Sponsors (9)
The resolution improves national awareness and data to help coastal communities plan for sea-level rise and protect water and economic assets, but it also increases pressure for costly responses, can depress coastal property markets, and risks uneven burdens—especially for vulnerable populations.
State and local governments and taxpayers get quantified estimates of coastal economic exposure (coastal counties produce roughly $10 trillion), enabling more targeted mitigation, aid planning, and investment prioritization.
Homeowners, renters, and local governments along coasts gain federally-backed justification and data to plan, fund, and prioritize sea-level rise adaptation and resilience projects.
Low-income individuals and state/local governments receive advance warning (displacement risk estimated up to ~13 million by 2100) to plan social services, relocation assistance, and housing strategies.
Homeowners, renters, and financial institutions could see coastal property values decline and mortgage/insurance markets disrupted as sea-level rise risks are documented publicly.
Taxpayers and state/local governments may face increased fiscal pressure to fund adaptation, buyouts, and resilience projects, potentially raising taxes or diverting existing budgets.
Broad findings linking sea-level rise to fossil fuel emissions could prompt regulatory or energy policy changes with economic impacts on energy workers and communities dependent on those industries.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
States findings that sea level is rising faster than in the past, quantifies likely future increases and risks to U.S. coastal areas and populations, and attributes much of the rise to warming from fossil fuel emissions. The text lists observed trends (including thermal expansion and ice-sheet contributions), projected ranges of sea-level rise through 2100, and economic and population exposure, but does not create any new legal requirements, funding, or deadlines.
Introduced December 17, 2025 by Sheldon Whitehouse · Last progress December 17, 2025