Bill expands Chesapeake Bay research, habitat fix, and education work.

What it does

The bill makes the Chesapeake Bay Office in NOAA stronger. It tells the office to do more research, fix habitats, and check water quality. The office will teach students and teachers about the bay. The office will work with federal and state agencies. It will set up new programs to restore oysters, fish, and coastal areas.

Who it affects

Students and teachers learn about the Chesapeake Bay through new education programs. Scientists and research groups get funding to study and restore the bay. State and local agencies work with the federal government on bay protection.

One thing to notice

The bill says the office may establish education programs. Funding is not guaranteed and depends on money Congress gives later.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

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 groups reported lobbying about this bill. They filed 1 reports from Dec 2025 to Dec 2025.

Those reports show $22,000 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 2 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

More groups named this bill than 0% of bills with any report.

Bobby Scott, who sponsored the bill, received $298,700 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc — $22,000 in 1 report

Lobbying is legal. These reports show who lobbied about this bill, not what changed.

Words to know

• habitats — places where plants and animals live.
• federal — belonging to the national government of the United States.
• agencies — government offices that do specific work.
• restore — bring something back to good condition.
• lobbying — Trying to influence lawmakers about a bill. Companies and groups pay people to do this.
• PACs — Groups that collect money and give it to candidates for office.