Sponsors (2)
The bill expands federal support, expertise, and funding flexibility to help coastal states and communities plan and implement climate adaptation projects, but it raises costs for taxpayers, leaves some communities ineligible, and may impose new regulatory and competitive burdens on property owners and smaller jurisdictions.
Coastal state and local governments (and the homeowners and businesses they serve) will get federal planning grants and access to implementation funding for coastal adaptation projects that reduce flood and storm damage and strengthen local resilience.
State and local agencies, researchers, and schools will benefit from support for long‑term environmental monitoring, adaptive management, and pilot demonstrations (using National Estuarine Research Reserves) that improve coastal science and the effectiveness of future responses to climate impacts.
Local policymakers, practitioners, and construction and planning workforces will receive technical assistance and training to build capacity to implement science‑based adaptation measures.
Taxpayers nationwide could face increased federal spending because the program is authorized with open‑ended appropriations ('such sums as are necessary').
Coastal communities in States without a Secretary‑approved coastal management program will be excluded from planning grants, leaving some vulnerable communities without access to federal adaptation resources.
Homeowners, developers, and local businesses could face new regulatory requirements when States implement plans through enforceable policies, potentially affecting property rights and development practices.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a new NOAA-run coastal climate adaptation preparedness and response program added to the Coastal Zone Management Act that offers two grant streams: planning grants to help eligible coastal States create adaptation plans, and implementation grants to carry out those plans. The program provides technical assistance and training, authorizes appropriations as "such sums as are necessary," requires federal guidance within set timelines, and does not force States to change approved coastal management programs or extend their enforceable policies beyond their defined coastal zones.
Introduced April 24, 2025 by Salud Carbajal · Last progress April 24, 2025