S 216119th CongressBecame Law

Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act

Introduced: Jan 23, 2025

Sponsor: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-Alaska)

Environment & Climate

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act (S. 216) is a comprehensive rewrite intended to streamline and expand the administration of the United States’ marine-debris programs. It reorganizes the Marine Debris Act’s structure to create explicit NOAA/Coast Guard program elements, expands funding mechanisms to include contracts and in-kind contributions, and broadens participation to include Indian Tribes, Tribal governments, Tribal organizations, regional and foreign partners. It also transfers and reframes the Save Our Seas 2.0 provisions as part of the Marine Debris Act, elevates the Marine Debris Foundation to nonprofit-corporation status with a redefined board and CEO, and adds specific duties around best practices, outreach, and capacity building for tribal communities. The bill authorizes additional appropriations (including a new $2 million for FY 2025) and extends program authorization through 2029, with multiple conforming amendments to ensure consistency across statutes. In short, the bill aims to strengthen funding, governance, and tribal- and international-partner engagement in marine-debris efforts, while clarifying agency roles and expanding the foundation’s authority and oversight.

Key Points

1NOAA/Coast Guard program structure and funding flexibility
2- Creates a new “Subtitle A—NOAA And Coast Guard Programs” and reindexes relevant Marine Debris Act sections to encompass contracts and other agreements, not just grants.
3- Allows in-kind contributions by the Under Secretary for non-grant projects, aligning NOAA’s and the program’s cost-sharing with project benefits to the agencies.
4Marine Debris Foundation governance and status
5- Substantially redesigns the Marine Debris Foundation from a general organization to a nonprofit corporation.
6- Expands board appointment processes, terms (6-year terms), and the need for Secretary of Commerce approval; adds a CEO with appointment/removal authority by the Board; broadens representation to include additional federal agencies (e.g., USAID, EPA) with Board oversight.
7Expanded scope and outreach requirements
8- Adds explicit duties to develop best practices for outreach to Indian Tribes and Tribal Governments, including capacity building and program/grant awareness.
9- Adds a rule of construction to clarify that certain provisions do not create a government-to-government consultation obligation or modify tribal treaty rights.
10Funding and authorization
11- Increases and diversifies funding sources and recipients, including State/local agencies, regional organizations, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and foreign governments.
12- Authorizes an additional $2,000,000 for FY 2025 and extends authorization for carrying out programs through 2029.
13Definitions and cross-reference harmonization
14- Adds and clarifies key terms (circular economy, coastal shoreline community, Indian Tribe, nonprofit organization, post-consumer materials management, Tribal Government, Tribal Organization, Under Secretary) and harmonizes terminology across the Marine Debris Act and Save Our Seas 2.0.
15- Transfers and renumbers Save Our Seas 2.0 provisions into the Marine Debris Act framework, with corresponding conforming amendments.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Indian Tribes, Tribal governments, and Tribal organizations (enhanced outreach, capacity-building requirements, and recognition in governance and funding).- The Marine Debris Foundation (now a nonprofit corporation) and its leadership, governance, and funding relationships.- NOAA/Department of Commerce and the EPA Administrator’s roles, with added involvement from USAID on the Foundation’s Board.Secondary group/area affected- State and local government agencies, regional organizations, and coastal shoreline communities (broader funding eligibility and emphasis on local/regional engagement).- International partners and foreign governments (new eligibility for funding and cross-border collaboration).Additional impacts- Administrative: transfers of sections and reorganization may affect agency workflows, reporting, and oversight.- Policy direction: stronger emphasis on the circular economy and tribal capacity-building could influence debris-prevention priorities and grants.- Legal and treaty considerations: the rule-of-construction provisions seek to limit compelled tribal-government consultation or treaty-right modification, preserving existing tribal rights.

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