Amendment #1183 to H3600

Massachusetts Oceanographic Research Sea Time (MORESea) Program

Representatives Fernandes of Falmouth and Vieira of Falmouth move to amend the bill, in section 2, in item 2200-0100, by adding the following: “; provided, that not less than $350,000 shall be transferred from this item to the Massachusetts Oceanographic Research Sea Time Grant Program Fund established pursuant to section 2WWWW of chapter 29 of the General Laws to provide research grants for the purpose of renting United States Navy vessels to conduct oceanographic studies”; and moves to further amend the bill by adding the following section:

“SECTION XX.  Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2VVVV, as inserted by section 41 of chapter 133 of the acts of 2016, the following section:-

Section 2WWWW. There is hereby established a fund to be known as the Oceanographic Research Grant Program Fund, which shall be administered jointly by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.  The fund shall consist of all monies received from public or private sources, and all monies appropriated or transferred to the fund.  Monies in the fund shall be distributed, without further appropriation, in the form of grants to eligible researchers or research institutions applying for said grants, for the purpose of renting United States Navy vessels to conduct oceanographic research. Monies deposited into the fund that are unexpended at the end of the fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years.”.