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 · May 12, 2011
National Endowment for the Oceans Act - Establishes in the Treasury the National Endowment for the Oceans which shall fund grants for programs to restore, protect, maintain, or understand living marine resources and their habitats, and ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources, including baseline scientific research, ocean observing, and other programs in coordination with federal and state agencies. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make grants for such purposes.
Requires state matching funds for specified projects.
States that programs funded in Great Lakes states shall also seek to attain the goals embodied in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Plan, the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, or other collaborative planning efforts of the Great Lakes Region.
Directs the Secretary to make grants to: (1) coastal states or affected Indian tribes, and (2) regional planning bodies to create and implement regional strategic plans.
Directs the Secretary to establish a National Endowment for the Oceans Council.
People & committees
Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] · D–RI
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2941-2942)
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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