(a) Certification of an RCOS shall be for a term of 5 years, unless otherwise specified by the NOAA Administrator.

(b) Certification may be renewed, at the request of the RCOS, for a period of five years. An RCOS seeking to renew its certification shall provide NOAA with a written request to renew at least 120 calendar days before the expiration of the existing certification. The request shall include the application form, available online at http://www.ioos.noaa.gov/certification, and all information providing evidence that the applicant satisfies the IOOC certification criteria and NOAA regulations promulgated to certify and integrate non-Federal assets into the System.

(c) After receiving a written request for renewal of certification, NOAA shall have up to 90 calendar days to review the request and decide whether to renew the certification.

(d) Before the 90 calendar days have elapsed, NOAA may request additional information, in which case NOAA shall have up to 30 additional calendar days after that additional information has been received by NOAA, above and beyond the original 90 calendar days, to review the request and decide whether to renew the certification.

(e) NOAA's decision whether to renew the certification shall be based on whether the RCOS continues to demonstrate that it satisfies the current IOOC certification criteria and these regulations. NOAA's decision, along with the reason for its decision, shall be included in a written notification to the RCOS.