Federal agency gets expanded mandate to restore Chesapeake Bay and teach students about it

What it does

This bill reauthorizes and expands the Chesapeake Bay Office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), strengthening its mandate to conduct research, restore habitats, monitor water quality, and educate students about the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The bill clarifies the Office Director's authority, adds new program areas (coastal hazards, education, integrated ecosystem assessments), establishes a watershed education and training program with grants, creates a coastal living resources management program focused on oyster and fish restoration, and requires peer review of funded projects and biennial reporting to Congress.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core function is to reauthorize and expand a federal environmental office focused on Chesapeake Bay ecosystem research, monitoring, habitat restoration, and public education. It is a straightforward environmental stewardship measure with no hidden mechanisms or private carve-outs.

What the text implies

• The bill expands NOAA's authority to collaborate with nongovernmental organizations and private academic institutions, potentially creating funding pathways to private research entities and universities that may not be subject to the same transparency requirements as direct federal grants.
• The Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System provision ties environmental monitoring to the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, blending scientific data collection with tourism and heritage interpretation—a dual-use that may shift priorities toward public-facing messaging over pure research.
• Peer review and scientific merit standards are mandated but the bill does not specify who conducts peer review, creating discretion in the Director's hands to select reviewers and potentially influence which projects receive funding.

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

Who it affects

Ordinary citizens in the Chesapeake Bay region and nationwide benefit from expanded environmental monitoring, habitat restoration (oysters, fish, marshes), water quality assessment, and educational programs that improve understanding of living marine resources. The bill mandates peer review and transparent project selection, reducing waste and ensuring scientific merit of funded activities.

Who stands to gain

• academic and scientific institutions (grant recipients)
• nongovernmental organizations focused on environmental restoration
• educational institutions and school districts (education grant recipients)
• contractors supporting monitoring and data collection

Named in the bill

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Chesapeake Bay Office, Chesapeake Executive Council, Chesapeake Bay Program, Environmental Protection Agency (referenced in original statute), Federal Water Pollution Control Act, Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009, Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail

Where it stands

7 cosponsors: 5 Democrats, 2 Republicans.

• Dec 18, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Dec 18, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”
• Mar 26, 2026 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Hearings Held”
• Jul 15, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Jul 15, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent”
• Sep 14, 2026 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote”
• Sep 14, 2026 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Westerman 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 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Dec 2025 to Dec 2025. Those filings disclosed $22,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 2 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.

Bobby Scott, the sponsor, reported $326,700 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc — $22,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jan 13, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.