H.R. 4174 would establish an interagency committee to develop an ocean acidification research and monitoring plan and to establish an ocean acidification program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

== Detailed Summary ==

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Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 20072008 or FOARAM Act - Establishes(Sec. 3) Defines &quot;ocean acidification,&quot; for this Act, as the Interagency Committee on Ocean Acidification to oversee the planning, establishment, and coordinationdecrease in pH of a plan to improve the understanding of the role of increased ocean acidification on marine ecosystemsEarth's oceans and to develop adaptation techniques to effectively conserve marine ecosystems as they cope withchanges in ocean acidification. chemistry caused by chemical inputs from the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide.

Requires a triennial report to(Sec. 4) Requires that the CommitteeJoint Subcommittee on Commerce, Science,Ocean Science and TransportationTechnology of the Senate and the Committee onNational Science and Technology ofCouncil: (1) coordinate federal activities on ocean acidification; (2) report biennially to specified congressional committees; (3) transmit the House of Representatives containing a summary of federally funded ocean acidificationstrategic research plan developed under this Act to those committees; and monitoring activities, an analysis of the progress made toward achieving certain goals and priorities, and recommendations for future activities, including policy recommendations.(4) submit a revised plan at least once every five years.

Requires(Sec. 5) Requires the CommitteeSubcommittee to develop a strategic research and implementation plan for coordinated federal activities. ocean acidification research and monitoring that provides for an assessment of ocean acidification impacts on marine organisms and ecosystems and the development of adaptation and mitigation strategies to conserve marine organisms and ecosystems. Directs the Secretary of Commerce, through the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to review the plan.

Directs(Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establishconduct research and maintainmonitoring and authorizes the Secretary to establish an ocean acidification program withinin NOAA consistent with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to implement such strategic research plan, including: (1) providing grants for critical research projects exploring the effects of ocean acidification on ecosystems and implementation plan.the socioeconomic impacts of increased ocean acidification that are relevant to the plan's goals and priorities; and (2) incorporating a competitive merit-based process for awarding grants that may be conducted jointly with other participating agencies or under the National Oceanographic Partnership Program.

Authorizes appropriations(Sec. 7) Requires the NSF director to NOAAcontinue to carry out this Act.ocean acidification research supporting competitive, merit-based, peer-reviewed proposals for research and monitoring of ocean acidification and its impacts.

Requires that,(Sec. 8) Requires the administrator of amounts made available to carry out this Act: (1) the SecretaryNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to ensure that space-based monitoring assets are used in as productive a manner as possible for monitoring of Commerce make at least 60% availableocean acidification and its impacts.

(Sec. 9) Authorizes appropriations to other departmentsNOAA and agencies; and (2) at least 50% be allocated for competitive grants.to NASA to carry out this Act.
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== Status of the Legislation ==

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Latest Major Action: 6/25/2008: House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.7/10/2008: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 873.
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== Points in Favor ==

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== Points Against ==

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