“A bill to support rural coastal and maritime economic development, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section designates the Act as the “Working Waterfronts Act of 2025” and sets forth its table of contents.
This section establishes a new investment tax credit equal to 30% of the basis of hydropower improvement property placed in service (under new IRC §48F). Hydropower improvement property includes property that (1) adds or improves fish passage at a qualified dam (i.e., a hydroelectric dam licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or legally operating without a license before enactment), (2) maintains or improves the quality of water retained or released by a qualified dam, (3) promotes downstream sediment transport processes and habitat maintenance with respect to a qualified dam, (4) is part of a marine energy technology project or marine energy project (i.e., electricity production from waves, tides, currents, free-flowing water, salinity/pressure differentials, or water temperature differentials, including emerging technologies approved by the Commission that do not jeopardize endangered species), or (5) places into service an approved remote dam (i.e., a non-polluting hydroelectric dam with maximum net output of 40 megawatts or less exclusively serving communities not interconnected to major U.S. power grids). The section further allows elective payment or transfer of the credit under §§6417 and 6418 (including a special election treating certain non-applicable entities as applicable entities) and makes conforming amendments to §§46 and 49.
This section establishes a pilot program to be implemented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator, in consultation with the Coast Guard Commandant and not later than one year after enactment, to facilitate the transition of U.S.-flagged commercial fishing vessels—defined as fishing vessels under 46 U.S.C. 2101 (i.e., vessels that commercially engage in the catching, taking, or harvesting of fish or related activities)—to alternative fuel commercial fishing vessels (i.e., those using energy sources other than exclusively petroleum-derived, including hybrids). Under the program, the Administrator may make loans for building new alternative fuel vessels, retrofitting existing ones, and research and development of alternative fuel technologies and necessary shoreside infrastructure (e.g., charging or refueling stations); requires the Administrator and Commandant to promulgate implementing regulations within 180 days of enactment; and directs a joint study, with report to Congress within two years of enactment, on developing alternative fuels, improving technologies, fuel source limitations, and hybrid opportunities for such vessels. The section authorizes $20 million annually for FY2026 through FY2030 to carry out the pilot program, with at least $10 million each year allocated to loans for vessel transitions and to loans for research and development and infrastructure.
This section amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CFRDA) to expand the definitions of "farmer" and "farming" to include commercial fishing (as defined in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act) and fish processing; adds definitions for commercial fishing vessel (i.e., a fishing or fish processing vessel as defined in 46 U.S.C. §2101), fish, fish processing (i.e., processing fish for commercial use or consumption), and fish processing facility (i.e., a facility or vessel equipped for fish processing); and makes the following changes: (1) For direct and guaranteed farm ownership loans (7 U.S.C. §§1922-1923) and operating loans (7 U.S.C. §§1941-1942), deems commercial fishers and fish processors as farmers or ranchers, and commercial fishing vessels and fish processing facilities as farms or ranches, authorizing loans for commercial fishers to acquire permits and vessels, and for processors to acquire, operate, and maintain facilities. (The CFRDA provides loans to eligible farmers and ranchers for purchasing land and equipment, operating expenses, and related purposes.) (2) For the Farmers' Market and Local Food Promotion Program (7 U.S.C. §1627c), which supports local food marketing and distribution, includes wild-caught fish as an eligible agricultural product and domestic seafood marketing as an eligible activity.
This section expands eligibility for credit and financial services from Farm Credit Banks and production credit associations to persons furnishing services directly related to the operating needs of producers or harvesters of aquatic products (i.e., adds them as a new category under 12 U.S.C. 2017 and 2075(a), alongside bona fide farmers, ranchers, aquatic producers, farm service providers, and rural homeowners). It also authorizes Farm Credit Banks to extend credit for such purposes (under 12 U.S.C. 2019(c)(1)). (Thus, businesses serving aquaculture operations or fisheries—such as equipment suppliers or processors—may now access financing from the Farm Credit System.)
This section expands the duties of the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, acting through the interagency Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Task Force, in administering the national harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program—led primarily by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to coordinate federal research, monitoring, prediction, mitigation, and response to harmful algal bloom (HAB) and hypoxia events in marine and freshwater environments—by requiring (1) enhanced competitive grant programs to support shellfish mariculture and expanded access to HAB toxin testing for subsistence and recreational shellfish harvesters through innovative methods that increase testing efficiency and effectiveness in rural and remote areas; and (2) a definition of shellfish mariculture as the cultivation of shellfish in their natural habitat for human consumption.
This section revises allocations of moneys deposited into the Saltonstall-Kennedy fund—financed by duties on imported fishery products and used to support U.S. fisheries research, development, and marketing (15 U.S.C. 713c-3)—by (1) limiting deposits to 25% of all moneys transferred to the Secretary (from all such moneys); (2) requiring not less than 75% of fund moneys, equal to 18.75% of total transfers (from 60% of all moneys), for grants under NOAA's Saltonstall-Kennedy competitive grant program; (3) directing not less than 20% of fund moneys, equal to 5% of total transfers, to the Young Fishermen’s Development Act, which provides grants and support services to individuals 25 years old or younger entering commercial fishing (33 U.S.C. 1141 et seq.); and (4) increasing the amount specified in paragraph (2) to $10 million (from $3 million).
This section directs the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), not later than two years after enactment and under the authority of the federal prize competition program (15 U.S.C. 3719), in consultation with relevant federal agencies and nongovernmental partners as appropriate, to establish the Electronic Monitoring Innovation Prize. The prize may be awarded for the development of advanced electronic fisheries monitoring equipment and data analysis tools, including improved fish species recognition software.
This section defines five terms for purposes of this subtitle: (1) mariculture as shellfish and aquatic plants grown under controlled conditions; (2) rural coastal community as a coastal community in a rural area (as defined in 7 U.S.C. 1991(a)); (3) rural processing facility as a seafood or mariculture processing facility located in a rural coastal community; (4) seafood as wild-caught finfish and shellfish; and (5) Secretary as the Secretary of Agriculture.
This section directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, to develop an action plan not later than 180 days after enactment to facilitate more domestic processing of U.S.-caught seafood and mariculture by rural processing facilities, including those with fewer than 50 employees. The action plan must (1) identify rural coastal communities where commercial fishing is a significant economic driver and there is community desire for new or rehabilitated seafood processing infrastructure to enable local processing for domestic markets; (2) identify rural coastal communities with existing or developing mariculture operations lacking sufficient processing infrastructure; (3) consider the diversity of such communities, including geographic diversity; and (4) identify communities eligible for grants and cooperative agreements under section 303. In developing the plan, the Secretaries must conduct stakeholder engagement prioritizing outreach to residents of the identified communities.
This section directs the Secretary to make competitive grants or enter into cooperative agreements, for FY2026 through 2030, to support pilot projects for (1) new seafood or mariculture processing infrastructure, (2) rehabilitation, repair, or retrofitting of existing seafood or mariculture processing infrastructure, (3) new cold storage infrastructure, or (4) rehabilitation, repair, or retrofitting of existing cold storage infrastructure at rural processing facilities in rural coastal communities identified under section 302(c). Eligible recipients include collaborative State, Tribal, local, or regionally based networks or partnerships of public or private entities, or individual companies owning or operating such facilities. Of funds available each fiscal year, the Secretary must allocate 50% to projects for facilities with fewer than 50 employees and evaluate all applications based on relevancy, technical merit, achievability and expertise, and equity and community impacts; grant amounts and terms are at the Secretary's discretion.
This section establishes a competitive grant program, administered by the Secretary of Commerce through the Economic Development Administration, authorizing $20 million annually for FY2026 through FY2030 to eligible entities—coastal state and local governments, appropriate nonprofits, and participants in the commercial fishing, mariculture, for-hire recreational fishing, or boatbuilding industries—for eligible projects in coastal states. Eligible projects improve or protect working waterfront areas (i.e., land used for or supporting those industries), including wharf construction or repair, coastal water access for industry users, climate resilience enhancements, or permanent designations, if approved or endorsed by the relevant state fishery management or coastal zone management agency and consistent with state coastal shoreline access laws. Grants cover up to 50% of total project costs; may fund improvements or easements on private real property from willing owners only; and prohibit eminent domain. In selecting grantees, the Secretary gives substantial weight to the project's economic significance, availability of waterfront alternatives, utility for industry use, business plan, community support and need, and intent for permanent protection. The Secretary must submit an annual report to Congress describing funded projects.
This section establishes a Maritime Workforce Grant Program (new 46 U.S.C. §51708) under which the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Maritime Administrator, awards competitive grants to eligible applicants (i.e., entities operating recruitment, education, or training programs for the maritime workforce, defined as positions requiring a U.S. Coast Guard-issued license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document) for activities including establishing or improving technical training programs (e.g., deck or engineering skills); providing certification courses; creating high school maritime education programs; supporting teacher professional development, scholarships, or apprenticeships; conducting outreach to students and underrepresented communities; or otherwise enhancing the workforce. In selecting grantees, the Secretary must consult maritime workforce representatives, ensure awards to rural, suburban, and urban applicants, and allocate at least 25% of funds to rural areas (as defined in 7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13), excluding subparagraphs (B), (C), and (E) through (I)). The section authorizes $25 million for each of FY2026 through FY2030 and makes a conforming clerical amendment to the chapter analysis.
This section revises the commercial fishing vessel safety grant programs by (1) expanding authorized training activities under subsection (i) and understanding/mitigation efforts under subsection (j) to address behavioral and physical health risks facing operators, crewmembers, and commercial fishing industry members, including substance use disorder and worker fatigue; (2) increasing the authorized appropriation for each program to $6 million for FY2026 and FY2027 (from $3 million for FY2023); and (3) authorizing the Secretary to transfer funds to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for administration of the programs. (As background, the programs provide competitive grants to eligible entities such as states, tribes, and industry groups to support safety training and equipment purchases, which aim to reduce fatalities in the U.S. commercial fishing industry, the most dangerous occupation in the country.)
This section establishes definitions for purposes of this subtitle, including (1) "Blue Economy" as the value and impact of sustainable industries related to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts (e.g., marine transportation, offshore energy, fishing, aquaculture, coastal resilience); (2) "Director of Sea Grant" as the Director of the National Sea Grant College Program; (3) "Indian Tribe" as defined in the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act; (4) "Native Hawaiian organization" as defined in the Native Hawaiian Education Act (i.e., a private nonprofit organization serving Native Hawaiian interests, with Native Hawaiians in substantive and policymaking positions, and recognized by the Governor of Hawaii); (5) "Ocean Innovation Center for Cross-Sector Collaboration" as a physical space for collaboration developed under section 502(i); and (6) "Ocean Innovation Cluster" as an eligible entity designated by the Secretary of Commerce under section 502.
This section directs the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with specified officials, to designate not later than one year after enactment not fewer than seven eligible entities as Ocean Innovation Clusters to promote innovation, collaboration, and equitable, sustainable growth in the Blue Economy (i.e., economic activities from ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources). Eligible entities must be nonprofit-led consortia in concentrated geographic regions comprising businesses, academic institutions (including minority-serving and Tribal institutions), nonprofits, government entities, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations. The Secretary must prioritize entities with a history of Blue Economy support; ensure geographic diversity with at least one cluster in each of the five National Marine Fisheries Service regions, the Great Lakes region, and the Gulf of Mexico region; and consider factors including economic potential, service to diverse and underserved populations, partnerships, job growth, economic resilience, and underutilized coastal areas. The section further requires (1) designation of agency partnership liaisons to facilitate communication and alignment with federal Blue Economy objectives; (2) interagency coordination by the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Energy with entities including NOAA, the Economic Development Administration, Department of Energy, Maritime Administration, EPA, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Department of Agriculture, and Coast Guard; (3) use and refinement of the Marine Economy Satellite Account to measure cluster impacts; and (4) coordination on focus areas including new entrant pathways, intellectual property management, and seafood supply chain sustainability.
This section establishes a competitive grant program within the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 authorizing the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Director of the National Sea Grant College Program, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, to award grants of up to $10 million each to Ocean Innovation Clusters (as defined in sec. 501 of the Working Waterfronts Act of 2025) for their operation and administration under sec. 502 of that Act, with the goal of developing self-sustaining, membership-based entities that provide regional economic benefits. Grants have an initial two-year term, are renewable for additional periods as the Secretary determines appropriate, and are authorized at $10 million annually for FY2026 through FY2030.
This section defines seven terms for purposes of this subtitle: (1) Administrator as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere in their capacity as Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); (2) Indian Tribe as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304); (3) Interagency Working Group as the Interagency Working Group on Vegetated Coastal Ecosystems and Great Lakes Ecosystems established under section 512(a); (4) natural infrastructure as defined in 23 U.S.C. 101(a); (5) nonprofit organization as a 501(c)(3) organization exempt from tax under 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code; (6) State to include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other U.S. territories or possessions; and (7) vegetated coastal ecosystems to include mangroves, tidal marshes, seagrasses, kelp forests, and other tidal, freshwater, or saltwater wetlands.
This section directs the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council to establish the Interagency Working Group on Vegetated Coastal Ecosystems and Great Lakes Ecosystems, comprised of the Ocean Policy Committee and chaired by the Administrator. The Administrator, in consultation with the working group, must produce, update, maintain, and use a map and inventory of vegetated coastal ecosystems (e.g., salt marshes, mangroves, seagrasses) and Great Lakes ecosystems, as described in §513.
This section directs the Interagency Working Group to produce, update, and maintain a national-level map and inventory of vegetated coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems that includes (1) habitat types and species; (2) ecosystem condition (e.g., degraded, drained, eutrophic, tidally restricted); (3) public or private ownership and protected status; (4) ecosystem size; (5) salinity boundaries; (6) tidal boundaries; (7) carbon sequestration potential, methane production, and net greenhouse gas reductions (considering quantification, verifiability, historical baseline, and permanence); (8) potential for landward migration due to sea level rise; (9) upstream restrictions (e.g., dams, dikes); (10) conversion to other land uses and causes; and (11) effects of climate change (e.g., sea level rise, stressors) on sequestration, storage, and potential. In developing the map and inventory, the group must incorporate applicable data from federally funded research by federal, state, tribal, and local agencies and from peer-reviewed publications and must engage regional experts, state agencies, tribes, and other resources to account for regional differences. The group must use the map and inventory to (1) assess carbon sequestration potential and regional differences; (2) quantify emissions from degraded or destroyed ecosystems; (3) develop regional assessments or provide technical assistance to regional, state, and local governments, tribes, and regional coastal observing systems; (4) evaluate degradation, restoration potential, and scenario modeling for vulnerable areas and living shorelines; (5) predict sequestration rates amid climate change and stressors; (6) identify coastal vegetation as natural infrastructure against storm surges and climate hazards; and (7) determine suitable vegetation types for natural infrastructure across climates, including the Arctic.
This section authorizes the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to award competitive grants through the National Sea Grant College Program (i.e., NOAA program under 33 U.S.C. 1123 that supports a national network of sea grant colleges and institutes conducting research, education, extension, and related activities on ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources) during FY2026 and FY2027 to eligible entities—state or local governments, Indian Tribes, academic institutions, nonprofits, or combinations thereof—for (1) implementing coastal natural infrastructure pilot projects in cold climates, including the Arctic region of the U.S., to protect coastlines from storm surges, climate change hazards, erosion, and permafrost melt; and (2) researching the effectiveness of such projects. The section authorizes $3 million for each of FY2026 and FY2027.
This section revises definitions in the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3702)—which coordinates federal research, assessment, and monitoring of ocean acidification and its impacts on marine ecosystems—as follows: (1) strikes paragraph (4); (2) redesignates paragraphs (2), (3), and (5) as paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), respectively; (3) inserts after paragraph (1) definitions of Indian tribe (cross-referencing 25 U.S.C. 5304) and Native Hawaiian organization (cross-referencing 25 U.S.C. 4352, i.e., a nonprofit organization serving Native Hawaiian interests with Native Hawaiian policymaking involvement and recognized expertise in Native Hawaiian culture, heritage, and tourism); (4) in redesignated paragraph (4), inserts "an increase of" before "carbon dioxide"; and (5) adds at the end definitions of Subcommittee (i.e., National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology) and United States (i.e., the States, collectively).
This section amends the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 to enhance collaboration on ocean acidification research, monitoring, and adaptation. Specifically, it (1) requires the Ocean Acidification Advisory Board to establish an ongoing input mechanism (e.g., liaison, standing meetings, or online platform) for affected industry members, coastal stakeholders, community acidification networks, fishery management councils and commissions, Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, Tribal organizations, Tribal consortia, non-Federal resource managers, and non-federal scientific experts; (2) adds two representatives from Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, Tribal organizations, or Tribal consortia to the Advisory Board and reduces representatives from another category from six to four; (3) directs the Board to develop, within one year and after consultation, a policy for engagement and coordination with Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations; (4) includes Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations in Advisory Board appointment considerations and NOAA collaboration efforts on vulnerability assessments and research planning; and (5) updates stakeholder engagement lists throughout the Act to consistently include Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, community acidification networks, and non-federal scientific experts. (As background, the Act coordinates federal agencies, led by NOAA, to assess ocean acidification impacts—caused by excess atmospheric CO2 absorption—on marine ecosystems and economies such as fisheries.)
This section makes technical corrections to the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009, including grammatical, punctuation, cross-reference, and phrasing changes in §§12402 (definitions), 12404 (interagency coordination), and 12406 (grants).
This section transfers the Coastal Aquatic Invasive Species Mitigation Grant Program and its mitigation fund—providing competitive grants for state-led prevention, monitoring, control, and mitigation of aquatic invasive species in coastal waters (i.e., Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf, and Great Lakes regions)—from section 903(f) of the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act of 2018 to a new subsection (l) of section 1202 of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4722). The section further amends the transferred provisions to (1) eliminate the administrative role of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, placing responsibility with the Secretary (of Commerce); (2) expand eligible grant recipients to include federal and state agencies, U.S. territories, Tribal governments or organizations, and interstate organizations; (3) prioritize grants for protecting aquaculture and associated infrastructure from aquatic invasive species, with particular emphasis on underserved communities; and (4) authorize appropriations of $5 million annually to the fund for FY2026 through FY2030. (Thus, the program is now integrated into the federal Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force framework.)