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairnum., C ommittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries., House of 

 Representatives, Washington, D.C. 



Dear Mr. Bonner : Your committee has requested our views on S. 

 ^44, a bill to provide for expanded research and development in the 

 marine environment of the United States, to establish a National Coun- 

 cil on Marine Resources and Engineering Development, and a Com- 

 mission on Marine Science, Engineering, and Resources, and for other 

 purposes, which passed the Senate on August 5, 1965. 



S. 944 has two main features. First, it provides for the establish- 

 ment of a National Oceanographic Council composed of the Vice 

 President, certain Cabinet members, including the Secretary of the 

 Interior, and certain other heads of agencies. The function of the 

 Council is to advise the President on the performance of Federal func- 

 tions in the field of marine science and engineering. This provision 

 of S. 944 is similar to the provision in H.R. 5654 upon which the De- 

 partment commented adversely in its letter of July 29, 1965, to your 

 committee. Second, it authorizes the President, at his discretion, to 

 establish a 15-member Commission on Marine Science, Engineering, 

 and Resources. The members may include five people from Govern- 

 ment, five from industry, and five from universities. One of the func- 

 tions of the Commission will be to survey the marine science activities 

 of this Nation, and make recommendations regarding the organiza- 

 tional structure of Federal activities in this area. This provision of 

 the bill is similar to H.R. 9064. 



In our July 29 letter to your committee, this Department supported 

 the enactment of H.R. 2218. We said that the enactment of the other 

 bills, such as H.R. 5654 and H.R. 9064, is premature. 



"This position is based on the premise that the President's Science 

 Advisory Committee's Panel on Oceanography is at the present time 

 making the kind of investigation and study that is contemplated by 

 H.R. 9064. Wlien the Panel completes its study and submits its report 

 Congress can more appropriately decide whether additional legisla- 

 tion dealing either with a further study or with a revised govern- 



