The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to consider, ascertain, adjust, and determine all claims for damages, where the amount of the claim does not exceed $2,500, occasioned, subsequent to June 5, 1920, by acts for which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is responsible.

Active service in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a deck officer or junior engineer and active service counted on June 30, 1922, for longevity pay, shall be credited to commissioned officers as active commissioned service for purposes of retirement and retirement pay.

For purposes of promotion which is now or may hereafter be authorized for officers appointed after

Any commissioned officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration promoted to a higher grade at any time after December 7, 1941, shall be deemed for all purposes to have accepted his promotion to higher grade upon the date such promotion is made by the President unless he shall expressly decline such promotion, and shall receive the pay and allowances of the higher grade from such date unless he is entitled under some other provision of law to receive the pay and allowances of the higher grade from an earlier date. No such officer who shall have subscribed to the oath of office required by section 3331 of title 5, shall be required to renew such oath or to take a new oath upon his promotion to a higher grade, if his service after the taking of such an oath shall have been continuous.

There is hereby established a committee of 18 members to be known as the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere (hereinafter in sections 857–13 to 857–18 of this title referred to as the “Committee”).

Members of the Committee shall each be entitled to receive compensation not to exceed the daily rate for a GS–18 for each day (including traveltime) during which they are engaged in the actual performance of the duties of the Committee. In addition, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of the duties of the Committee, each member of the Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703(b) 1

There are authorized to be appropriated for purposes of carrying out sections 857–13 to 857–18 of this title not to exceed $520,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1978, $572,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1979, $565,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1980, $600,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1981, and $555,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1982. Such sums as may be appropriated under this section shall remain available until expended.

Beginning in September, 2001, the President shall transmit to the Congress biennially a report that includes a detailed listing of all existing Federal programs related to ocean and coastal activities, including a description of each program, the current funding for the program, linkages to other Federal programs, and a projection of the funding level for the program for each of the next 5 fiscal years beginning after the report is submitted.

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to pay extra compensation to members of crews of vessels when assigned duties as instrument observer or recorder, and to employees of other Federal agencies while observing tides or currents, or tending seismographs or magnetographs, at such rates as may be specified from time to time by him and without regard to section 5533 of title 5.

In places where the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is serving which are not within the jurisdiction of any one of the States of the continental United States, excluding Alaska, commanding officers of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration vessels, and such other officers of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the Secretary of Commerce may designate, may exercise the general powers of the notary public in the administration of oaths for the execution, acknowledgment, and attestation of instruments and papers, and the performance of all other notarial acts. The powers conferred shall be limited to acts performed in behalf of the personnel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or in connection with the proper execution of the functions of that agency.

No fee of any kind shall be paid to any officer for the performance of any notarial act authorized by section 875 of this title. The signature without seal together with indication of grade of any officer performing any notarial act shall be prima facie evidence of his authority.

Advances of money from available appropriations may be made to the National Ocean Survey and by authority of the Director thereof to chiefs of parties and accounts arising under such advances shall be rendered through and by the disbursing officer of the National Ocean Survey to the Government Accountability Office as under advances made to chiefs of parties prior to July 1, 1918.

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to purchase, from the appropriation for the National Ocean Survey, provisions, clothing, and small stores for the enlisted men, and food supplies for field parties working in remote localities, such provisions, clothing, small stores, and food supplies to be sold to the employees of said survey and the appropriation reimbursed.

On and after March 11, 2009, the Secretary of Commerce is permitted to prescribe and enforce standards or regulations affecting safety and health in the context of scientific and occupational diving within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.