(a) Establishment
The President shall establish a National Climate Program in accordance with the provisions, findings and purposes of this chapter.
(b) DutiesThe President shall—
(2)
define the roles in the Program of Federal officers, departments, and agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Interior, State, and Transportation; the Environmental Protection Agency; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the Council on Environmental Quality; the National Science Foundation; and the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and
(c) National Climate Program Office
(2) The Office shall—
(D)
review each agency budget request transmitted under subsection (g)(1) and submit an analysis of the requests to the Board for its review;
(E)
be responsible for coordinating interagency participation in international climate-related activities; and
(F)
work with the National Academy of Sciences and other private, academic, State, and local groups in preparing and implementing the 5-year plan (described in subsection (d)(9)) and the program.
The analysis described in subparagraph (D) shall include an analysis of how each agency’s budget request relates to the priorities and goals of the program established pursuant to this chapter.
(3)
The Secretary may provide, through the Office, financial assistance, in the form of contracts or grants or cooperative agreements, for climate-related activities which are needed to meet the goals and priorities of the program set forth in the 5-year plan pursuant to subsection (d)(9), if such goals and priorities are not being adequately addressed by any Federal department, agency, or instrumentality.
(d) Program elementsThe Program shall include, but not be limited to, the following elements:
(1)
assessments of the effect of climate on the natural environment, agricultural production, energy supply and demand, land and water resources, transportation, human health and national security. Such assessments shall be conducted to the maximum extent possible by those Federal agencies having national programs in food, fiber, raw materials, energy, transportation, land and water management, and other such responsibilities, in accordance with existing laws and regulations. Where appropriate such assessments may include recommendations for action;
(2)
basic and applied research to improve the understanding of climate processes, natural and man induced, and the social, economic, and political implications of climate change;
(4)
global data collection, and monitoring and analysis activities to provide reliable, useful and readily available information on a continuing basis;
(5)
systems for the management and active dissemination of climatological data, information and assessments, including mechanisms for consultation with current and potential users;
(6)
measures for increasing international cooperation in climate research, monitoring, analysis and data dissemination;
(7)
mechanisms for intergovernmental climate-related studies and services including participation by universities, the private sector and others concerned with applied research and advisory services. Such mechanisms may provide, among others, for the following State and regional services and functions: (A) studies relating to and analyses of climatic effects on agricultural production, water resources, energy needs, and other critical sectors of the economy; (B) atmospheric data collection and monitoring on a statewide and regional basis; (C) advice to regional, State, and local government agencies regarding climate-related issues; (D) information to users within the State regarding climate and climatic effects; and (E) information to the Secretary regarding the needs of persons within the States for climate-related services, information, and data. The Secretary may make annual grants to any State or group of States, which grants shall be made available to public or private educational institutions, to State agencies, and to other persons or institutions qualified to conduct climate-related studies or provide climate-related services;
(8)
experimental climate forecast centers, which shall (A) be responsible for making and routinely updating experimental climate forecasts of a monthly, seasonal, annual, and longer nature, based on a variety of experimental techniques; (B) establish procedures to have forecasts reviewed and their accuracy evaluated; and (C) protect against premature reliance on such experimental forecasts; and
(9)
a preliminary 5-year plan, to be submitted to the Congress for review and comment, not later than 180 days after September 17, 1978, and a final 5-year plan to be submitted to the Congress not later than 1 year after September 17, 1978, that shall be revised and extended at least once every four years. Each plan shall establish the goals and priorities for the Program, including the intergovernmental program described in paragraph (7), over the subsequent 5-year period, and shall contain details regarding (A) the role of Federal agencies in the programs, (B) Federal funding required to enable the Program to achieve such goals, and (C) Program accomplishments that must be achieved to ensure that Program goals are met within the time frame established by the plan.
(e) Climate Program Policy Board
(2) The Board shall—
(B)
review all agency and department budget requests related to climate transmitted under subsection (g)(1) and submit a report to the Office of Management and Budget concerning such budget requests;
(C)
establish and maintain such interagency groups as the Board determines to be necessary to carry out its activities; and
(D)
consult with and seek the advice of users and producers of climate data, information, and services to guide the Board’s efforts, keeping the Director and the Congress advised of such contacts.
(f) Cooperation
(1)
The Program shall be conducted so as to encourage cooperation with, and participation in the Program by, other organizations or agencies involved in related activities. For this purpose the Secretary shall cooperate and participate with other Federal agencies, and foreign, international, and domestic organizations and agencies involved in international or domestic climate-related programs.
(2)
The Secretary and the Secretary of State shall cooperate with the Office in (A) providing representation at climate-related international meetings and conferences in which the United States participates, and (B) coordinating the activities of the Program with the climate programs of other nations and international agencies and organizations, including the World Meteorological Organization, the International Council of Scientific Unions, the United Nations Environmental Program, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, the World Health Organization, and Food and Agriculture Organization.
(g) Budgeting
Each Federal agency and department participating in the Program, shall prepare and submit to the Office of Management and Budget, on or before the date of submission of departmental requests for appropriations to the Office of Management and Budget, an annual request for appropriations for the Program for the subsequent fiscal year and shall transmit a copy of such request to the National Climate Program Office. The Office of Management and Budget shall review the request for appropriations as an integrated, coherent, multiagency request.
(Pub. L. 95–367, § 5(a)–(g)(1), Sept. 17, 1978, 92 Stat. 601–603; Pub. L. 99–272, title VI, § 6084(b)–(f), Apr. 7, 1986, 100 Stat. 136, 137.)