Sponsors (2)
The bill reorganizes and clarifies marine debris authorities, governance, and partnership tools—improving administrative clarity, partnership flexibility, and tribal outreach—at the cost of concentrating some decision‑making, creating short‑term administrative and legal ambiguity, and altering funding dynamics (including reduced spending transparency and potential diversion of limited funds) without committing significant new appropriations.
Federal, state, and local agencies, grant applicants, and coastal partners will face clearer, consolidated statutory language and updated cross‑references, reducing administrative confusion and making program implementation and coordination easier.
Regional organizations, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations, nonprofits, and coastal communities will gain stronger access and participation because the bill establishes a Foundation with defined governance, expands eligible recipients, and provides targeted tribal outreach and capacity-building.
NOAA, nonprofits, and state/local governments will be able to form more flexible agreements and use in‑kind contributions, enabling more marine debris removal, research, and project activity while lowering cash costs for partners.
Taxpayers and the public may face reduced transparency because NOAA providing in‑kind resources in lieu of direct funding can make federal project costs harder to track.
Nonprofits and state/local partners could face unequal incentives and more complicated funding choices because NOAA's authority to provide in‑kind contributions is limited to contracts and 'other agreements' (not grants or cooperative agreements).
State and local U.S. communities could see reduced domestic resources if authorized recipients include foreign governments, creating a risk that limited appropriations are diverted away from domestic projects.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Consolidates Save Our Seas 2.0 into the Marine Debris Act, updates definitions and governance for the Marine Debris Foundation, expands eligible recipients, and allows limited NOAA in-kind project contributions.
Makes technical and substantive changes to the Marine Debris Act by folding in parts of earlier Save Our Seas 2.0 provisions, reorganizing and renumbering statutory sections, updating definitions, and changing governance rules for the Marine Debris Foundation. It also gives the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (NOAA) authority to provide in-kind contributions to some projects and expands eligible recipients for certain program funding, including Tribal entities and regional organizations. Most changes are reorganizational and conforming language updates, but key substantive items include creation of a Foundation CEO role, requirements for outreach and capacity-building for Indian Tribes (while not replacing government-to-government consultation), relocation of the Foundation’s principal office options, expanded eligible recipients for funding, and clarified authorities for grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and in-kind NOAA support.
Introduced January 23, 2025 by Daniel Scott Sullivan · Last progress December 26, 2025