S. 3160 would reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act.

== Detailed Summary ==

<summary>
National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2008 - Amends the National Sea Grant College Program Act to: (1) substitute &quot;management&quot; for &quot;utilization&quot; in the definition of &quot;field related to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources&quot;; (2) substitute &quot;extension services&quot; for &quot;advisory services&quot; in the definition of &quot;project&quot;; and (3) add a definition for &quot;regional research and information plan.&quot;

Adds regional and national projects as elements of the national sea grant college program. Removes a reference to the sea grant review panel from provisions relating to the administration of the program. Refers to regional or national (under current law, national) strategic investments being developed with the approval of sea grant colleges and the sea grant institutes (under current law, with the approval of the sea grant review panel and the colleges and institutes). Revises the program director's duties.

Requires that sea grants or contracts be responsive to the needs or problems of the nation, as well as to individual states and regions.

Limits the special grant and graduate fellowship amounts that may be provided to 5% (under current law, 1%) of the amount appropriated for the National Sea Grant College Program.

Requires that sea grant colleges provide extension (under current law, advisory) services.

Exempts marine policy fellowships from federal cost sharing requirements.

Redesignates the sea grant review panel as the National Sea Grant Advisory Board and modifies it's duties and powers.

Allows any appropriated amounts exceeding the amounts appropriated for FY2003 to be distributed (among other places) to certain regional or national (under current law, national) strategic investments.

Repeals a National Sea Grant College Program Act Amendments of 2002 provision requiring an annual report to the House Committee on Resources and Science and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on coordination of oceans and coastal research activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the Coastal Ocean Program and the National Sea Grant College Program, and the National Science Foundation.
</summary>

<!--Leave in the 'summary' tags if you want the latest summary from the Congressional Research Service automatically to replace the text between the tags once it becomes available. -->

== Status of the Legislation ==

<status>
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2008: Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee9/25/2008: Placed on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1091.
</status>

<!-- Leave in the 'status' tags if you want the latest reported status from THOMAS automatically to replace the text between the tags once it becomes available. -->

== Points in Favor ==

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should pass!)
<!-- First editor: Go ahead and take out the sentence in parentheses, and this notice! -->

== Points Against ==

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should not pass!)
<!-- First editor: Go ahead and take out the sentence in parentheses, and this notice! -->