I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2620 
To amend the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act to improve the administration of 
the Marine Debris Foundation, to amend the Marine Debris Act to 
improve the administration of the Marine Debris Program of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 3, 2025 
Ms. BONAMICI (for herself, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, and Mr. MOYLAN) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act to improve the admin-
istration of the Marine Debris Foundation, to amend 
the Marine Debris Act to improve the administration 
of the Marine Debris Program of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Save Our Seas 2.0 
Amendments Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO THE MARINE DEBRIS PROGRAM 
OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOS-
PHERIC ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Marine Debris Act (Public 
Law 109–449) is amended— 
(1) by inserting before section 3 the following: 
‘‘Subtitle A—NOAA And Coast 
Guard Programs’’; and 
(2) by redesignating sections 3 through 6 as 
sections 101 through 104, respectively. 
(b) GRANTS, COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS, CON-
TRACTS, AND OTHER AGREEMENTS.—Section 101(d) of 
the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1952(d)), as redesig-
nated by this Act, is amended— 
(1) in the subsection heading by striking ‘‘AND 
CONTRACTS’’ and inserting ‘‘CONTRACTS, AND 
OTHER AGREEMENTS’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘and con-
tracts’’ and inserting ‘‘, contracts, and other agree-
ments’’; 
(3) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘part of the’’ and in-
serting ‘‘part of a’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or (C)’’ after ‘‘sub-
paragraph (A)’’; and 
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(B) in subparagraph (C) in the matter pre-
ceding clause (i) by inserting ‘‘and except as 
provided in subparagraph (B)’’ after ‘‘subpara-
graph (A)’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(7) IN-KIND
CONTRIBUTIONS.—With respect 
to any project carried out pursuant to a contract or 
other agreement entered into under paragraph (1) 
that is not a cooperative agreement or an agreement 
to provide financial assistance in the form of a 
grant, the Under Secretary may contribute on an in- 
kind basis the portion of the costs of the project that 
the Under Secretary determines represents the 
amount of benefit the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration derives from the project.’’. 
SEC. 3. MODIFICATIONS TO THE MARINE DEBRIS FOUNDA-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle B of title I of the Save 
Our Seas 2.0 Act (Public Law 116–224) is transferred 
to appear after section 104 of the Marine Debris Act 
(Public Law 109–449), as redesignated by this Act. 
(b) STATUS OF FOUNDATION.—Section 111(a) of the 
Marine Debris Act (Public Law 109–449), as transferred 
by this Act, is amended, in the second sentence, by strik-
ing ‘‘organization’’ and inserting ‘‘corporation’’. 
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(c) PURPOSES.—Section 111(b) of the Marine Debris 
Act (Public Law 109–449), as transferred and redesig-
nated by this Act, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3) by inserting ‘‘Indian 
Tribes,’’ after ‘‘Tribal governments,’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (4) by striking ‘‘title II’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subtitle C’’. 
(d) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.— 
(1) 
APPOINTMENT, 
VACANCIES, 
AND
RE-
MOVAL.—Section 112(b) of the Marine Debris Act 
(Public Law 109–449), as transferred by this Act, 
is amended— 
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(1) 
through (5) as paragraphs (2) through (6) re-
spectively; 
(B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as 
redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(1) RECOMMENDATIONS OF BOARD REGARD-
ING
APPOINTMENTS.—For 
appointments 
made 
under paragraph (2), the Board shall submit to the 
Under Secretary recommendations on candidates for 
appointment.’’; 
(C) in paragraph (2), as redesignated, in 
the matter preceding subparagraph (A)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘and considering’’ and 
inserting ‘‘considering’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘and with the ap-
proval of the Secretary of Commerce,’’ 
after ‘‘by the Board,’’; 
(D) by amending paragraph (3), as redes-
ignated, to read as follows: 
‘‘(3) TERMS.—Any Director appointed under 
paragraph (2) shall be appointed for a term of 6 
years.’’; 
(E) in paragraph (4)(A), as redesignated, 
by inserting ‘‘with the approval of the Secretary 
of Commerce’’ after ‘‘the Board’’; and 
(F) in paragraph (6), as redesignated— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International 
Development,’’ after ‘‘Service,’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘and with the ap-
proval of the Secretary of Commerce’’ after 
‘‘EPA Administrator’’. 
(2) GENERAL POWERS.—Section 112(g) of the 
Marine Debris Act (Public Law 109–449), as trans-
ferred by this Act, is amended— 
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(A) in paragraph (1)(A) by striking ‘‘offi-
cers and employees’’ and inserting ‘‘the initial 
officers and employees’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)(B)(i) by striking ‘‘its 
chief operating officer’’ and inserting ‘‘the chief 
executive officer of the Foundation’’. 
(3) CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.—Section 112 
of the Marine Debris Act (Public Law 109–449), as 
transferred by this Act, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(h) CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.— 
‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT; REMOVAL; REVIEW.—The 
Board shall appoint and review the performance of, 
and may remove, the chief executive officer of the 
Foundation. 
‘‘(2) POWERS.—The chief executive officer of 
the Foundation may appoint, remove, and review the 
performance of any officer or employee of the Foun-
dation.’’. 
(e) POWERS OF FOUNDATION.—Section 113(c)(1) of 
the Marine Debris Act (Public Law 109–449), as trans-
ferred by this Act, is amended in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A)— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘nonprofit’’ before ‘‘corpora-
tion’’; and 
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(2) by striking ‘‘acting as a trustee’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘formed’’. 
(f) PRINCIPAL OFFICE.—Section 113 of the Marine 
Debris Act (Public Law 109–449), as transferred by this 
Act, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) PRINCIPAL OFFICE.—The Board shall locate the 
principal office of the Foundation in the National Capital 
Region, as such term is defined in section 2674(f)(2) of 
title 10, United States Code, or a coastal shoreline com-
munity.’’. 
(g) BEST PRACTICES; RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.— 
Section 113 of the Marine Debris Act (Public Law 109– 
449), as transferred by this Act and amended by sub-
section (e), is further amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(h) BEST PRACTICES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Foundation shall de-
velop and implement best practices for conducting 
outreach to Indian Tribes and Tribal Governments. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The best practices de-
veloped under paragraph (1) shall— 
‘‘(A) include a process to support technical 
assistance and capacity building to improve out-
comes; and 
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‘‘(B) promote an awareness of programs 
and grants available under this Act. 
‘‘(i) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 
may be construed— 
‘‘(1) to satisfy any requirement for government- 
to-government consultation with Tribal Govern-
ments; or 
‘‘(2) to affect or modify any treaty or other 
right of any Tribal Government.’’. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
118(a) of the Marine Debris Act (Public Law 109–449), 
as transferred by this Act, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and 
$2,000,000 for fiscal year 2025’’ after ‘‘through 
2024’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and State 
and local government agencies’’ and inserting ‘‘, 
State and local government agencies, regional orga-
nizations, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and 
foreign governments’’. 
(i) REAUTHORIZATION.—Section 9(a) of the Marine 
Debris Act (Public Law 109–449) is amended by striking 
‘‘for’’ the first place it appears and all that follows through 
‘‘carrying out’’ and inserting ‘‘for each of fiscal years 
2018 through 2029 for carrying out’’. 
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SEC. 4. TRANSFERS. 
(a) SAVE OUR SEAS 2.0 ACT.—Subtitle C of title I 
of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (Public Law 116–224) is 
transferred to appear after section 119 of the Marine De-
bris Act (Public Law 109–449) as transferred and redes-
ignated by this Act. 
(b) MARINE DEBRIS ACT.—The Marine Debris Act 
(Public Law 109–449) is amended— 
(1) by transferring sections 7, 8, 9 (as amend-
ed), and 10 to appear after section 127, as trans-
ferred by this Act, and redesignated as sections 131, 
132, 133, and 134, respectively; and 
(2) by inserting before section 131, as so trans-
ferred and redesignated, the following: 
‘‘Subtitle D—Administration’’. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 131 of the Marine Debris 
Act (Public Law 109–449), as transferred and redesig-
nated by this Act, is amended— 
(1) by striking paragraph (1); 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), (4), 
(5), (6), and (7) as paragraphs (5), (6), (7), (11), 
(12), and (13), respectively; 
(3) by inserting before paragraph (5), as so re-
designated, the following: 
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‘‘(1) CIRCULAR ECONOMY.—The term ‘circular 
economy’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (Public Law 
116–224). 
‘‘(2) COASTAL
SHORELINE
COMMUNITY.—The 
term ‘coastal shoreline community’ means a city or 
county directly adjacent to the open ocean, major es-
tuaries, or the Great Lakes. 
‘‘(3) EPA ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘EPA 
Administrator’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (Public Law 
116–224). 
‘‘(4) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘Indian Tribe’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).’’; 
(4) by inserting before paragraph (11), as so 
redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(9) NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘nonprofit organization’ has the meaning given such 
term in section 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act 
(Public Law 116–224). 
‘‘(10) POST-CONSUMER
MATERIALS
MANAGE-
MENT.—The term ‘post-consumer materials manage-
ment’ has the meaning given such term in section 2 
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of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (Public Law 116– 
224).’’; 
(5) by inserting after paragraph (13), as so re-
designated, the following: 
‘‘(14) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘Tribal 
Government’ means the recognized governing body 
of any Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, 
pueblo, village, community, component band, or com-
ponent reservation, individually identified (including 
parenthetically) in the list published most recently as 
of the date of the enactment of the Save Our Seas 
2.0 Amendments Act pursuant to section 104 of the 
Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 
(25 U.S.C. 5131). 
‘‘(15) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘Trib-
al organization’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
‘‘(16) UNDER SECRETARY.—The term ‘Under 
Secretary’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 2 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (Public Law 
116–224).’’; and 
(6) in paragraph (13), as so redesignated— 
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(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (B), 
(C), and (D) as subparagraphs (C), (D), and 
(E); and 
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) 
the following: 
‘‘(B) Indian Tribe;’’. 
(b) TRANSFER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 2(7) of the Save Our 
Seas 2.0 Act (Public Law 116–224) is transferred to 
section 131 of the Marine Debris Act (Public Law 
109–449), inserted after paragraph (7) (as redesig-
nated), and redesignated as paragraph (8). 
(2) REDESIGNATION.—Section 2 of the Save 
Our Seas 2.0 Act (Public Law 116–224) is amended 
by redesignating paragraphs (8) through (11) as 
paragraphs (7) through (10), respectively. 
(c) NON-FEDERAL FUNDS.—Paragraph (8)(D) of 
section 131 of the Marine Debris Act (Public Law 109– 
449), as transferred and redesignated by this Act, is 
amended by striking ‘‘(as defined in section 4 of the In-
dian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
(25 U.S.C. 5304))’’. 
SEC. 6. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Sections 1 and 2 of the Marine 
Debris Act, sections 101, 102, and 104 of the Marine De-
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bris Act, as redesignated by this Act, and section 133 of 
the Marine Debris Act, as transferred and so redesignated 
by this Act, are amended by striking ‘‘Administrator’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Under Secretary’’. 
(b) SECTION 103.—Section 103 of the Marine Debris 
Act is amended by— 
(1) striking ‘‘Administrator of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Under Secretary’’; 
(2) striking ‘‘Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency’’ and inserting ‘‘EPA Ad-
ministrator’’; and 
(3) in subsection (e)(3) by striking ‘‘section 3’’ 
and inserting ‘‘section 101’’. 
(c) SECTION 123.—Section 123 of the Marine Debris 
Act, as transferred and so redesignated by this Act, is 
amended by striking ‘‘title I’’ and inserting ‘‘subtitle B’’. 
(d) SECTION 133.—Section 133 of the Marine Debris 
Act, as transferred and so redesignated by this Act, is 
amended by striking ‘‘sections 3, 5, and 6’’ and inserting 
‘‘sections 101, 103, and 104’’. 
(e) SECTION 134.—Section 134 of the Marine Debris 
Act, as transferred and so redesignated by this Act, is 
amended by striking ‘‘Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency’’ and inserting ‘‘EPA Administrator’’. 
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(f) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—Subtitle A of the Marine 
Debris Act, as designated in this Act, is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘tribal government’’ and inserting ‘‘Tribal Govern-
ment’’. 
Æ 
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