PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] · D–CA
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Apr 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-07 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Help Our Kelp Act of 2025 would create federal grants to conserve, restore, and manage kelp forests. Fishing industry members, colleges, nonprofits, Tribes, and state and local governments could apply. It would authorize $5 million annually for fiscal years 2026–2030, with actual funding dependent on appropriations. Recipients would generally need to cover at least 15% of project costs, with a possible waiver for qualifying projects on Tribal lands.
This Act may be cited as the Help Our Kelp Act of 2025.
the Administrator shall award grants to eligible entities described in subsection (c) to carry out projects described in subsection (d) relating to the conservation, restoration, or management of kelp forest ecosystems.
(A) a member of the fishing industry; (B) an institution of higher education; (C) a nonprofit organization; (D) an Indian Tribe; (E) a State agency; or (F) a local government;
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amount of Federal funding received as a grant under this section by an eligible entity may not exceed 85 percent of the total cost of the project for which a grant is awarded.
The Administrator may waive all or part of the requirement in paragraph (1) if the Administrator determines that— (A) no reasonable means are available through which an eligible entity applying for a grant under this section can meet such requirement; (B) the probable benefit of such project outweighs the public interest in such requirement; and (C) the project undertaken is established on lands owned by or held in trust for an Indian Tribe.
The bill would express Congress’s view that the grants should support native wild kelp and the long-term recovery of naturally functioning ecosystems without commercial or mechanized harvesting. This is a statement of purpose, not an express harvesting ban.
(a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the purposes of this section and the grants authorized by this section are to support native wild kelp forest ecosystems and restore native wild kelp to enable long term recovery of naturally functioning kelp forest ecosystems that do not involve commercial or mechanized harvesting.
The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, would have to establish and operate the grant program within 180 days after enactment.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Administrator shall establish and carry out a grant program
The term Administrator means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Eligible applicants would include fishing industry members, higher education institutions, qualifying nonprofits, Indian Tribes, state agencies, and local governments. Fishing industry members would include processors and both commercial and recreational fishermen. Nonprofits would need to meet the specified federal tax-exemption requirements.
(A) a member of the fishing industry; (B) an institution of higher education; (C) a nonprofit organization; (D) an Indian Tribe; (E) a State agency; or (F) a local government;
The term fishing industry means— (A) processors; (B) commercial fishermen; and (C) recreational fishermen.
The term nonprofit organization means an organization— (A) described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and (B) exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.
Applicants would have to consult or collaborate with another listed entity throughout project development or implementation. Applications would need to describe how effectiveness would be monitored and evaluated and establish the applicant’s qualifications to conduct and assess the project.
consult or collaborate with any of the other entities described in paragraph (1) throughout the development or implementation of a project relating to the conservation, restoration, or management of kelp forest ecosystems
submit to the Administrator an application describing such project at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Administrator may require, including information regarding what criteria will be used to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the project and the qualifications of the applicant to conduct, monitor, and evaluate the project.
The bill describes alternative grounds for project eligibility: addressing the greatest relative regional kelp declines, focusing on listed restoration-related subjects, or targeting recovery areas identified by Tribes or federal or state restoration or management plans.
The Administrator shall award grants to eligible entities for projects that— (1) address greatest relative regional declines in kelp forest ecosystems; (2) focus on elements such as—
(G) other efforts to restore kelp forest ecosystems and prevent large scale losses of kelp forests; or (3) are identified by Indian Tribes or Federal or State restoration or management plans as focal areas for recovery of kelp forests and associated species.
Eligible project subjects would include long-term ecological and social or economic resilience, kelp seeding and connections between kelp areas, monitoring, and restoring natural food-web relationships. Examples include targeted sea urchin removal and recovery of sunflower sea stars; these are proposed activities, not established outcomes.
(2) focus on elements such as— (A) long term ecosystem resilience of kelp forest ecosystems; (B) long term socioeconomic resilience related to kelp forest ecosystems; (C) kelp forest seeding and connectivity; (D) re-establishing or recovering natural trophic relationships and structure to support resilience of kelp forest ecosystems through actions such as predator control through targeted urchin removal and recovery of sunflower sea stars; (E) monitoring and assessment of kelp forest ecosystems;
Projects could also integrate Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices into restoration and monitoring through Tribal consultation or promotion of joint management by Tribes and federal or state governments.
(F) integration of Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices into restoration and monitoring of kelp forest ecosystems through consultation with Indian Tribes or promotion of Federal or State co-management with Indian Tribes;
Federal grants would generally cover no more than 85% of a project’s total cost. The remaining share could include noncash contributions rather than requiring cash alone.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amount of Federal funding received as a grant under this section by an eligible entity may not exceed 85 percent of the total cost of the project for which a grant is awarded. For the purposes of this paragraph, the non-Federal share of project costs may be provided by in-kind contributions and other noncash support.
The administrator could waive all or part of the cost-sharing requirement only after finding that the applicant has no reasonable way to meet it, the project’s probable benefit outweighs the public interest in requiring it, and the project is on land owned by or held in trust for an Indian Tribe. The waiver would be discretionary.
The Administrator may waive all or part of the requirement in paragraph (1) if the Administrator determines that— (A) no reasonable means are available through which an eligible entity applying for a grant under this section can meet such requirement; (B) the probable benefit of such project outweighs the public interest in such requirement; and (C) the project undertaken is established on lands owned by or held in trust for an Indian Tribe.
The administrator would have to issue implementation guidelines and rank eligible projects using criteria based on best practices, the best available science, and community engagement.
The Administrator shall— (1) issue guidelines regarding the implementation of the grant program established under subsection (b); and (2) establish criteria based on best practices, the best available science, and community engagement to rank eligible projects under subsection (d).
The bill would authorize Congress to provide $5 million for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030. This authorization would not itself provide the money.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
Subject to appropriations, at least $750,000 of each year’s authorized funding would be reserved for grants to eligible Indian Tribes. If no Tribe received a grant that year, the reserved amount would become available to other eligible entities, and the administrator would have to conduct outreach to Tribes and organizations working with them.
Of the amount authorized to be appropriated by paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, subject to appropriations, not less than $750,000 shall be made available to award grants under this section to eligible entities that are Indian Tribes.
If no Indian Tribe is awarded a grant under this section in a fiscal year— (i) for that fiscal year, the amount described in subparagraph (A) shall be made available to award grants under this section to other eligible entities; and (ii) the Administrator shall conduct outreach to inform Indian Tribes and organizations that work with Indian Tribes of the grant program established under subsection (b).
The program’s definition of a kelp forest ecosystem covers naturally occurring systems dominated by specified forms of large seaweed and associated organisms. The bill uses definitions from existing federal laws to determine which Tribes and higher education institutions qualify.
The term kelp forest ecosystem means a naturally occurring, biotic system dominated by canopy-forming, stipitate, or prostrate benthic macroalgae and associated taxa.
The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
The term institution of higher education has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
The supplied actions snapshot, updated April 10, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Natural Resources on February 7, 2025. It does not establish what happened after those recorded actions.
Source snapshot updated 2026-04-10T08:05:43Z. 2025-02-07: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. 2025-02-07: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-07. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No provision unrelated to the kelp conservation grant program was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the contents or attachment history of other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No spending direction for a particular named recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Program authorizations and allocations to a broad recipient category do not alone establish earmarks. This conclusion is limited to this version; formal earmark materials are absent.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied text contains a reserved funding allocation and a restricted cost-sharing exception within the main grant program. These classifications identify special treatment, not improper purpose.
Eligible Indian Tribes would receive a reserved opportunity for at least $750,000 in annual grant funding, subject to appropriations. This goes beyond eligibility shared with other applicants. The reservation would be released to other eligible entities for a year in which no Tribe receives a grant.
Of the amount authorized to be appropriated by paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, subject to appropriations, not less than $750,000 shall be made available to award grants under this section to eligible entities that are Indian Tribes.
If no Indian Tribe is awarded a grant under this section in a fiscal year— (i) for that fiscal year, the amount described in subparagraph (A) shall be made available to award grants under this section to other eligible entities;
Applicants undertaking projects on land owned by or held in trust for an Indian Tribe could receive a discretionary waiver of the usual cost-sharing requirement. The exception is limited by project location, inability to meet the requirement, and a finding that the project’s probable benefit outweighs the public interest in requiring cost sharing; it does not require the applicant itself to be a Tribe.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amount of Federal funding received as a grant under this section by an eligible entity may not exceed 85 percent of the total cost of the project for which a grant is awarded.
The Administrator may waive all or part of the requirement in paragraph (1) if the Administrator determines that— (A) no reasonable means are available through which an eligible entity applying for a grant under this section can meet such requirement; (B) the probable benefit of such project outweighs the public interest in such requirement; and (C) the project undertaken is established on lands owned by or held in trust for an Indian Tribe.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Apr 10, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI