PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Apr 22, 2009
National Oceans Protection Act of 2009 - Declares that the purpose of this Act is to secure the full range of benefits of healthy ocean and Great Lakes ecosystems.
Establishes a national ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes policy and related principles. Requires each federal agency, as possible and in accordance with other laws, to interpret and administer policies, regulations, and laws in accordance with such policy.
Ernest "Fritz" Hollings National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act - Formally establishes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a civilian agency and transfers to NOAA's administrator any NOAA-related authority previously vested in the Secretary of Commerce.
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Establishes: (1) a National Ocean Advisor and a Council on Ocean Stewardship in the Executive Office of the President; and (2) a Presidential Panel of Advisers on Oceans and Climate.
Designates nine ocean regions to promote coordinated regional efforts to implement the national ocean policy. Requires the NOAA Administrator to establish or designate a Regional Ocean Partnership for each region and requires each Partnership to prepare a Regional Ocean Strategic Plan.
Establishes: (1) the Committee on Ocean Science, Education, and Operations; (2) a marine biodiversity research program; (3) a network of regional Ocean Ecosystem Resource Information Systems; (4) a national interagency ocean and coastal public education program; (5) the National Ocean Science and Technology Scholarship Program; (6) the NOAA Office of Education; and (7) an educational partnership with minority-serving institutions.
Requires a national mass media campaign to increase public awareness of oceans.
Establishes the Ocean and Great Lakes Conservation Trust Fund.
Requires payments to coastal states for Regional Ocean Strategic Plan activities.
Authoirzes the United States Postal Service (USPS) to consider printing a special postage stamp to enable the public to help protect, maintain, and restore marine ecosystems.
People & committees
Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA] · D–CA
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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