Marine Debris Cleanup Gets Reauthorized Through 2029, Focuses on Tribal Outreach and NOAA In-Kind Funding

The Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act is less about creating new policy and more about giving the existing marine debris cleanup programs a serious administrative tune-up. Essentially, this bill reorganizes the Marine Debris Act, updates the structure of the Marine Debris Foundation, and locks in funding for these efforts through fiscal year 2029.

The NOAA Fix: Counting Sweat Equity

One of the most practical changes involves the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). When NOAA partners with an outside group on a project—say, a local non-profit running a coastal cleanup—and it’s not a standard grant, the bill clarifies how NOAA can help cover the costs (Sec. 2). If NOAA contributes its own resources, like staff time, equipment use, or specialized research, the Under Secretary can now count the value of that in-kind contribution toward the project’s cost-sharing requirement. This is a big deal for flexibility. For example, if a university needs specialized monitoring equipment that NOAA already owns, NOAA can lend the equipment and count its rental value as its share of the project cost, making it easier for smaller, cash-strapped partners to get projects off the ground. However, the bill does give the Under Secretary discretion to determine how much of that in-kind contribution NOAA ‘benefits from,’ which leaves the door open for some subjective valuation.

Expanding the Cleanup Crew and Securing the Budget

The bill also makes important structural changes to the Marine Debris Foundation (Sec. 3). First, it expands the Foundation’s mission to specifically include supporting Indian Tribes and Tribal governments, recognizing their vital role in coastal stewardship. To back this up, the Foundation is now required to develop and implement best practices for outreach and technical assistance to these groups. This means better access to programs and grants for Tribal organizations, ensuring they have the capacity to tackle local marine debris issues. The funding authorization for these programs is also increased by an additional $2 million for FY 2025 and reauthorized all the way through FY 2029, providing long-term stability for cleanup efforts.

Administrative Overhaul and Centralized Authority

Much of the bill involves a massive internal reorganization, shuffling entire sections of the law around and updating definitions (Sec. 4, Sec. 5). This is the legislative equivalent of cleaning out the garage and relabeling all the storage bins. For everyday people, this means the laws governing marine debris should be clearer and easier to navigate for the agencies involved. On the Foundation side, however, there’s a notable shift in oversight: the Board of Directors’ appointments and certain operational changes now require the approval of the Secretary of Commerce. While this ensures alignment with the Department’s goals, it centralizes power and could slow down the Foundation’s ability to act quickly or independently.