S. 381: National Ocean Exploration Act

117th Congress · introduced 2021-02-23 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: By Senator Cantwell from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 117-76.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-02-23 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: By Senator Cantwell from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 117-76. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

National Ocean Exploration Act

Plain summary

National Ocean Exploration Act This bill provides statutory authority for the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council and revises several programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that support ocean and coastal mapping, hydrographic surveys, and spatial data collection. The bill revises the national ocean exploration program to require NOAA to provide guidance to federal and state agencies, and others, on data standards, protocols for accepting data, and coordination of data collection, compilation, processing, archiving, and dissemination for data relating to ocean exploration and characterization. It also directs NOAA to conduct education and outreach efforts to disseminate information to the public on the discoveries made by the ocean exploration program and coordinate with the outreach strategies of other domestic or international ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization initiatives. Additionally, the bill repeals the undersea research program of NOAA. It also modifies NOAA's ocean and coastal mapping program to include ecosystem approaches in decision-making for natural resource and habitat restoration, emergency response, and coastal resilience and adaptation. NOAA must develop an integrated ocean and coastal mapping federal funding match opportunity to increase the coordinated acquisition, processing, stewardship, and archival of new ocean and coastal mapping data in U.S. waters. The bill also revises and reauthorizes through FY2026 the hydrographic services program of NOAA.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

National Ocean Exploration Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] · 5 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 381, National Ocean Exploration Act (2021-06-11)

Cosponsors on this site

Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] reported raising $306,823 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117s381.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/s>

Record fed-us-cong117-s381 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117