Ocean and Coastal Observation System Act of 2005
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Fisheries and Oceans.
Ocean and Coastal Observation System Act of 2005 - (Sec. 4) Directs the President, acting through the National Ocean Research Leadership Council, to establish and maintain an integrated system of ocean and coastal observations, data communication and management, analysis, modeling, research, education, and outreach designed to provide data and information for the timely detection and prediction of changes occurring in the ocean and coastal environment that impact the Nation's social, economic, and ecological systems. Requires the system to provide for long-term, continuous, and quality-controlled observations of the coasts, oceans, and Great Lakes.
Requires the Council to establish an interagency program office (OceanUS) responsible for program planning and coordination of the system. Requires OceanUS, among other duties, to provide for opportunities to partner or contract with private sector companies in deploying ocean observation system elements.
Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to be the lead Federal agency for implementation and operation of the system. Requires NOAA, among other duties, to integrate the capabilities of the National Coastal Data Development Center and the Coastal Services Center, and other appropriate centers, into the observing system for the purpose of assimilating, managing, disseminating, and archiving data from regional and other observation systems.
Authorizes the Administrator of NOAA to certify one or more regional associations to be responsible for the development and operation of regional ocean and coastal observing systems to meet the information needs of user groups in the region while adhering to national standards. Deems certified regional systems to be part of NOAA when carrying out this Act, and employees of such systems acting within the scope of their employment to be federal government employees, for purposes of civil liability under specified laws.
(Sec. 5) Directs the Council to establish programs for research, development, and education for the system.
(Sec. 6) Authorizes departments and agencies represented on the Council to participate in interagency financing and to share funds appropriated to any Council member.
The summary continues for 3 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed Senate amended" stage on July 1, 2005. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 20, 2005: Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 109th Congress (2005-06), 482 of the 10,701 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.5 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced it on February 10, 2005, and 8 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 5 Democrats, 3 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 10, 2005, 7882 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 7722 days ago, on July 20, 2005.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 109th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2007 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers