Federal research program for ocean carbon removal, with tribal consultation and public data access.

What it does

This bill establishes a federal research program to study and advance marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR) — technologies that capture CO2 from ocean water or the atmosphere using methods like ocean alkalinity enhancement, macroalgae cultivation, and nutrient fertilization. The program, run by NOAA in coordination with 20 federal agencies, will fund research grants, designate research areas, monitor environmental and community impacts, and develop standards and best practices. It requires meaningful consultation with Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, protects tribal data sovereignty, and mandates public access to research findings. Ordinary citizens benefit through climate research advancement, environmental safeguards, and community engagement in decisions affecting coastal areas.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is establishing a federally coordinated research program for marine carbon dioxide removal with mandatory environmental monitoring, community engagement, and tribal consultation. It is fundamentally a public research and governance framework, not a deregulation, subsidy, or private carve-out.

What the text implies

• The bill creates a 5-year renewable authorization for research areas, potentially establishing long-term federal presence in coastal and estuarine ecosystems; renewal depends on demonstrated progress and compliance, creating ongoing federal oversight.
• Tribal data sovereignty provisions (sections 101(e)(3), 102(f)(2)(B), 104(h)(3)) exempt tribal-submitted data from FOIA disclosure without consent, creating a carve-out from standard federal transparency that may limit public access to research conducted on or affecting tribal lands.
• The interagency working group (20+ agencies) and advisory boards for each research area create substantial coordination infrastructure; implementation success depends on sustained interagency cooperation and adequate appropriations, which are not guaranteed.
• Public-private partnerships and voluntary carbon market support (sections 102(c)-(d)) may create pathways for private companies to commercialize CDR technologies developed with federal funding, though intellectual property protections are limited to designated research areas.
• The bill authorizes but does not mandate appropriations; actual program scope depends on congressional funding decisions for fiscal years 2027–2031, creating implementation uncertainty.

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

Who it affects

The bill creates a transparent, publicly funded research program with mandatory environmental monitoring, community engagement, and tribal data sovereignty protections. Citizens in coastal areas gain a formal voice in research decisions affecting their communities, and the public receives free access to research data and findings. Environmental safeguards and ecosystem impact thresholds are built into the program design.

Who stands to gain

• research institutions and universities (grant recipients)
• marine technology developers and CDR companies (through research partnerships and commercialization
• consulting firms and contractors (monitoring, data management, technical assistance)

Named in the bill

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Army Corps of Engineers, Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, Regional Ocean Partnerships

Where it stands

2 cosponsors: 1 Democrats, 1 Republicans.

• Feb 24, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Feb 24, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources and House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Natural…”

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

Money around this bill

7 lobbying clients named this bill on 8 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $3,836,600 in lobbying spend. A filing names 29 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 86% of bills with at least one filing.

Suzanne Bonamici, the sponsor, reported $461,650 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• American Petroleum Institute — $2,780,000 on 1 filing
• Earthjustice Action — $376,600 on 2 filings
• Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, Inc. — $260,000 on 1 filing
• Ocean Conservancy — $260,000 on 1 filing
• Climate Innovation Action — $60,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.