New estuary protection frozen for two years pending budget increase

What it does

This bill adds Mississippi Sound, Mississippi to the federal National Estuary Program (a conservation initiative for coastal waters) and extends the program's authorization from 2026 to 2031. However, it blocks the EPA from spending any 2025 funds or 2026 funds on the new Mississippi Sound addition unless 2026 appropriations exceed 2024 levels by at least $850,000—effectively freezing implementation for two years pending a budget increase.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core function is to expand the National Estuary Program to include Mississippi Sound and extend its authorization. However, the operative mechanism in section 3 is a conditional spending freeze that delays implementation, making the bill's true character a conditional expansion rather than a straightforward authorization.

What the text implies

• The $850,000 threshold in section 3(2) is a hard budget gate: if Congress appropriates less than that increment in FY2026, Mississippi Sound receives zero federal estuary program funding that year, despite being formally added to the program. This creates a two-tier system where authorization and appropriation are decoupled.
• The freeze applies to all estuary program activities for Mississippi Sound (management conference, conservation planning, grants), not just a subset—meaning no federal action on the new site for two years unless the budget condition is met.
• The bill does not specify what happens after FY2026 if the threshold is not met—whether the freeze continues, whether Mississippi Sound remains in the program but unfunded, or whether the addition is rescinded. This ambiguity may create future legislative disputes.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Citizens gain a new estuary protection program (Mississippi Sound) and longer authorization (to 2031), which supports coastal conservation and water quality. However, the two-year spending freeze on that specific addition delays any actual environmental benefit and creates uncertainty about whether the $850k threshold will be met, leaving the program's real-world impact contingent on future budget decisions outside this bill.

Named in the bill

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Estuary Program, Mississippi Sound, Mississippi, Pensacola and Perdido Bays, Florida, Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act), Section 320

Where it stands

26 cosponsors: 19 Democrats, 7 Republicans.

• Jun 12, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jun 12, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure”
• Sep 17, 2025 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Sep 17, 2025 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 57 - 2”
• Dec 15, 2025 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5872)”
• Dec 15, 2025 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Johnson (SD) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 2 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $380,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 8 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Shomari Figures, the sponsor, reported $884,964 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Jacobs Solutions, Inc. — $380,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 17, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.