On October 1, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Save our Seas 2.0. Led by House Ocean Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01) and Don Young (R-AK-At Large) in the House, and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), this bipartisan legislation which is supported by the recreational boating industry will strengthen the federal government’s response to marine debris and strengthen domestic waste management infrastructure.

Save our Seas 2.0 consists of three distinct items:

1. It strengthens the federal government’s ability to respond to marine debris by establishing a Marine Debris Foundation and a genius prize awarded to groups for innovation or for research on how to address domestic marine debris.
2. It incentivizes international engagement to address marine debris by formalizing U.S. policy on international cooperation, and federal agency outreach to other nations to specifically address marine debris.
3. Works to reduce marine debris in the future by investing in domestic waste management and mitigation techniques and infrastructure.

The bill, which unanimously passed the Senate in January, had to work through ten different committees of jurisdiction:

• The Senate Commerce Committee,
• The Science and Transportation Committee,
• The Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
• The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee,
• The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,
• The House Natural Resources Committee,
• The House Foreign Affairs Committee,
• The House Energy and Commerce Committee,
• The House Science, Space and Technology Committee,
• The House Agriculture Committee.

Save our Seas 2.0 builds upon the Save our Seas Act which was signed into law last October. The original Save our Seas reauthorized the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program through FY2022 funded at $10 million annually, and called on the Administration to collaborate with the U.S. State Department to address the global problem of increased marine debris and plastics in our oceans.

According to the United Nations, eight million metric tons of plastic bottles, straws, bags, fishing gear, and abandoned vessels are dumped into the ocean each year, harming coastal economies, marine resource viability, and creates a breeding ground for aquatic invasive species.

MRAA and the rest of the recreational boating industry thanks Congress for this bipartisan legislation that will take significant steps to increase global cooperation to address pollution in our worlds waterways, and strengthen wild fisheries habitats for the future.

For additional information, please contact MRAA government relations manager Adam Fortier-Brown at adam@mraa.com.