14 U.S.C. § 331: Centers of expertise for Coast Guard prevention and response

The Commandant may establish and operate one or more centers of expertise for prevention and response missions of the Coast Guard (in this section referred to as a “center”). education; training; and activities authorized under section 504(a)(4); be a repository of information on operations, practices, and resources related to the mission for which the center was established; and perform and support the mission for which the center was established. provide for joint operation of a center; and provide necessary administrative services for a center, including administration and allocation of funds. Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Commandant may accept, on behalf of a center, donations to be used to defray the costs of the center or to enhance the operation of the center. Those donations may be accepted from any State or local government, any foreign government, any foundation or other charitable organization (including any that is organized or operates under the laws of a foreign country), or any individual. the ability of the Coast Guard or the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, any employee of the Coast Guard or the department, or any member of the Armed Forces to carry out any responsibility or duty in a fair and objective manner; or the integrity of any program of the Coast Guard, the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, or of any individual involved in such a program. The Commandant shall prescribe written guidance setting forth the criteria to be used in determining whether or not the acceptance of a donation from a foreign source would have a result described in paragraph (2). Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [ Dec. 4, 2018 ], the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall establish a Center of Expertise for Great Lakes Oil Spill Preparedness and Response (referred to in this section as the ‘Center of Expertise’) in accordance with section 331 of title 14 , United States Code, as amended by this Act. critical crude oil transportation infrastructure on and connecting the Great Lakes, such as submerged pipelines and high-traffic navigation locks; and an institution of higher education with adequate aquatic research laboratory facilities and capabilities and expertise in Great Lakes aquatic ecology, environmental chemistry, fish and wildlife, and water resources. monitor and assess, on an ongoing basis, the current state of knowledge regarding freshwater oil spill response technologies and the behavior and effects of oil spills in the Great Lakes; identify any significant gaps in Great Lakes oil spill research, including an assessment of major scientific or technological deficiencies in responses to past spills in the Great Lakes and other freshwater bodies, and seek to fill those gaps; conduct research, development, testing, and evaluation for freshwater oil spill response equipment, technologies, and techniques to mitigate and respond to oil spills in the Great Lakes; the incident command system structure; Great Lakes oil spill response techniques and strategies; and public affairs; and work with academic and private sector response training centers to develop and standardize maritime oil spill response training and techniques for use on the Great Lakes. Lake Ontario; Lake Erie; Lake Huron (including Lake St. Clair); Lake Michigan; Lake Superior; and the connecting channels (including the following rivers and tributaries of such rivers: Saint Mary’s River, Saint Clair River, Detroit River, Niagara River, Illinois River, Chicago River, Fox River, Grand River, St. Joseph River, St. Louis River, Menominee River, Muskegon River, Kalamazoo River, and Saint Lawrence River to the Canadian border).” Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act [ Oct. 11, 2018 ] and subject to the availability of appropriations, the Commandant may establish under [former] section 58 [now 331] of title 14, United States Code, a Blue Technology center of expertise. promote awareness within the Coast Guard of the range and diversity of Blue Technologies and their potential to enhance Coast Guard mission readiness, operational performance, and regulation of such technologies; function as an interactive conduit to enable the sharing and dissemination of Blue Technology information between the Coast Guard and representatives from the private sector, academia, nonprofit organizations, and other Federal agencies; increase awareness among Blue Technology manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and vendors of Coast Guard acquisition policies, procedures, and business practices; provide technical support, coordination, and assistance to Coast Guard districts and the Coast Guard Research and Development Center, as appropriate; and subject to the requirements of the Coast Guard Academy, coordinate with the Academy to develop appropriate curricula regarding Blue Technology to be offered in professional courses of study to give Coast Guard cadets and officer candidates a greater background and understanding of Blue Technologies. Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act [ Oct. 11, 2018 ], the Commandant shall provide to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a briefing on the costs and benefits of hosting a biennial Coast Guard Blue Technology exposition to further interactions between representatives from the private sector, academia, and nonprofit organizations, and the Coast Guard and examine emerging technologies and Coast Guard mission demands. The term ‘Center’ means the Blue Technology center of expertise established under this section. The term ‘Commandant’ means the Commandant of the Coast Guard. is designed for use or application above, on, or below the sea surface or that is otherwise applicable to Coast Guard operational needs, including such a technology, system, or platform that provides continuous or persistent coverage; and surveillance and monitoring; observation, measurement, and modeling:[;] or information technology and communications; search and rescue; emergency response; maritime law enforcement; marine inspections and investigations; or protection and conservation of the marine environment.”