PRIA Logo™
Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73not60

§1538 Notice of Reprogramming

Title 15 › Chapter 40— DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE › § 1538

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Commerce must tell specific House and Senate committees at least 15 days before moving NOAA money if the move is for more than the lesser of $250,000 or 5 percent of a program’s total funding. Notice is required when the change adds money to a program, cuts funding or approved staff by 5 percent or more, or comes from staff cuts that change a program. The House committees are Merchant Marine and Fisheries; Science, Space, and Technology; and Appropriations. The Senate committees are Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Appropriations. The Secretary must also notify those same committees at least 15 days before any major reorganization of a NOAA program, project, or activity.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §1538

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Commerce shall provide notice to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and to the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, not less than 15 days before reprogramming funds available for a program, project, or activity of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in an amount greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 5 percent of the total funding of such program, project, or activity if the reprogramming—
(1)augments an existing program, project, or activity;
(2)reduces by 5 percent or more (A) the funding for an existing program, project, or activity or (B) the numbers of personnel therefor as approved by Congress; or
(3)results from any general savings from a reduction in personnel which would result in a change in an existing program, project, or activity.
(b)The Secretary of Commerce shall provide notice to the Committees on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Science, Space, and Technology, and Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and the Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Appropriations of the Senate not later than 15 days before any major reorganization of any program, project, or activity of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Abolition of House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of House of Representatives abolished and its jurisdiction transferred by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Fourth Congress, Jan. 4, 1995. For treatment of references to Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, see section 1(b)(3) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 1538

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60