S. 318Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)Passed Senate

Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 3:20 AM UTC

The Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act updates the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act and the Marine Debris Act to improve how the Marine Debris Foundation and NOAA’s Marine Debris Program are managed. It adds clear definitions for tribal governments and organizations, changes the foundation to a nonprofit corporation with a new chief executive officer, and expands outreach and funding rules to include tribes and other partners. It also broadens contract language for NOAA and allows in‑kind contributions to projects.

Key Provisions

Defines “Tribal government” and “Tribal organization” and requires the foundation to develop outreach best practices for them
Changes the Marine Debris Foundation’s status to a nonprofit corporation and creates a chief executive officer position appointed by the board
Limits use of federal funds for salaries to a 24‑month period and expands eligible partners to include Indian tribes, tribal organizations, state and local agencies, regional groups, NGOs, and foreign entities
Allows the foundation’s principal office to be located outside Washington, D.C., preferably in a coastal state
Amends the Marine Debris Act to add “other agreements” to contract language and permits NOAA to make in‑kind contributions to eligible projects

Legislative Activity

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8 earlier actions

HouseFloor Latest Action

Held at the desk.

December 15, 2023 • 10:05 AM

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

February 9, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

February 9, 2023

SenateCommittee

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

March 22, 2023

SenateCommittee

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cantwell with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

December 5, 2023

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 262.

December 5, 2023

SenateFloor

Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5967-5968; text: CR S5967-5968)

December 13, 2023

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

December 14, 2023

HouseFloor

Received in the House.

December 15, 2023 • 10:05 AM

HouseFloor

Held at the desk.

December 15, 2023 • 10:05 AM

Bill Text

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Engrossed in SenateIssued December 13, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 318

AN ACT

To amend the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act to improve the administration of the Marine Debris Foundation, to amend the Marine Debris Act to improve the administration of the Marine Debris Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act.

Modifications to the Marine Debris Foundation

(a)

Definitions

Section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (33 U.S.C. 4201) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (7)(D), by striking (as defined and all that follows through 5304));

(2)

by redesignating paragraph (11) as paragraph (13); and

(3)

by inserting after paragraph (10) the following:

(11)

Tribal government

The term Tribal government means the recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community, component band, or component reservation, individually identified (including parenthetically) in the list published most recently as of the date of the enactment of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act pursuant to section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).

(12)

Tribal organization

The term Tribal organization has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

(b)

Status of Foundation

Section 111(a) of such Act (33 U.S.C. 4211(a)) is amended, in the second sentence, by striking organization and inserting corporation.

(c)

Purposes

Section 111(b)(3) of such Act (33 U.S.C. 4211(b)(3)) is amended by inserting Indian Tribes, after Tribal governments,.

(d)

Board of Directors

(1)

Appointment, vacancies, and removal

Section 112(b) of such Act (33 U.S.C. 4212(b)) is amended—

(A)

in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)—

(i)

by striking and considering and inserting considering;

(ii)

by inserting and with the approval of the Secretary of Commerce, after by the Board,; and

(iii)

by inserting and such other criteria as the Under Secretary may establish after subsection (a);

(B)

in paragraph (3)(A), by inserting with the approval of the Secretary of Commerce after the Board;

(C)

in paragraph (5)—

(i)

by inserting the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, after Service,; and

(ii)

by inserting and with the approval of the Secretary of Commerce after EPA Administrator;

(D)

by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as paragraphs (3) through (6), respectively; and

(E)

by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:

(2)

Recommendations of Board regarding appointments

For appointments made under paragraph (1) other than the initial appointments, the Board shall submit to the Under Secretary recommendations on candidates for appointment.

(2)

General powers

Section 112(g) of such Act (33 U.S.C. 4212(g)) is amended—

(A)

in paragraph (1)(A), by striking officers and employees and inserting the initial officers and employees; and

(B)

in paragraph (2)(B)(i), by striking its chief operating officer and inserting the chief executive officer of the Foundation.

(3)

Chief executive officer

Section 112 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 4212) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(h)

Chief executive officer

(1)

Appointment; removal; review

The Board shall appoint and may remove and review the performance of the chief executive officer of the Foundation.

(2)

Powers

The chief executive officer of the Foundation may appoint, remove, and review the performance of any officer or employee of the Foundation.

(e)

Powers of Foundation

Section 113(c)(1) of such Act (33 U.S.C. 4213(c)(1)) is amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)—

(1)

by inserting nonprofit before corporation; and

(2)

by striking acting as a trustee and inserting formed.

(f)

Principal office

Section 113 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 4213) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(g)

Principal office

The Board may locate the principal office of the Foundation outside the District of Columbia and is encouraged to locate that office in a coastal State.

(g)

Best practices; rule of construction

Section 113 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 4213), as amended by subsection (f), is further amended by adding at the end the following:

(h)

Best practices

(1)

In general

The Foundation shall develop and implement best practices for conducting outreach to Indian Tribes and Tribal governments.

(2)

Requirements

The best practices developed under paragraph (1) shall—

(A)

include a process to support technical assistance and capacity building to improve outcomes; and

(B)

promote an awareness of programs and grants available under this Act.

(i)

Rule of construction

Nothing in this Act may be construed—

(1)

to satisfy any requirement for government-to-government consultation with Tribal governments; or

(2)

to affect or modify any treaty or other right of any Tribal government.

(h)

Use of funds

Section 118 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 4218) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)—

(A)

in paragraph (2), by striking and State and local government agencies and inserting , State and local government agencies, regional organizations, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organizations; and

(B)

in paragraph (3)—

(i)

in the paragraph heading, by striking Prohibition and inserting Limitation; and

(ii)

by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:

(B)

Salaries

The Foundation may use Federal funds described in subparagraph (A) to pay for salaries only during the 24-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act. The Secretary shall not require reimbursement from the Foundation for any such Federal funds used to pay for such salaries.

; and

(2)

in subsection (b)(2), by striking and State and local government agencies and inserting , State and local government agencies, United States and international nongovernmental organizations, regional organizations, and foreign government entities.

Modifications to the Marine Debris Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Section 3(d) of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1952(d)) is amended—

(1)

in the subsection heading, by striking and contracts and inserting contracts, and other agreements;

(2)

in paragraph (1), by striking and contracts and inserting , contracts, and other agreements;

(3)

in paragraph (2)—

(A)

in subparagraph (B)—

(i)

by striking part of the and inserting part of a; and

(ii)

by inserting or (C) after subparagraph (A); and

(B)

in subparagraph (C), in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting and except as provided in subparagraph (B) after subparagraph (A); and

(4)

by adding at the end the following:

(7)

In-kind contributions

With respect to any project carried out pursuant to a contract or other agreement entered into under paragraph (1) that is not a cooperative agreement or an agreement to provide financial assistance in the form of a grant, the Administrator may contribute on an in-kind basis the portion of the costs of the project that the Administrator determines represents the amount of benefit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration derives from the project.

Passed the Senate December 13, 2023.

Secretary