Congress·In Committee·S. 3910

Sen. Schatz and Sen. Murkowski Push Bipartisan ReSCUE Oceans Act to Study Sea-Based Carbon Removal

ReSCUE Oceans Act

17 days ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Key Points

This bill creates a federal program to study 'marine carbon removal,' which means finding ways to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it in the ocean. Scientists will test different methods, such as growing large amounts of seaweed or using special minerals to help the water absorb more greenhouse gases.
The government will set up specific 'research areas' in the ocean for testing these new technologies. To keep the environment safe, these spots will have strict rules and 'stop' buttons that end all work immediately if the local ecosystem, fish, or other wildlife starts getting hurt. These projects must be cleaned up once the work is done.
The policy makes sure that coastal towns and Indigenous groups have a say in what happens near their shores. Researchers are required to talk with local communities and Native Hawaiian or Tribal organizations before starting projects and must respect and protect their private data and traditional knowledge.
Multiple agencies, including NASA and NOAA, will work together to create high-tech tools for monitoring the ocean from space and underwater. This data will be used to prove whether these projects are actually working and to help create a fair market for companies that want to pay for carbon removal. Funding is planned through 2031.

Energy EnvironmentTechnology Digital

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

StateScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 25, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Feb 25, 2026

Introduced in Senate

Related News

3 articles

Carbon Herald·16 days ago

U.S. Congress Now Considering First mCDR Research Bill

The ReSCUE Oceans Act, introduced by a bipartisan group including Sens. Murkowski and Schatz, aims to provide federal support for marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) R&D. It proposes designated research areas and a NOAA program to study social and ecological impacts and verification requirements.

SeafoodSource·11 days ago

US lawmakers introduce marine carbon dioxide removal bill

Lawmakers introduced the ReSCUE Oceans Act to bolster research into ocean carbon removal, highlighting benefits for seaweed and kelp farming. The bill establishes a NOAA research program and field sites with safeguards to protect marine ecosystems and ensure benefits for coastal communities.

Environment Coastal & Offshore·10 days ago

Bipartisan Bill to Advance Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal

The ReSCUE Oceans Act would establish the U.S. as a leader in mCDR research by investing in science-based measurement tools and creating environmental and community safeguards. It directs NOAA to lead research on efficacy and safety, ensuring coastal communities have a voice in the process.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

ReSCUE Oceans Act

Bill NumberS 3910

Congress119th Congress

ChamberSenate

Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)

R: 1

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.