S-2245 — A bill to amend the Digital Coast Act to improve the acquisition, integration, and accessibility of data of the Digital Coast program and to extend the program.

YourVoice.Now Summary

Transparency & AccountabilityEnvironment

Free federal coastal mapping data would keep running through 2030 — and would have to be open to anyone.

Transparency & Accountability

Free public access to coastal data — new legal requirement

Today the law says only that the data must be easy to reach online. The bill would also require it to be fully and freely available to the public.

Underground utility data added — pipes and cables under coastal areas

The program's list of key data would spell out buried pipes and cables. NOAA would help ongoing efforts to collect that data and fold it into its maps.

Environment

Coastal mapping program extended — through 2030, $4 million yearly

Congress had approved up to $4 million a year for this program through 2025. The bill moves that end date to 2030, so the coastal data work can continue.

More about this bill

If you live near the coast, your local government may use a free federal service called Digital Coast. About 4 in 10 Americans — roughly 129 million people — live in a coastal county today. NOAA, the national ocean and weather agency, runs the service. It offers maps and data on coastal elevation, land use, habitat, and infrastructure. Planners and emergency crews use it to prepare for floods and storms. Congress had approved money for it only through 2025. This bill would extend that through 2030, at up to $4 million a year. Three other changes affect how the program works. NOAA would have to make the data fully and freely available, not just easy to find. Buried pipes and cables would be added to the data the program collects. Training would be limited to how to use the program's own data and tools. The Senate passed the bill in February 2026, and it is not law yet.

Congressional Summary

This bill reauthorizes through FY2030 the Digital Coast program managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and makes other changes to the program. Through the program, NOAA administers a digital platform with data, tools, training, and other information to support coastal management needs.The bill requires NOAA to ensure that data and resulting integrated products developed under the program are fully and freely available on the program website and via other sources. Further, NOAA must support existing efforts to acquire and integrate data related to underground infrastructure and subsurface utilities.Finally, NOAA must limit trainings carried out under the program to technical instruction on the use of data and tools provided by the program.

Legislative Subjects

Computers and information technologyEnvironmental assessment, monitoring, researchIntergovernmental relationsInternet, web applications, social mediaMarine and coastal resources, fisheriesState and local government operations

Details

Congress: 119th
Chamber: Senate
Status: summarized
Action: Held at the desk.
Action Date: 2026-03-03
Date Added: 2026-04-21
Source: Congress.gov →

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