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September 14, 2026
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Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextCHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED ADVANCEMENT FOR TRAINING, EDUCATION,
RESTORATION, AND SCIENCE (WATERS) ACT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6893) to reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6893
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Advancement for Training, Education, Restoration, and Science
(WATERS) Act”.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION CHESAPEAKE BAY OFFICE.
Section 307 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Authorization Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 1511d) is
amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “(in this section” and
all that follows and inserting a period;
(B) in paragraph (2), to read as follows:
“(2) The Office shall be headed by a Director, who—
“(A) shall have knowledge and experience in research or
resource management efforts in the Chesapeake Bay; and
“(B) shall be responsible for the administration and
operation of the Office and the implementation of this
section.”; and
(C) by striking paragraph (3);
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking “Secretary of Commerce”
and inserting “Administrator”;
(B) in paragraph (3)—
(i) by inserting “with and represent” after
“coordinate”;
(ii) by striking “, the Chesapeake Bay Regional Sea Grant
Programs, and the Chesapeake Bay units of the National
Estuarine Research Reserve System,” and inserting “for the
Chesapeake Bay Program and that relate to the Chesapeake Bay
watershed in furtherance of such Administration's coastal
resource stewardship mission,”;
(iii) in subparagraph (A)—
(I) in clauses (vi) and (vii), by striking “and” at the
end; and
(II) by adding at the end the following:
“(viii) coastal hazards; and
“(ix) education; and”; and
(iv) in subparagraph (B)—
(I) in clause (iii), by striking “and” at the end;
(II) in clause (iv), by inserting “and” after the
semicolon; and
(III) by adding at the end the following:
“(v) integrated ecosystem assessments;”;
(C) in paragraph (4)—
(i) by striking “Environmental Protection Agency” and
inserting “Chesapeake Executive Council”; and
(ii) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the
following: “as appropriate to further the purposes of this
section”;
(D) by striking paragraphs (5) and (7);
(E) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (5); and
(F) by adding at the end the following:
“(6) perform any functions necessary to support the
programs referred to in paragraph (3).”;
(3) by striking subsections (c), (d), and (e); and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
“(c) Program Activities.—
“(1) In general.—The Administrator, acting through the
Director, shall implement the program activities authorized
by this section to support the activity of the Chesapeake
Executive Council and to further the purposes of this
section.
“(2) Ensuring scientific and technical merit.—The
Director shall—
“(A) establish and use an effective and transparent
mechanism to ensure that projects funded under this section
have undergone appropriate peer review; and
“(B) provide other appropriate means to determine that
such projects have acceptable scientific and technical merit
for the purpose of achieving maximum use of available funds
and resources to benefit the Chesapeake Bay area.
“(3) Consultation with chesapeake executive council.—The
Director shall, in the implementation of the program
activities authorized under this section, consult with the
Chesapeake Executive Council, to ensure that the activities
of the Office are consistent with the purposes and priorities
of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement and plans developed pursuant
to the such agreement.
“(4) Integrated coastal observations.—
“(A) In general.—The Administrator, acting through the
Director, may collaborate with scientific and academic
institutions, State and Federal agencies, nongovernmental
organizations, and other constituents in the Chesapeake Bay
watershed to support an integrated observations system for
the Chesapeake Bay consistent with the purposes of the
Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009
(33 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.).
“(B) Specific requirements.—To support the system
referred to in subparagraph (A) and provide a complete set of
environmental information for the Chesapeake Bay, the
Director shall—
“(i) coordinate monitoring with Federal and State agencies
in the tidal portions of the Chesapeake Bay to understand
impacts of water quality on living marine resources;
“(ii) identify new data collection needs and deploy new
technologies, as appropriate;
“(iii) collect and analyze the scientific information
necessary for the management of living marine resources and
the marine habitat associated with such resources; and
“(iv) organize the information described in clause (iii)
into products that are useful to policy makers, resource
managers, scientists, and the public.
“(C) Chesapeake bay interpretive buoy system.—To further
the development and implementation of the Chesapeake Bay
Interpretive Buoy System and associated monitoring assets to
improve weather and ecological forecasts, monitor habitat
conditions for living marine resources, the Director may—
“(i) support the establishment and implementation of the
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail;
“(ii) delineate key waypoints along the trail and provide
appropriate real-time data and information for trail users;
“(iii) interpret data and information for use by educators
and students to inspire stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay;
and
“(iv) incorporate the observational data from the
Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System into the Integrated
Ocean Observing System regional observing system network.
“(5) Chesapeake bay watershed education and training
program.—
“(A) In general.—The Administrator, acting through the
Director, may establish a Chesapeake Bay watershed education
and training program. The program shall—
“(i) continue and expand the Chesapeake Bay watershed
education programs offered by the Office immediately before
the enactment of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Advancement for
Training, Education, Restoration, and Science (WATERS) Act;
“(ii) improve the understanding of elementary and
secondary school students and teachers of the living
resources of the ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay;
“(iii) provide education and career pathway internships;
and
“(iv) meet the educational goals of the Chesapeake Bay
Watershed Agreement.
“(B) Grant program.—The Director may award grants for the
purposes of this paragraph. Grants awarded under this
subparagraph may be used to support education and training
projects that enhance understanding and assessment of a
specific environmental problem in the Chesapeake Bay
watershed or a goal of the Chesapeake Bay Program, or protect
or restore living resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed,
including projects that—
“(i) provide classroom education, including the
development and use of distance learning and other innovative
technologies, related to the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
“(ii) provide meaningful watershed educational experiences
in the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
“(iii) provide professional development for teachers
related to the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the dissemination
of pertinent education materials oriented to varying grade
levels;
“(iv) demonstrate or disseminate environmental educational
tools and materials related to the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
“(v) demonstrate field methods, practices, and techniques
including assessment of environmental and ecological
conditions and analysis of environmental problems; and
“(vi) build the capacity of school districts and their
partners to deliver high quality environmental education
programs.
“(C) Coordination.—The Director shall implement the
education and training program in coordination with the heads
of other Federal agencies, as the Director determines
appropriate.
“(6) Coastal and living resources management and habitat
program.—
“(A) In general.—The Administrator, acting through the
Director, may establish a Chesapeake Bay Coastal Living
Resources Management and Habitat Program to support
coordinated management, protection, characterization, and
restoration of priority Chesapeake Bay habitats and living
resources, including oysters, blue crabs, salt marshes,
submerged aquatic vegetation, and economically and
ecologically important fish species such as striped bass and
menhaden.
“(B) Activities.—Under the Chesapeake Bay Coastal Living
Resources Management and Habitat Program, the Director may
carry out or enter into grants, contracts, and cooperative
agreements and provide technical assistance to support—
“(i) native oyster research and restoration;
“(ii) fish and shellfish aquaculture that is carried out
in accordance with a valid Federal or State permit;
“(iii) establishment of submerged aquatic vegetation
restoration programs;
“(iv) the development of programs that restore, protect,
and build the resilience of critical coastal habitats and
communities;
“(v) habitat mapping, characterization, and assessment
techniques necessary to identify, assess, and monitor
Chesapeake Bay conditions and restoration actions;
“(vi) application and transfer of applied scientific
research and ecosystem management tools to fisheries and
habitat managers;
“(vii) collection, synthesis, and sharing of information
to inform and influence coastal and living resource
management issues;
“(viii) ecologically and economically important fish and
shellfish research; and
“(ix) other activities that the director determines are
appropriate to carry out the purposes of such program.
“(d) Delegation.—
“(1) Authority.—The Administrator shall delegate to the
Director such authority as may be necessary to carry out this
section.
“(2) Staff.—The Administrator shall assign to the
Director appropriate staff representing expertise that covers
the breadth of the duties of the Office.
“(e) Reports.—
“(1) In general.—The Administrator, acting through the
Director, shall submit a biennial report to the Committee on
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate, and the Secretary of Commerce on the activities of
the Office and on progress made in protecting and restoring
the living resources and habitat of the Chesapeake Bay.
“(2) Action plan.—Each such report shall include an
action plan for the 2-year period following submission of the
report, consisting of—
“(A) a list of recommended research, monitoring, and data
collection activities necessary to continue implementation of
the strategy under subsection (b)(2); and
“(B) recommendations to integrate National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration activities with the activities of
the partners in the Chesapeake Bay Program to meet the
commitments of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement and subsequent
agreements.
“(f) Agreements.—The Administrator, acting through the
Director, may enter into and perform such contracts, leases,
grants, or cooperative agreements as may be necessary to
carry out the purposes of this Act.
“(g) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Administrator.—The term `Administrator' means the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
“(2) Chesapeake bay agreement; chesapeake bay ecosystem;
chesapeake bay program; chesapeake executive council.—The
terms `Chesapeake Bay Agreement', `Chesapeake Bay ecosystem',
`Chesapeake Bay Program', and `Chesapeake Executive Council'
have the meanings given those terms in section 117(a) of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1267(a)).
“(3) Director.—The term `Director' means the Director of
the Office.
“(4) Office.—The term `Office' means the Chesapeake Bay
Office established under this section.”.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Elfreth) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 6893, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6893, the Chesapeake Bay WATERS Act.
Atlantic region, including for the commercial seafood sector and the recreational boating and fishing community. I know that my colleague from Maryland (Ms. Elfreth) feels even more so about that statement.
Office is an important partner for the Chesapeake Bay region by contributing scientific research, protecting habitat, and advancing oyster restoration.
H.R. 6893 reauthorizes this office and several of its training and workforce programs. It also requires the office to submit a report to the Secretary of Commerce and Congress on its progress in conserving the Chesapeake Bay and the ways NOAA can work with other Chesapeake Bay Program partners.
Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6893 is, in fact, near and dear to my heart and to my district. The Chesapeake Bay watershed is one of our Nation's most priceless natural resources.
Mr. Speaker, 18 million people live in the watershed, which is shared by six States and the District of Columbia. The Chesapeake Bay supports, as was said, fishing, tourism, real estate, and countless industries, generating billions of dollars in economic activity each year. It is, frankly, essential to the culture of those six States and the District.
The bay is also a critical habitat for many keystone species. Its oyster reefs, seagrass meadows, and marshes protect nearby communities from coastal hazards and provide critical nurseries for fish and wildlife. You will even spot a few dolphins hanging out there.
lead H.R. 6893 to reauthorize key, science-backed programs at NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office, which is headquartered near my office in Annapolis, Maryland. This bill would better position the office to collaborate with universities, nonprofits, and other stakeholders in carrying out science, monitoring, and observation activities.
management and conservation of Chesapeake Bay habitats, fish, and wildlife, ensuring that limited Federal resources are used as effectively as possible.
Bay Watershed Education and Training program, otherwise known affectionately as B-WET, which provides grants for environmental education and watershed restoration experiences for local school kids.
steady Federal presence within the region's collaborative scientific infrastructure, benefiting the six States and the District of Columbia.
transcends politics, and it is almost like a religion. I could not agree more.
delegation not just for their dedication to this bill but for their dedication throughout every President and tumultuous politics to remain steady and steadfast in our support of this program.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6893, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), someone who is also passionate about the Chesapeake Bay, fisheries, and clean water.
Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6893, the Chesapeake Bay WATERS Act, and I am very proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill with Representative Kiggans.
resources, and this bill will ensure the bay remains healthy for generations to come.
H.R. 6893 reauthorizes the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Program office, which has been a leading partner in bay restoration efforts. Working alongside universities, State and local governments, and other stakeholders, this office supports the science and coordination necessary to understand the health of the bay and make informed decisions about the future.
collection, and analysis of marine resource data, an area I was committed to for over 27 years with the Commonwealth of Virginia. That information is used by policymakers, resource managers, and the
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strengthens coordinated efforts to manage, protect, and restore bay habitats and living resources.
a natural resource. It is part of our way of life. It supports our watermen, farmers, small businesses, and families throughout the Commonwealth.
jobs and generating billions of dollars in economic activity. Protecting the bay means protecting those jobs, strengthening our local economies, and preserving the natural resources that our communities depend upon.
coordinated restoration efforts, we can ensure the Chesapeake Bay remains healthy for generations to come.
commerce is all about. The bay is that economic engine that involves all of the States in the bay watershed. It is our responsibility as a group of States to make sure we continue to improve the water quality there and, in turn, the economic resources that come to us from the bay.
economies. All of those things are key. The Chesapeake Bay Program Office allows us to coordinate and make sure that all of us in the bay watershed are doing our part to make sure the bay continues to get cleaner and cleaner.
our Nation's most vital resources, and I encourage my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 6893.
Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, we brought out half the Bay Caucus for this effort, and I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the sponsor of the bill.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I rise in support of my legislation, H.R. 6893, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Advancement for Training, Education, Restoration, and Science, the WATERS Act.
the millions of Americans who live within its watershed, including my constituents in Hampton Roads. The Chesapeake Bay's fisheries sustain the region's centuries-old fisheries and seafood industry, which generates about $8 billion in economic activity every year. The bay's unparalleled recreational opportunities not only support tens of thousands of jobs and generate more than $14 billion annually, but are also critical to the well-being and happiness of all that live throughout the watershed.
the bay by devoting the resources and staff of multiple departments and agencies, including NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office. This office provides scientific and technical support to government, industry, and nonprofits with the goal of advancing strategies that improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. This is an effort that has been going on for decades. We are making slow but steady progress.
the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System that provides researchers and watermen with near real-time data on weather and water quality conditions. The Chesapeake Bay Office also oversees the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training, or B-WET, program. This competitive grant program supports environmental education opportunities throughout the watershed that not only teach students about the bay but also connect them to it through experiential programming.
Office. This ensures the agency can continue supporting the goals of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and restoring the Chesapeake Bay. My bill also authorizes the Chesapeake B-WET program for the first time in its history, ensuring that future generations can continue to engage with the Chesapeake Bay.
Kiggans and Maryland Representative Elfreth, for their support of this legislation. I thank Chairman Westerman and Ranking Member Huffman for their leadership in getting this bill to the House floor.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote “yes” on the bill.
Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
I could go on and on, but I know we have one last bill. Representative Scott got it right: It has been slow and steady progress since 1983, before I was even born, to make sure that we not just protect and preserve for future generations, but take strides to be a model as we have been in the Chesapeake Bay region for other watersheds, not just in the United States but across the world.
Mr. Speaker, there is so much more work to do. This bill reauthorizes that work. Again, I thank my bipartisan colleagues for prioritizing not just this bill but this program within the budget itself. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank everybody for their bipartisan support on H.R. 6893. I support its passage and yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6893, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.