S. 3277, a bill to amend the Marine Debris Act to reauthorize the Marine Debris Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

S. 3277 would reauthorize the appropriation of $15 million annually through 2028 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to operate the Marine Debris Program. The program supports efforts to remove plastics, discarded fishing gear, and other harmful materials from the marine environment. Under current law, the program was authorized through 2023; in 2024, NOAA allocated $6 million for the program. The agency also received $30 million annually from 2022 through 2026 to operate the program from advance appropriations in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Those amounts were designated as an emergency requirement. 

Based on historical spending patterns, CBO estimates that reauthorizing the Marine Debris Program would cost $60 million over the 2025-2029 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts.