Title 33Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73

§3606 Report to Congress

Title 33 › Chapter CHAPTER 49— - INTEGRATED COASTAL AND OCEAN OBSERVATION SYSTEM › § 3606

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

By March 30, 2022, and every 5 years after that, the Administrator must prepare a report that the President, through the Council, approves and sends to Congress. Each report must say what was done under the chapter and the System Plan; check how well the System and Council met their goals; list Federal and non‑Federal assets added to the System that provide required observation data; review planned or started purchases to improve observation and data systems; summarize gaps in observation infrastructure and data (including priorities, the national sea surface current mapping network, coastal buoys, ocean chemistry monitoring, marine sound monitoring, and unmanned maritime systems); assess efforts to link assets nationally and regionally and how regional observing systems are working; describe benefits to users of the System’s data (general public, industries, scientists, resource managers, emergency responders, policy makers, and educators); give any recommendations on System changes and future funding; and include the results of a periodic external, independent program audit.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §3606

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Not later than March 30, 2022, and every 5 years thereafter, the Administrator shall prepare, and the President acting through the Council shall approve and transmit to Congress, a report on progress made in implementing this chapter.
(b)Each report required under subsection (a) shall include—
(1)a description of activities carried out under this chapter and the System Plan;
(2)an evaluation of the effectiveness of the System, including an evaluation of progress made by the Council to achieve the goals identified under the System Plan;
(3)the identification of Federal and non-Federal assets as determined by the Council that have been integrated into the System, including assets essential to the gathering of required observation data variables necessary to meet the respective missions of Council agencies;
(4)a review of procurements, planned or initiated, by each department or agency represented on the Council to enhance, expand, or modernize the observation capabilities and data products provided by the System, including data management and communication subsystems;
(5)a summary of the existing gaps in observation infrastructure and monitoring data collection, including—
(A)priorities considered by the System advisory committee;
(B)the national sea surface current mapping network;
(C)coastal buoys;
(D)ocean chemistry monitoring;
(E)marine sound monitoring; and
(F)unmanned maritime systems technology gaps;
(6)an assessment regarding activities to integrate Federal and non-Federal assets, nationally and on the regional level, and discussion of the performance and effectiveness of regional coastal observing systems to coordinate regional observation operations;
(7)a description of benefits of the program to users of data products resulting from the System (including the general public, industries, scientists, resource managers, emergency responders, policy makers, and educators);
(8)recommendations, if any, concerning—
(A)modifications to the System; and
(B)funding levels for the System in subsequent fiscal years; and
(9)the results of a periodic external independent programmatic audit of the System.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2020—Pub. L. 116–271 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section required that no later than 2 years after March 30, 2009, and every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator was to prepare and the President acting through the Council was to approve and transmit to Congress a report on progress made in implementing this chapter.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 3606

Title 33Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73