To support rural coastal and maritime economic development, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Working Waterfronts Act of 2024 supports rural coastal communities and the maritime economy by creating tax credits for hydroelectric improvements, expanding loan access for fishing and mariculture businesses, funding seafood processing infrastructure, and establishing Ocean Innovation Clusters to grow the Blue Economy.
Who Benefits and How
- Commercial fishing industry: Gains access to USDA farm loans and grants previously unavailable; receives funding for vessel transitions to alternative fuels; benefits from working waterfront grants up to $25M for infrastructure
- Hydroelectric facility operators: Receives 30% investment tax credits for improvements including fish passage, water quality, and marine energy projects
- Seafood processors in rural communities: Receives grants for new and upgraded processing/cold storage facilities ($10M/year authorized)
- Maritime workforce: Benefits from new grant programs ($6M/year) for training, recruitment, and credentialing
- Shellfish mariculture industry: Gains enhanced grant programs and testing access for harmful algal blooms
Who Bears the Burden and How
- Federal agencies (NOAA, USDA, Commerce, Transportation): Must establish and administer multiple new grant programs, working groups, and pilot programs
- Taxpayers: Fund authorized appropriations totaling tens of millions annually for grants and programs
- No significant new compliance burdens are imposed on private industry
Key Provisions
- 30% tax credit for hydroelectric facility improvements including fish passage and marine energy
- Expands Farm Credit Act eligibility to fishing and mariculture service providers
- Authorizes $10M/year for seafood processing infrastructure in rural coastal communities
- Establishes 7+ Ocean Innovation Clusters with grants up to $10M each
- Creates maritime workforce development grants at $6M/year
- Funds coastal natural infrastructure pilot projects for cold climates
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Supports rural coastal and maritime economic development through tax credits for hydroelectric facilities, grants for coastal infrastructure, workforce development programs, and ocean innovation initiatives.
Key Policy Areas
Energy, Agriculture, Fisheries, Maritime, Environment, Economic Development, Workforce Development
Primary Purpose
Supports rural coastal and maritime economic development through tax credits for hydroelectric facilities, grants for coastal infrastructure, workforce development programs, and ocean innovation initiatives.
Policy Domains
Title I - Hydroelectric Facilities
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Hydroelectric facility owners
- Marine energy companies
- Remote rural communities
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Federal Treasury (reduced tax revenue)
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title V - Blue Economy and Ocean Innovation
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Blue Economy industries
- Ocean technology companies
- Coastal communities
- Tribal organizations
- Research institutions
- Shellfish industry
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Department of Commerce
- NOAA
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title II - Rural Fishing and Mariculture
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Commercial fishing industry
- Fish processing businesses
- Mariculture operations
- Aquatic product service providers
- Young fishermen
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Federal agencies (NOAA, USDA)
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title IV - Maritime Workforce
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Maritime workers
- Maritime training programs
- Commercial fishing vessel operators
- Rural communities
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Department of Transportation
- Coast Guard
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title III - Seafood Processing
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Rural seafood processors
- Rural coastal communities
- Mariculture processors
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- USDA (program administration)
- Taxpayers (appropriations)
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMs. Murkowski introduced the following bill; which was read twice …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Aquatic product producers and harvesters, Commercial fishing industry, Commercial fishing industry (monitoring compliance)
Coastal land managers and planners, Coastal state and local governments, Federal agencies on Ocean Policy Committee
Positive-direction: Coastal land managers and planners, Coastal state and local governments, Fishery management councils and commissions, NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy program administration, State and Tribal governments managing invasive species, State and local governments in cold climate regions, State, Tribal, and regional partnerships
Negative-direction: Federal agencies on Ocean Policy Committee, USDA (program administration)
Blue Economy businesses and organizations, Current and prospective maritime workers, Designated Ocean Innovation Clusters
Academic institutions including minority and Tribal-serving institutions, Academic institutions researching coastal resilience, Fishing safety training organizations
Hydroelectric dam owners making environmental improvements, Hydroelectric facility owners and operators, Marine charging and refueling infrastructure developers
Fish processing businesses, Rural seafood processing facilities, Rural seafood processing industry
Mariculture operations, Mariculture processing operations, Shellfish mariculture operations
Arctic and cold climate coastal communities, Economically distressed coastal communities, Rural and remote coastal communities
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Transportation
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Commerce
- "the_administrator"
- → Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (NOAA Administrator)
Note: The Secretary refers to Secretary of Agriculture in Titles II and III, Secretary of Transportation in Title IV, and Secretary of Commerce in Title V
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Property which adds or improves fish passage, maintains or improves water quality, promotes downstream sediment transport, is part of a marine energy project, or places into service an approved remote dam.
A coastal community in a rural area as defined in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act.
The value and impact of sustainable industries related to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts on the economy of the United States, including living resources, marine construction, marine transportation, offshore energy development, ship and boat building, tourism, recreation, fishing, seafood processing, aquaculture, and coastal resilience.
Includes mangroves, tidal marshes, seagrasses, kelp forests, and other tidal, freshwater, or salt-water wetlands.
A hydroelectric dam that exclusively services communities not interconnected to major electric grids, does not contribute to atmospheric pollution, and has a maximum net output of not greater than 40 megawatts.
Shellfish and aquatic plants grown under controlled conditions.
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