A bill to require the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to establish a constituent-driven program to provide a digital information platform capable of efficiently integrating coastal data with decision-support tools, training, and best practices and to support collection of priority coastal geospatial data to inform and improve local, State, regional, and Federal capacities to manage the coastal region, and for other purposes.
Digital Coast Act
(Sec. 4) This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a constituent-driven Digital Coast program. (This program currently exists under NOAA to provide data, tools, and training that communities use to manage their coastal resources.) The program must: (1) provide an online resource that integrates geospatial data, decision-support tools, training, and best practices to address coastal management issues and needs, and to enhance resilient communities, ecosystem values, and coastal economic growth and development; and (2) provide for the documentation, dissemination, and archiving of the data.
NOAA must focus on filling data needs and gaps for critical coastal management issues and support continued improvement in existing efforts to coordinate the acquisition and integration of key data sets needed for coastal management, and other purposes. NOAA may enter into financial agreements to carry out the program. NOAA may enter into contracts with private sector entities as may be necessary to collect, process, and provide remote sensing and other geospatial data and products.
Additionally, NOAA may establish public tools that are capable of tracking ocean and Great Lakes economy data for each coastal state.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune under authority of the order of the Senate of 09/29/2016 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-369.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune under authority of the order of the Senate of 09/29/2016 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-369.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 660.
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S6519-6520; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S6519-6520)
The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6520)
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
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Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Received in the House.
Held at the desk.