To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish and carry out a grant program to conserve, restore, and manage kelp forest ecosystems, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Huffman introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill creates a new federal grant program through NOAA to help conserve, restore, and manage kelp forest ecosystems along U.S. coasts. It authorizes $5 million per year from 2026 through 2030, totaling $25 million, to fund projects that address the decline of native kelp forests without commercial or mechanized harvesting.
Who Benefits and How
Indian Tribes with traditional connections to kelp forest territories benefit from a guaranteed funding set-aside of at least $750,000 annually, plus the option to have cost-sharing requirements waived for projects on tribal trust lands. Commercial and recreational fishing communities benefit because healthy kelp forests support fish populations they depend on. Universities, research institutions, and environmental nonprofits can receive grants covering up to 85% of project costs to conduct conservation research, monitoring, and restoration work.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal taxpayers fund the program at $25 million over five years. Grant recipients must provide at least 15% of project costs as a match (though this can be waived for Tribes). NOAA takes on new administrative responsibilities to establish guidelines, rank applications, and manage grant oversight.
Key Provisions
- Creates a competitive grant program for kelp forest conservation with $5 million authorized annually for fiscal years 2026-2030
- Sets aside at least $750,000 per year specifically for Indian Tribe grant recipients
- Allows Tribes to receive cost-share waivers for projects on tribal trust lands
- Prohibits funding for commercial or mechanized kelp harvesting
- Prioritizes projects addressing severe regional kelp decline, restoring natural ecosystem relationships, and integrating Indigenous knowledge
- Requires grantees to collaborate with other eligible entities and monitor project effectiveness
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Establishes a NOAA grant program to conserve, restore, and manage kelp forest ecosystems with $5 million per year funding from FY 2026-2030
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Address kelp forest ecosystem decline through competitive grant funding to diverse stakeholders including tribal governments, with emphasis on natural ecosystem recovery without commercial harvesting"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Fishing industry members (commercial and recreational fishermen)
- Research institutions and universities studying marine ecosystems
- Environmental nonprofit organizations focused on ocean conservation
- Indian Tribes with traditional kelp forest territories
- State and local governments managing coastal resources
Likely Burden Bearers
- Federal taxpayers (funding $25 million total over 5 years)
- Grant applicants who must provide 15% cost-sharing (though waivable for Tribes)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_administrator"
- → Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Processors, commercial fishermen, and recreational fishermen
Has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)
Has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))
A naturally occurring, biotic system dominated by canopy-forming, stipitate, or prostrate benthic macroalgae and associated taxa
An organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology