Sponsors (26)
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Amends chapter-wide references by striking each place 'Council' appears and inserting 'Committee'.
Amends definitions by replacing 'Council' with 'Committee' and changes other defined terms referencing the Council name.
Amends provisions of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observing System, inserting 'Committee' in place of prior term and revising subsection (c) to redesignate clauses and add requirements for regional collaboration.
Modifies the authorization of appropriations by adding a new paragraph (6) that authorizes $47,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
Updates the law that governs the federal coastal and ocean observation system by renaming certain committee references, improving regional coordination and data sharing among observation partners, and authorizing $47.5 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2030 to support the system. It also makes technical edits to clause numbering and headings to align statutory language with current organization names and practices. The changes add an explicit coordination duty for regional offices and federally funded observation projects to promote better regional data integration and sharing. The bill is primarily a technical and program-authorization update intended to strengthen the national ocean-observing network and its regional partnerships.
The bill secures steady federal funding and clearer collaboration to improve coastal observations and regional data sharing—benefiting coastal communities, mariners, and researchers—while imposing modest recurring federal costs and some administrative burdens on agencies and partners.
NOAA’s Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (ICOOS) will receive steady funding of $47.5 million per year for FY2026–2030, supporting continued coastal and ocean observations and services that benefit public safety, commerce, and science.
Regional ocean data will be more shareable because agencies must develop requirements and processes to collaborate with regional coastal observing systems, improving access to regional data for users and partners.
Improved regional coordination is likely to provide more timely local coastal data (tides, currents, water quality), directly benefiting coastal residents, mariners, commercial fisheries, and resource managers for safety and operational decisions.
Consistent statutory terminology and renaming to an 'Ocean Policy Committee' reduces confusion about program oversight, supporting clearer governance and public understanding.
Authorizing $47.5 million per year increases federal spending and could modestly add to the budgetary commitments that taxpayers ultimately fund or that require offsets elsewhere.
New collaboration requirements could impose ongoing administrative and compliance costs on regional offices and federally funded projects, diverting staff time and resources from other activities.
Standardizing committee names and revising clauses will require agencies and partners to update documents, contracts, and regulations, creating short-term administrative burdens.
Replace each occurrence of the old committee name with "Committee" throughout the Act.
In 33 U.S.C. 3602 (section 12303), change the heading and replace the term "National Ocean Research Leadership Council" with "Ocean Policy Committee."
In 33 U.S.C. 3603 (section 12304), insert unspecified textual changes after each appearance of a certain term (as marked) and revise the heading of subsection (c)(1).
In 33 U.S.C. 3603, redesignate clauses (vi)–(x) of subsection (c)(2)(B) as clauses (vii)–(xi) and insert a new clause (vi) requiring development of requirements and processes for regional offices and federally funded agency projects to collaborate with regional coastal observing systems for regional data sharing.
Require the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (through agency regional offices and federally funded projects) to develop requirements and processes to collaborate with regional coastal observing systems for data sharing at regional levels.
Primary effects will be on federal and nonfederal participants in the ocean-observing system. Scientists, researchers, and data managers will benefit from clearer coordination duties and improved access to regional observation data. Federal employees (particularly those in NOAA regional offices and other agencies that fund observation projects) will adopt added coordination responsibilities. State and local governments and regional partners that rely on observation data for coastal planning, hazard response, and resource management should see improved data availability and interoperability. The authorization of $47.5 million per year provides a funding target to support those activities, but actual program growth depends on future appropriations. The bill is largely administrative and technical, so it imposes few new regulatory costs on external parties beyond expected cooperation and data-sharing practice changes.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2513)
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced March 24, 2025 by Mike Ezell · Last progress March 17, 2026
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Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2513)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2294.