[House Report 112-157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
112th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 112-157
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AUTHORIZATION OF HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES SPECIFIC TO THE ARCTIC
_______
July 20, 2011.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 295]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 295) to amend the Hydrographic Services
Improvement Act of 1998 to authorize funds to acquire
hydrographic data and provide hydrographic services specific to
the Arctic for safe navigation, delineating the United States
extended continental shelf, and the monitoring and description
of coastal changes, having considered the same, report
favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill
do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 295 is to amend the Hydrographic
Services Improvement Act of 1998 to authorize funds to acquire
hydrographic data and provide hydrographic services specific to
the Arctic for safe navigation, delineating the United States
extended continental shelf, and the monitoring and description
of coastal changes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Hydrographic surveys support a variety of maritime
functions including safe navigation, port and harbor
maintenance (dredging), coastal engineering (beach erosion and
replenishment), coastal zone management, and offshore resource
development. Data collected through surveys show water depth
(bathymetry) and object detection. These surveys can also
provide information on sea-floor texture and composition (sand,
mud, and rocks) to assist in anchoring, dredging, marine
construction, pipeline and cable routing, tsunamis, and storm
surge modeling. Hydrographic surveys can also support other
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) missions
including fish habitat characterization, bottom type
classification, and submerged cultural resources management.
NOAA currently has the resources, between in-house and
contract vessels, to conduct hydrographic surveys for 3,000
square nautical miles a year. This equates to less than 1
percent of Navigationally Significant area surveyed each year.
At this pace, the Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP)
concluded that it would take 166 years to survey just the areas
routinely transited by federal, commercial and recreational
vessels. NOAA's goal is to achieve the capacity to survey and
process 10,000 square nautical miles annually. The HSRP reports
that this would put the Navigationally Significant areas on a
50-year resurvey cycle--an inadequate, but achievable, survey
schedule.
NOAA is also required to survey the 95,000 miles of U.S.
coastline. NOAA's Shoreline Mapping budget has been relatively
static for many years, hindering NOAA's mapping efforts. NOAA
currently maps only 3 percent of the 95,000 miles of U.S. open
shoreline a year. NOAA and its contractors can evaluate and
remap only 12 percent of priority port area shoreline annually,
short of NOAA's 20 percent program target. Forty percent of the
U.S. shoreline has not been mapped by NOAA since 1960.
Limited survey work has occurred in the Arctic. According
to testimony given by NOAA, most Arctic waters that are charted
were surveyed with obsolete technology, some dating back to the
1800s. In addition, the northern and western coasts of Alaska
have not been mapped since 1960, if ever, and confidence in the
region's nautical charts is extremely low.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 295 was introduced on January 12, 2011, by Congressman
Don Young (R-AK). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee
on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs. On May 12,
2011, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and
Insular Affairs held a hearing on the bill. On June 15, 2011,
the Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular
Affairs was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were
offered, and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the
House of Representatives by unanimous consent.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B)
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 3(c)(3) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section
403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has
received the following cost estimate for this bill from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
H.R. 295--A bill to amend the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of
1998 to authorize funds to acquire hydrographic data and
provide hydrographic services specific to the Arctic for safe
navigation, delineating the United States extended continental
shelf, and the monitoring and description of coastal changes
H.R. 295 would authorize the appropriation of $7 million in
each of fiscal years 2012 and 2013 for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct certain
hydrographic activities (the measurement and description of
features that affect maritime navigation). Enacting H.R. 295
would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-
as-you-go procedures do not apply.
Public Law 110-386 authorized the appropriation of $182
million for fiscal year 2012 for NOAA to carry out hydrographic
activities. H.R. 295 would authorize NOAA to use a portion ($7
million) of those amounts in 2012 to carry out certain
hydrographic activities in the Arctic. Spending of those
amounts would have no impact on the federal budget because it
would not increase amounts that are authorized to be
appropriated under current law.
The bill also would authorize the appropriation of $7
million in fiscal year 2013 to carry out hydrographic
activities in the Arctic. CBO estimates that implementing that
provision would cost $7 million over the 2013-2016 period,
assuming appropriation of the authorized amount.
H.R. 295 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal
governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. The
estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required
by clause 3(c)(2) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget
Act of 1974, this bill does not contain any new spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures. The bill would authorize the
appropriation of $7 million in fiscal year 2013 to carry out
hydrographic activities in the Arctic. CBO estimates that
implementing that provision would cost $7 million over the
2013-2016 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized
amount. Enacting H.R. 295 would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. The
performance goals and objectives of H.R. 295 are to amend the
Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998 to authorize
funds to acquire hydrographic data and provide hydrographic
services specific to the Arctic for safe navigation,
delineating the United States extended continental shelf, and
the monitoring and description of coastal changes.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or
tribal law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.