YourVoice.Now Summary
EnvironmentNew NOAA program to rebuild oyster reefs — up to $15 million a year in help and grants through 2030
Environment
NOAA would help find, map, and repair oyster reefs, both healthy ones and old ones worth bringing back. Congress could fund it at up to $15 million a year for five years.
Anyone can apply for a grant. That includes towns, schools, nonprofits, oyster farmers and harvesters, and private people. Each one must show the project won't get in the way of fishing or boating.
More about this bill
Coastal towns, oyster growers, and fishing groups could get federal money to rebuild oyster reefs. The bill sets up a new program at NOAA (the federal ocean and weather agency). It would pay for up to $15 million a year from 2026 through 2030. The program would help map reefs, test water, and plan and build restoration projects. It would also offer job training in coastal repair work, mainly for underserved communities. Anyone seeking a grant must show the project will not get in the way of fishing or boating. States and Tribes keep their own power to manage oyster reefs. Most households would see no direct change.
Congressional Summary
Oyster Reef Recovery Act of 2025 This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a grant program to support the conservation of oyster reefs. Under the bill, NOAA must award grants and provide technical assistance to qualified entities to support the conservation, restoration, enhancement, or management of oyster reefs. (An oyster reef is a large colonial aggregation of living oysters and shells, rocks, or other items that have grown together and provide a habitat for other marine animals and plants.) Grants must be used for research, planning, construction, assessments, management, building capacity, monitoring, collaborating and sharing information, or workforce training with respect to the conservation, restoration, enhancement, or management of oyster reefs. Grant applicants must demonstrate that proposed projects will not reasonably interfere with commercial or recreational fishing or other water-related uses of the relevant area. Entities qualified to apply for grants are units of federal, state, local, or tribal government; nongovernmental institutions; nonprofit organizations; institutions of higher education; shellfish growers; shellfish harvesters; private individuals; and private entities.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-01-13
- Date Added
- 2026-10-02
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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