To prohibit the National Science Foundation from obligating or expending Federal funds to descope or decommission the Ocean Observatories Initiative instruments, and for other purposes.

Key Points

• This bill stops the National Science Foundation from spending money to remove or scale back underwater research equipment. These sensors are located off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and North Carolina, as well as in the North Atlantic.
• Scientists use these tools to monitor ocean health, climate change, and underwater activity. The bill requires the government to keep all current stations running at full capacity instead of shutting them down to save money.
• Before any equipment can be removed, the National Science Foundation must talk to scientists and coastal communities to understand how these tools help the public. They must also complete a formal review of the program's value to the country.

Impact Analysis

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