Title 33Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73

§3404 Education, workforce training, and outreach

Title 33 › Chapter CHAPTER 47— - OCEAN EXPLORATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - EXPLORATION › § 3404

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The NOAA Administrator must run education and outreach to share the program’s discoveries with the public. The Administrator must coordinate those outreach efforts with other U.S. and international ocean mapping and exploration programs as much as possible. NOAA must create a year‑long fellowship program for undergraduates from institutions described in section 1067q(a) of title 20. Outreach can include teaching the public, teachers, students, and coastal resource managers, and offering workforce training, reskilling, and support for ocean-related STEM technical programs at secondary schools, community colleges, and universities (including institutions described in section 1067q(a) of title 20). Within 180 days after the National Ocean Exploration Act was enacted, NOAA must develop an outreach strategy to share the program’s discoveries.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §3404

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall—
(1)conduct education and outreach efforts in order to broadly disseminate information to the public on the discoveries made by the program under section 3402 of this title;
(2)to the extent possible, coordinate the efforts described in paragraph (1) with the outreach strategies of other domestic or international ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization initiatives; and
(3)establish a fellowship program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide year-long fellowships to undergraduate students from institutions described in section 1067q(a) of title 20.
(b)Efforts described in subsection (a)(1) may include—
(1)education of the general public, teachers, students, and ocean and coastal resource managers; and
(2)workforce training, reskilling, and opportunities to encourage development of ocean-related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics technical training programs involving secondary schools, community colleges, and universities, including institutions described in section 1067q(a) of title 20.
(c)Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the National Ocean Exploration Act,11 See References in Text note below. the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall develop an outreach strategy to broadly disseminate information on the discoveries made by the program under section 3402 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of the enactment of the National Ocean Exploration Act, referred to in subsec. (c), probably means the date of enactment of Pub. L. 117–263, which was approved Dec. 23, 2022. Prior versions of the bill that was enacted into law as title CIII of div. J of Pub. L. 117–263 included such

Short Title

, but it was not enacted as part of Pub. L. 117–263.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 3404, Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1418, related to an ocean exploration and undersea research technology and infrastructure task force, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title CIII, § 10305(d), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3972.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 3404

Title 33Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73