text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
       This Act may be cited as the ``National Marine Scholarship Act of 
  2005''.
  
  SEC. 2. NATIONAL MARINE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
  
      (a) Definitions.--In this section:
              (1) Administration.--The term ``Administration'' means the 
          National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
              (2) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
          Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
          Administration.
              (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
          ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning that term 
          has under section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
          (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
              (4) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the National 
          Marine Scholarship Program established by the Administrator 
          under this section.
      (b) Establishment of Program.--
              (1) Requirement.--The Administrator shall establish a 
          National Marine Scholarship Program that is designed to recruit 
          and prepare students for careers in the fields of marine 
          science. Under the program, the Secretary shall award 
          scholarships for those academic programs and fields of study 
          described in the list made available under subsection (d).
              (2) Employment obligation.--As a condition of the award of 
          each scholarship under the Program, the Administrator shall 
          require the recipient to enter into a contractual agreement 
          under which the individual is obligated to serve as a full-time 
          employee of the Administration in a position needed by the 
          Administration and for which the individual is qualified, for a 
          period of time to be determined by the Administrator and stated 
          in the contractual agreement. If a full-time equivalent 
          position is not available within the Administration at the time 
          the scholarship recipient is obligated begin their employment, 
          the scholarship recipient may fulfill such employment 
          obligation in a full-time position in another Federal agency 
          with administrative jurisdiction over programs relating to the 
          marine environment that is approved by the Administrator.
      (c) Eligibility Criteria.--In order to be eligible for a 
  scholarship under the program, an individual must--
              (1) be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a full-time 
          graduate student at an institution of higher education in an 
          academic program and field of study described in the list made 
          available under subsection (d);
              (2) be a United States citizen or national or a permanent 
          resident of the United States; and
              (3) at the time of the initial scholarship award, not be an 
          employee of the Administration.
      (d) Eligible Academic Programs and Fields of Study.--The 
  Administrator shall make publicly available a list of academic programs 
  and fields of study for which scholarships under this section may be 
  used, and shall update the list as necessary.
      (e) Competitive Award Process.--
              (1) In general.--Under the Program, the Administrator shall 
          award scholarships to individuals who are selected through a 
          competitive process--
                      (A) under which awards are made primarily on the 
                  basis of academic merit;
                      (B) in which consideration is given to promoting 
                  the participation in the Program by individuals 
                  referred to in section 33 or 34 of the Science and 
                  Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a, 
                  1885b); and
                      (C) in which consideration may be given to 
                  financial need.
              (2) Application.--An individual seeking a scholarship under 
          this section shall submit an application to the Administrator 
          at such time, in such manner, and containing such information, 
          agreements, or assurances as the Administrator may require.
      (f) Scholarship Limits.--
              (1) Number of academic years.--An individual may not 
          receive a scholarship under this section for a masters degree 
          program for more than 2 academic years, or for a doctorate 
          program for more than 4 academic years, except as specifically 
          authorized by a waiver issued by the Administrator.
              (2) Dollar amount.--The dollar amount of a scholarship 
          under this section shall not exceed the cost of attendance, as 
          such cost is determined in accordance with section 472 of the 
          Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087).
              (3) Use.--Amounts received as a scholarship under this 
          section may be expended only for tuition, fees, and other 
          expenses authorized by regulations issued by the Administrator.
              (4) Payment of scholarship amounts.--The Administrator may 
          enter into a contractual agreement with an institution of 
          higher education with respect to which a scholarship is 
          provided under this section, under which the amounts provided 
          as the scholarship for tuition, fees, and other authorized 
          expenses are paid directly to the institution.
      (g) Period of Service Under Employment Obligation.--
              (1) General requirement.--Except as provided in subsection 
          (i)(2), the period of service for which an individual shall be 
          obligated to serve as an employee of the Administration 
          pursuant to this section shall be determined by the 
          Administrator in accordance with subsection (b)(2).
              (2) Beginning of service.--
                      (A) General rule.--Except as provided in 
                  subparagraph (B), obligated service under subsection 
                  (b)(2) shall begin not later than 60 days after the 
                  date on which individual obtains the educational degree 
                  for which the scholarship was provided.
                      (B) Deferral.--The Administrator may defer the 
                  beginning of obligated service under subsection (b)(2) 
                  if the Administrator determines that such a deferral is 
                  appropriate. The Administrator shall by regulation 
                  prescribe the terms and conditions under which a 
                  service obligation may be deferred under this 
                  subparagraph.
      (h) Repayment.--
              (1) Failure to perform academically.--
                      (A) Breach of obligation.--A recipient of a 
                  scholarship under this section shall be in breach of 
                  the recipient's contractual agreement under this 
                  section if the recipient--
                              (i) fails to maintain a high level of 
                          academic standing, as defined by the 
                          Administrator by regulation;
                              (ii) is dismissed from the recipient's 
                          educational institution for disciplinary 
                          reasons; or
                              (iii) voluntarily terminates academic 
                          training before graduation from the educational 
                          program for which the scholarship was awarded.
                      (B) Penalty.--A recipient of a scholarship who 
                  under subparagraph (A) is in breach of the recipient's 
                  contractual agreement--
                              (i) shall be liable to the United States 
                          for repayment, within 2 years after the date of 
                          the breach, of all amounts paid under the 
                          scholarship to the recipient or to an 
                          institution of higher education on the 
                          recipient's behalf; and
                              (ii) shall not be required to fulfill any 
                          employment obligation under such agreement.
              (2) Failure to fulfill employment obligation.--
                      (A) Breach of obligation.--A recipient of a 
                  scholarship under this section shall be in breach of 
                  the recipient's contractual agreement under this 
                  section if the recipient--
                              (i) fails to begin or complete the 
                          recipient's employment obligation under this 
                          section; or
                              (ii) fails to comply with the terms and 
                          conditions of deferment established by the 
                          Administrator pursuant to subsection (g)(2)(B).
                      (B) Penalty.--A recipient of a scholarship who 
                  under subparagraph (A) is in breach of the recipient's 
                  contractual agreement shall be liable for payment to 
                  the United States, within 3 years, of an amount equal 
                  to--
                              (i) the total amount of scholarships 
                          received by such individual under this section; 
                          plus
                              (ii) interest on the total amount of such 
                          scholarships at a rate that is equivalent to 
                          the rate of interest that would apply under 
                          section 427A of the Higher Education 
                          Authorization Act of 1965 if the scholarships 
                          were loans to cover the cost of education (as 
                          that term is used in that section).
      (i) Cancellation or Waiver.--
              (1) In general.--Any obligation of an individual incurred 
          under this section for service or payment shall be canceled 
          upon the death of the individual.
              (2) Waiver or suspension of any obligation by 
          administrator.--The Administrator shall by regulation provide 
          for the partial or total waiver or suspension of any obligation 
          of employment or payment incurred by an individual under this 
          section (including any contractual agreement under this 
          section), if--
                      (A) compliance by the individual is impossible or 
                  would involve extreme hardship to the individual; or
                      (B) enforcement of such obligation with respect to 
                  the individual would be contrary to the best interests 
                  of the Government.
      (j) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
  the enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the 
  Administrator shall transmit a report to the Congress that addresses 
  each of the following:
              (1) The effectiveness of the National Marine Scholarship 
          Program established under this section in increasing the number 
          of marine science-related service professionals.
              (2) The effectiveness of such program in preparing 
          scholarship recipients for temporary jobs within the 
          Administration or other marine-related Federal agencies.
      (k) Deadline for Regulations.--The Administrator shall issue such 
  regulations as are necessary to carry out this section by not later 
  than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
      (l) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the amounts authorized for 
  each of fiscal years 2005 through 2010 for programs administered by the 
  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, $5,000,000 shall be 
  available for the National Marine Scholarship Program established under 
  this section.
target: National Marine Scholarship Act of 2005 - Directs the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a National Marine Scholarship Program for graduate students in the fields of marine science.
  
  Requires scholarship recipients to agree to serve, for a certain period after their masters or doctoral program, as a full-time employee of NOAA or another Federal agency with programs related to the marine environment.
feat_title: To establish a National Marine Scholarship Program to recruit and prepare graduate students for careers in the fields of marine science, and for other purposes.