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119th Congress

Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable Waters

Chapter 50 — Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring

§ 3702. Definitions

Statutory text

In this chapter:

(1)

Coastal acidification

The term “coastal acidification” means the decrease in pH and changes in the water chemistry of coastal oceans, estuaries, and Great Lakes from atmospheric pollution, freshwater inputs, and excess nutrient run-off from land.

(2)

Ocean acidification

The term “ocean acidification” means the decrease in pH and changes in the water chemistry of the Earth’s oceans, coastal estuaries, marine waterways, and Great Lakes caused by carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the breakdown of organic matter.

(3)

Secretary

The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(4)

Subcommittee

The term “Subcommittee” means the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology.

(5)

State

The term “State” means each State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other territory or possession of the United States.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009

    Pub. L. 111–11 title XII § 12403 · 123 Stat. 991

    Enacted · 33 U.S.C. § 3702

    Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, § 12403, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1437

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, § 12403, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1437

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    SEC. 12403. DEFINITIONS.   In this subtitle: (1) Ocean acidification.— The term “ocean acidification” means the decrease in pH of the Earth’s oceans and changes in ocean chemistry caused by chemical inputs from the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide. (2) Secretary.— The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (3) Subcommittee.— The term “Subcommittee” means the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council.

  2. Coastal and Ocean Acidification Research and Innovation Act of 2021

    Pub. L. 117–167 § 10643(4) · 136 Stat. 1366

    Redesignated · 33 U.S.C. § 3702(1)

    Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(4), added par. (1). Former par. (1) redesignated (2)

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Par. (1). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(4), added par. (1). Former par. (1) redesignated (2).

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (4) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, the following: “(1) Coastal acidification.— The term ‘coastal acidification’ means the decrease in pH and changes in the water chemistry of coastal oceans, estuaries, and Great Lakes from atmospheric pollution, freshwater inputs, and excess nutrient run-off from land.” ; and

  3. Coastal and Ocean Acidification Research and Innovation Act of 2021

    Pub. L. 117–167 § 10643(1) · 136 Stat. 1366

    Substituted · 33 U.S.C. § 3702(1)

    Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(1), substituted “and changes in the water chemistry of the Earth’s oceans, coastal estuaries, marine waterways, and Great Lakes caused by carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the breakdown of organic matter” for “of the Earth’s oceans and changes in ocean chemistry caused by chemical inputs from the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide”

    Target inherited from the preceding amendment note.

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(1), substituted “and changes in the water chemistry of the Earth’s oceans, coastal estuaries, marine waterways, and Great Lakes caused by carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the breakdown of organic matter” for “of the Earth’s oceans and changes in ocean chemistry caused by chemical inputs from the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (1) in paragraph (1), by striking “of the Earth’s oceans” and all that follows before the period at the end and inserting “and changes in the water chemistry of the Earth’s oceans, coastal estuaries, marine waterways, and Great Lakes caused by carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the breakdown of organic matter”;

  4. Coastal and Ocean Acidification Research and Innovation Act of 2021

    Pub. L. 117–167 § 10643(3) · 136 Stat. 1366

    Redesignated · 33 U.S.C. § 3702(2)

    Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(3), redesignated par. (1) as (2). Former par. (2) redesignated (3)

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Par. (2). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(3), redesignated par. (1) as (2). Former par. (2) redesignated (3).

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (3) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) as paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), respectively;

  5. Coastal and Ocean Acidification Research and Innovation Act of 2021

    Pub. L. 117–167 § 10643(3) · 136 Stat. 1366

    Redesignated · 33 U.S.C. § 3702(3)

    Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(3), redesignated par. (2) as (3). Former par. (3) redesignated (4)

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Par. (3). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(3), redesignated par. (2) as (3). Former par. (3) redesignated (4).

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (3) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) as paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), respectively;

  6. Coastal and Ocean Acidification Research and Innovation Act of 2021

    Pub. L. 117–167 § 10643(2) · 136 Stat. 1366

    Substituted · 33 U.S.C. § 3702(3)

    Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(2), substituted “National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology” for “Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council”

    Target inherited from the preceding amendment note.

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(2), substituted “National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology” for “Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (2) in paragraph (3), by striking “Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council” and inserting “National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology”;

  7. Coastal and Ocean Acidification Research and Innovation Act of 2021

    Pub. L. 117–167 § 10643(3) · 136 Stat. 1366

    Redesignated · 33 U.S.C. § 3702(4)

    Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(3), redesignated par. (3) as (4)

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Par. (4). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(3), redesignated par. (3) as (4).

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (3) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) as paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), respectively;

  8. Coastal and Ocean Acidification Research and Innovation Act of 2021

    Pub. L. 117–167 § 10643(5) · 136 Stat. 1366

    Added · 33 U.S.C. § 3702(5)

    Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(5), added par. (5)

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Par. (5). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(5), added par. (5).

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (5) by adding at the end the following: “(5) State.— The term ‘State’ means each State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other territory or possession of the United States.” .

8 of 8 references resolved to an enrolled provision

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Par. (1). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(4), added par. (1). Former par. (1) redesignated (2).

Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(1), substituted “and changes in the water chemistry of the Earth’s oceans, coastal estuaries, marine waterways, and Great Lakes caused by carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the breakdown of organic matter” for “of the Earth’s oceans and changes in ocean chemistry caused by chemical inputs from the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide”.

Par. (2). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(3), redesignated par. (1) as (2). Former par. (2) redesignated (3).

Par. (3). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(3), redesignated par. (2) as (3). Former par. (3) redesignated (4).

Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(2), substituted “National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology” for “Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council”.

Par. (4). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(3), redesignated par. (3) as (4).

Par. (5). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10643(5), added par. (5).

Credits

2009–2022 · 2 acts
  1. 2009Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, § 12403, , 123 Stat. 1437
  2. 2022Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title VI, § 10643, , 136 Stat. 1672.
Show as published

(Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, § 12403, , 123 Stat. 1437; Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title VI, § 10643, , 136 Stat. 1672.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc33.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-04-17

USLM identifier /us/usc/t33/s3702