Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act in plain language
1: Short title
This section would give the Act a short title: the Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act .
2: Modifications to the Marine Debris Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This section would restructure the Marine Debris Act by inserting a new heading, NOAA and Coast Guard Programs, before its section 3, and by renumbering the Act's sections 3 through 6 as sections 101 through 104. It would also amend section 101(d) (formerly section 3(d)), which covers the Under Secretary's grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and other agreements for the Marine Debris Program. The list of instruments the Under Secretary may use would expand: paragraph (1) currently allows grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts, and this section would add other agreements to that list. Two related cross-reference changes would connect subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (2): subparagraph (B)'s existing exception for subparagraph (A) would be expanded to also except subparagraph (C), and subparagraph (C)'s opening clause would be expanded to except subparagraph (B) as well, in addition to its existing exception for subparagraph (A); this bill does not include the substantive text of subparagraphs (A) through (C), so the underlying conditions those exceptions cover are not reproduced here. A small wording fix would also change part of the to part of a in subparagraph (B). Finally, this section would add a new paragraph (7), In-kind contributions: for any project carried out under a contract or other agreement entered into under paragraph (1) that is not a cooperative agreement or a grant, the Under Secretary could contribute on an in-kind basis the portion of the project's costs that the Under Secretary determines represents the benefit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gets from the project.
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2. Modifications to the marine debris program of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (a) In general The Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ) is amended— (1) by inserting before section 3 the following: A NOAA And Coast Guard Programs ; and (2) by redesignating sections 3 through 6 as sections 101 through 104, respectively. (b) Grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and other agreements Section 101(d) of the Marine Debris Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1952(d) ), as redesignated by this Act, 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 Under Secretary may contribute on an in-kind basis the portion of the costs of the project that the Under Secretary determines represents the amount of benefit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration derives from the project. .
3: Modifications to the Marine Debris Foundation
This section would move Subtitle B of title I of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, which covers the Marine Debris Foundation, into the Marine Debris Act, placing it after section 104 (as renumbered by section 2). It would change how section 111(a) (as moved) describes the Foundation's status, replacing the word organization with corporation in that section's second sentence. In section 111(b)'s list of the Foundation's purposes, this section would add Indian Tribes alongside Tribal governments in paragraph (3), and would update a cross-reference in paragraph (4) from title II to subtitle C to match this Act's renumbering. For the Foundation's board, section 112(b) would be renumbered (its paragraphs (1) through (5) becoming (2) through (6)) and a new paragraph (1) would be added: for appointments made under paragraph (2), the Board must submit to the Under Secretary its recommendations on candidates for appointment. In paragraph (2) (as renumbered), appointments the Board makes would also need the approval of the Secretary of Commerce, and a minor wording change would drop and before considering. Paragraph (3) (as renumbered) would be rewritten so that any Director appointed under paragraph (2) serves a 6-year term. An action by the Board described in paragraph (4)(A) (as renumbered) would likewise require the approval of the Secretary of Commerce. In paragraph (6) (as renumbered), the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development would be added to the officials named there, and whatever the paragraph says about the EPA Administrator would also require the approval of the Secretary of Commerce. Section 112(g) would be amended so that the Board's power in paragraph (1)(A) covers appointing only the Foundation's initial officers and employees, rather than officers and employees generally, and so that paragraph (2)(B)(i)'s reference to the Foundation's chief operating officer instead refers to the chief executive officer of the Foundation. This section would add a new subsection (h) to section 112 creating the position of chief executive officer: the Board would appoint the chief executive officer, review the officer's performance, and could remove the officer; the chief executive officer, in turn, could appoint, remove, and review the performance of any other officer or employee of the Foundation. Section 113(c)(1) would be amended so that where it now describes the Foundation as a corporation acting as a trustee, it would instead describe the Foundation as a nonprofit corporation... formed (the rest of that sentence, listing what the Foundation is formed for, is not changed by this Act). This section would add a new subsection (g) to section 113 requiring the Board to locate the Foundation's principal office in the National Capital Region (as defined in section 2674(f)(2) of title 10, United States Code) or in a coastal shoreline community. This section would add two more subsections to section 113. Subsection (h), Best practices, would require the Foundation to develop and implement best practices for outreach to Indian Tribes and Tribal Governments; those best practices would have to include a process supporting technical assistance and capacity building to improve outcomes, and would have to promote awareness of the programs and grants available under the Act. Subsection (i), Rule of construction, would state that nothing in the Act may be read to satisfy any government-to-government consultation requirement with Tribal Governments, or to affect or modify any treaty or other right of a Tribal Government. Section 118(a) would be amended to add $2,000,000 in authorized appropriations for fiscal year 2025, on top of the amounts already authorized through 2024, and to expand paragraph (2)'s list of entities, from State and local government agencies, to also include regional organizations, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and foreign governments. Section 9(a) (later moved and renumbered as section 133 by section 4) would be amended so that its authorization of appropriations covers each of fiscal years 2018 through 2029, rather than the period it currently specifies, for carrying out that section.
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3. Modifications to the marine debris foundation (a) In general Subtitle B of title I of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act ( Public Law 116–224 ) is transferred to appear after section 104 of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as redesignated by this Act. (b) Status of foundation Section 111(a) of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as transferred by this Act, is amended, in the second sentence, by striking organization and inserting corporation . (c) Purposes Section 111(b) of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as transferred and redesignated by this Act, is amended— (1) in paragraph (3) by inserting Indian Tribes, after Tribal governments, ; and (2) in paragraph (4) by striking title II and inserting subtitle C . (d) Board of directors (1) Appointment, vacancies, and removal Section 112(b) of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as transferred by this Act, is amended— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as paragraphs (2) through (6) respectively; (B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redesignated, the following: (1) Recommendations of board regarding appointments For appointments made under paragraph (2), the Board shall submit to the Under Secretary recommendations on candidates for appointment. ; (C) in paragraph (2), as redesignated, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)— (i) by striking and considering and inserting considering ; and (ii) by inserting and with the approval of the Secretary of Commerce, after by the Board, ; (D) by amending paragraph (3), as redesignated, to read as follows: (3) Terms Any Director appointed under paragraph (2) shall be appointed for a term of 6 years. ; (E) in paragraph (4)(A), as redesignated, by inserting with the approval of the Secretary of Commerce after the Board ; and (F) in paragraph (6), as redesignated— (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 . (2) General powers Section 112(g) of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as transferred by this Act, 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 the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as transferred by this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following: (h) Chief executive officer (1) Appointment; removal; review The Board shall appoint and review the performance of, and may remove, 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 the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as transferred by this Act, 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 the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as transferred by this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following: (g) Principal office The Board shall locate the principal office of the Foundation in the National Capital Region, as such term is defined in section 2674(f)(2) of title 10, United States Code, or a coastal shoreline community. . (g) Best practices; rule of construction Section 113 of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as transferred by this Act and amended by subsection (e), 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) Authorization of appropriations Section 118(a) of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as transferred by this Act, is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting and $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2025 after through 2024 ; and (2) in paragraph (2), by striking and State and local government agencies and inserting , State and local government agencies, regional organizations, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and foreign governments . (i) Reauthorization Section 9(a) of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ) is amended by striking for the first place it appears and all that follows through carrying out and inserting for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2029 for carrying out .
4: Transfers
This section would move Subtitle C of title I of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act into the Marine Debris Act, placing it after section 119 of the Marine Debris Act as reorganized by this Act. It would also move the Marine Debris Act's existing sections 7, 8, 9 (as already amended by section 3 of this Act), and 10 to appear after section 127 (as transferred), renumbering them as sections 131, 132, 133, and 134, respectively. A new heading, Subtitle D, Administration, would be inserted immediately before new section 131.
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4. Transfers (a) Save our seas 2.0 act Subtitle C of title I of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act ( Public Law 116–224 ) is transferred to appear after section 119 of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ) as transferred and redesignated by this Act. (b) Marine debris act The Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ) is amended— (1) by transferring sections 7, 8, 9 (as amended), and 10 to appear after section 127, as transferred by this Act, and redesignated as sections 131, 132, 133, and 134, respectively; and (2) by inserting before section 131, as so transferred and redesignated, the following: D Administration .
5: Definitions
This section would amend the Marine Debris Act's definitions section (section 131, as transferred and renumbered by section 4). It would remove the definition currently in paragraph (1), and renumber the definitions currently in paragraphs (2) through (7) as paragraphs (5) through (7) and (11) through (13), without changing what they define. Four new definitions would be added before new paragraph (5): Circular economy would have the meaning given in section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act. Coastal shoreline community would mean a city or county directly adjacent to the open ocean, major estuaries, or the Great Lakes. EPA Administrator would have the meaning given in section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act. Indian Tribe would have the meaning given in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). Two more new definitions would be added before new paragraph (11): Nonprofit organization and Post-consumer materials management, each with the meaning given in section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act. Three more new definitions would be added after new paragraph (13): Tribal Government would mean 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 most recent list published under section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131) as of the date this Act is enacted. Tribal organization would have the meaning given in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). Under Secretary would have the meaning given in section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act. Within paragraph (13) (as renumbered), a new subparagraph (B), Indian Tribe, would be inserted, with the paragraph's existing subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D) renumbered as (C), (D), and (E). This section would also move the definition in section 2(7) of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act into section 131 of the Marine Debris Act, placing it after paragraph (7) (as renumbered) as new paragraph (8); the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act's own paragraphs (8) through (11) would then be renumbered as (7) through (10). Finally, this section would amend subparagraph (D) of paragraph (8), the Non-Federal funds definition moved over from section 2(7) of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, by striking the bracketed text (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)) from it. The bill does not state a reason for this change, and it does not include the rest of paragraph (8)(D)'s wording, so what that definition says apart from this change is not covered here.
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5. Definitions (a) In general Section 131 of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as transferred and redesignated by this Act, is amended— (1) by striking paragraph (1); (2) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), and (7) as paragraphs (5), (6), (7), (11), (12), and (13), respectively; (3) by inserting before paragraph (5), as so redesignated, the following: (1) Circular economy The term circular economy has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act ( Public Law 116–224 ). (2) Coastal shoreline community The term coastal shoreline community means a city or county directly adjacent to the open ocean, major estuaries, or the Great Lakes. (3) EPA administrator The term EPA Administrator has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act ( Public Law 116–224 ). (4) Indian Tribe The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ( 25 U.S.C. 5304 ). ; (4) by inserting before paragraph (11), as so redesignated, the following: (9) Nonprofit organization The term nonprofit organization has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act ( Public Law 116–224 ). (10) Post consumer materials management The term post-consumer materials management has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act ( Public Law 116–224 ). ; (5) by inserting after paragraph (13), as so redesignated, the following: (14) 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 ). (15) Tribal organization The term Tribal organization has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ( 25 U.S.C. 5304 ). (16) Under secretary The term Under Secretary has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act ( Public Law 116–224 ). ; and (6) in paragraph (13), as so redesignated— (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D) as subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E); and (B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following: (B) Indian Tribe; . (b) Transfer (1) In general Section 2(7) of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act ( Public Law 116–224 ) is transferred to section 131 of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), inserted after paragraph (7) (as redesignated), and redesignated as paragraph (8). (2) Redesignation Section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act ( Public Law 116–224 ) is amended by redesignating paragraphs (8) through (11) as paragraphs (7) through (10), respectively. (c) Non-Federal funds Paragraph (8)(D) of section 131 of the Marine Debris Act ( Public Law 109–449 ), as transferred and redesignated by this Act, is amended by striking (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ( 25 U.S.C. 5304 )) .
6: Conforming amendments
This section would make wording and cross-reference updates to match the reorganization done elsewhere in this Act, without changing who is covered or what is otherwise required. In the Marine Debris Act's sections 1 and 2, in sections 101, 102, and 104 (as renumbered), and in section 133 (as transferred and renumbered), every reference to Administrator would become Under Secretary. In section 103, references to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would become Under Secretary, references to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency would become EPA Administrator, and, in subsection (e)(3), a reference to section 3 would become section 101. In section 123 (as transferred and renumbered), a reference to title I would become subtitle B. In section 133 (as transferred and renumbered), a reference to sections 3, 5, and 6 would become sections 101, 103, and 104. In section 134 (as transferred and renumbered), a reference to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency would become EPA Administrator. Finally, throughout Subtitle A of the Marine Debris Act, as designated by this Act, references to tribal government would become Tribal Government, the capitalized term this Act defines.
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6. Conforming amendments (a) In general Sections 1 and 2 of the Marine Debris Act, sections 101, 102, and 104 of the Marine Debris Act, as redesignated by this Act, and section 133 of the Marine Debris Act, as transferred and so redesignated by this Act, are amended by striking Administrator and inserting Under Secretary . (b) Section 103 Section 103 of the Marine Debris Act is amended by— (1) striking Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and inserting Under Secretary ; (2) striking Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and inserting EPA Administrator ; and (3) in subsection (e)(3) by striking section 3 and inserting section 101 . (c) Section 123 Section 123 of the Marine Debris Act, as transferred and so redesignated by this Act, is amended by striking title I and inserting subtitle B . (d) Section 133 Section 133 of the Marine Debris Act, as transferred and so redesignated by this Act, is amended by striking sections 3, 5, and 6 and inserting sections 101, 103, and 104 . (e) Section 134 Section 134 of the Marine Debris Act, as transferred and so redesignated by this Act, is amended by striking Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and inserting EPA Administrator . (f) Tribal Government Subtitle A of the Marine Debris Act, as designated in this Act, is amended by striking tribal government and inserting Tribal Government .