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LEGISLATION/S. 4822

Saving the OOI Act of 2026

119-S-4822119th CongressIntroduced Jun 17, 2026Science, Technology, Communications
Market Probability
No market
Status
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Other Chamber
Signed
Held at the desk.

Sponsor

Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK](R-AK)
11 cosponsors

Summary

Saving the OOI Act of 2026

This bill prohibits the National Science Foundation (NSF) from using federal funds to decommission or descope Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) instruments until a thorough review of OOI is completed.

OOI measures and observes ocean conditions using a series of in-water instruments that gather physical, chemical, geological, and biological data. On May 21, 2026, NSF announced that it would remove all in-water infrastructure from four of the five active OOI arrays.

Under the bill, NSF must conduct a thorough review of OOI with engagement from the scientific and coastal communities before decommissioning or descoping specified OOI instruments. This includes OOI instruments anchored off of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and North Carolina, as well as instruments anchored in the Irminger Sea. NSF is required to maintain full and consistent OOI operations, including monitoring in states where instruments have already been decommissioned, until the review is complete.

Subjects

Arctic OceanAtlantic OceanEarth sciencesEnvironmental assessment, monitoring, researchNational Science FoundationPacific OceanResearch administration and funding

Actions (6)

Held at the desk.
Jun 18, 2026House floor actions
Received in the House.
Jun 18, 2026House floor actions
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Jun 18, 2026Senate
Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S2885-2886; text: CR S2885-2886)
Jun 17, 2026Senate
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Voice Vote.
Jun 17, 2026Library of Congress
Introduced in Senate
Jun 17, 2026Library of Congress
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