S. 4822 · Where this bill is now
In the House
Passed the Senate Jun 17, 2026. Received Jun 18, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRequires review before shutting down ocean sensors
The National Science Foundation announced plans to shut down underwater instruments that monitor ocean conditions in several coastal areas. This bill would block that shutdown until the NSF completes a thorough review of the Ocean Observatories Initiative and talks with scientists and coastal communities about the decision. The NSF would have to keep all the instruments running during the review.
How it affects you
Coastal communities, particularly those in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and North Carolina, would keep their ocean monitoring systems active while the review happens. Scientists who rely on ocean data for research would continue to have access to this information. Most other Americans wouldn't see a direct change in their daily lives, though the bill protects a scientific resource that helps track ocean health and inform climate research.
Read the official summary (Passed Senate, Jun 17, 2026)
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.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
2nd SessionS. 4822
AN ACT
Saving the OOI Act of 2026
Sponsor: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) · Introduced Jun 17, 2026 · Science, Technology, Communications · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jun 18, 2026: “Held at the desk.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 2 official versions.