110 STAT. 2472 PUBLIC LAW 104-201—SEPT. 23, 1996 Establishment. Reports. "(D) Preexisting facilities and expertise. "(f) ANNUAL REPORT.— Not later than March 1 of each year, the Council shall submit to Congress a report on the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. The report shall contain the following: "(1) A description of activities of the program carried out during the fiscal year before the fiscal year in which the report is prepared, together with a list of the members of the Ocean Research Advisory Panel and any working groups in existence during the fiscal year covered. "(2) A general outline of the activities planned for the program during the fiscal year in which the report is prepared. "(3) A summary of projects continued from the fiscal year before the fiscal year in which the report is prepared and projects expected to be started during the fiscal year in which the report is prepared and during the following fiscal year. "(4) A description of the involvement of the program with Federal interagency coordinating entities. "(5) The amounts requested, in the budget submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, for the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the report is prepared, for the programs, projects, and activities of the program and the estimated expenditures under such programs, projects, and activities during such following fiscal year. "(g) PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM OFFICE.—(1) The Council shall establish a partnership program office for the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. The Council shall use competitive procedures in selecting an operator for the partnership program office. "(2) The Council shall assign the following duties to the partnership program office: "(A) To establish and oversee working groups to propose partnership projects to the Council and advise the Council on such projects. "(B) To manage the process for proposing partnership projects to the Council, including managing peer review of such projects. "(C) To submit to the Council an annual report on the status of all partnership projects and activities of the office. "(D) Any additional duties for the administration of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program that the Council considers appropriate. "(3) The Council shall supervise the performance of duties by the partnership program office. "(h) CONTRACT AND GRANT AUTHORITY. —The Council may authorize one or more of the departments or agencies represented on the Council to enter into contracts and make grants, using funds appropriated pursuant to an authorization of appropriations for the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, for the purpose of implementing the program and carrying out the responsibilities of the Council. " (i) ESTABLISHMENT AND FORMS OF PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS. — (1) A partnership project under the National Oceanographic Partnership Program may be established by any instrument that the Council considers appropriate, including a memorandum of under-
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