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Measure would ban NOAA’s resort events
By M.Z. Hemingway
Federal Times
April 27, 2007
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration funds intended for scientific discovery may no longer be spent on banquets and related meetings.
The funding ban is part of S 761, which increases research and education in math and the sciences. The Senate passed the bill April 25. The ban would not apply to training conferences or routine meetings with employees to discuss ongoing projects or training.
Recent media reports found that the NOAA-funded Oyster Recovery Partnership used $46,000 to hold a meeting at a golf resort and spa. Dinner and 50 hotel rooms were paid for with federal dollars.
A November 2001 NOAA Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee conference was held at a resort in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. An August conference is scheduled for a resort in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Other recent locations for NOAA conferences include Dania Beach, Fla., and Honolulu, according to Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who introduced the amendment that would ban spending on banquets and require greater transparency and accountability for federal funds.
The amendment also requires the Commerce Department’s inspector general to conduct reviews of NOAA’s grant activities to determine whether agency goals are being met.
Reviews must be available to the public within 60 days of their completion. Finally, the amendment prohibits people who receive grant funds or agency contracts from having financial or personal conflicts of interest.
Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, opposed the amendment, saying its conference ban was too broad and its transparency provisions could violate privacy. He said that conferences could be educational and should not be banned.
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