{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-schatz-cantwell-bill-to-strengthen-improve-noaa-corps-signed-into-law", "Sullivan-Schatz-Cantwell Bill to Strengthen, Improve NOAA Corps Signed into Law", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AK", "Dan Sullivan", "S001198", "www.sullivan.senate.gov", "sullivan", "https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases?PageNum_rs=46", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) today welcomed the signing of S. 2981, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2020, their bill to improve and modernize the management of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps.\n\n\u201cThe mission and work of NOAA and the NOAA Corps are incredibly important to Alaska, the state with our nation\u2019s largest fishery, more coastline than the Lower 48 states combined, and America\u2019s only Arctic territory,\u201d said Senator Sullivan. \u201cNOAA officers perform highly-specialized duties with the same sense of service and dedication as our other uniformed services, and I appreciate the President for signing our legislation to more fully embrace the NOAA Corps\u2019 contributions to our country.\u201d\n\n\u201cNOAA Corps officers fly Hurricane Hunters into storms threatening Hawaii on a moment\u2019s notice and at great risk to themselves to keep us safe. With our bill now law, we will finally recognize the critical work they do by providing them with the support they deserve,\u201d said Senator Schatz.\n\n\u201cFor over 100 years, the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps has conducted the highest quality science missions to inform fisheries management and research, which is fundamental in supporting Washington\u2019s maritime economy,\u201d said Senator Cantwell. \u201cIn addition to investing in the NOAA Corps, this bill will pave the way for future innovative collaborations, as well as advance meaningful improvements in sexual assault and harassment policies to protect women serving in the NOAA Corps.\u201d\n\nThe NOAA Corps is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. The 321 officers of the NOAA Corps operate NOAA\u2019s ship and aircraft fleet, and are deployed for extended periods fulfilling NOAA\u2019s missions. Officers also routinely support the missions of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard when necessary.\n\nThe legislation will improve personnel management and readiness of the Corps, strengthen recruitment and retention of Corps personnel by creating a mandatory service obligation and offering benefits and services to officers, and better integrate the Corps with NOAA by providing increased opportunities for officers to continue their federal service with the agency after leaving the Corps.\n\nThe Military Coalition, an organization representing more than 5.5 million military service members, veterans and their families wrote a letter to congressional leaders in support of S. 2981.\n\n\u201cEven though members of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps often put themselves in harm\u2019s way and are subject to the same deployment requirements as members of the armed forces, NOAA lacks some of the statutory authority to grow, maintain, and manage personnel \u2014 specifically their Officer Corps,\u201d wrote Jack Du Teil, president of TMC. \u201cThis important legislation addresses those authorities and benefits not granted to the Corps, whose officers consist of experts in varying fields, including but not limited to oceanography, meteorology, engineering, earth sciences, and fisheries science.\u201d\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-schatz-cantwell-bill-to-strengthen-improve-noaa-corps-signed-into-law"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8141191210597754, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}