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H.R. 9647: 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.

This bill would stop the National Science Foundation (NSF) from using federal money to reduce, shut down, or remove parts of the Ocean Observatories Initiative instruments. These instruments are ocean-monitoring systems located off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and North Carolina, as well as in the Irminger Sea.

Under the bill, the NSF could not decommission or “descope” these instruments until it completes a thorough review of the program and the value of the national assets it provides. That review would need to include strong input from scientific communities and coastal communities.

The bill would also require the NSF Director to keep the Ocean Observatories Initiative operating fully and consistently while that review is being done. It specifically says monitoring must continue in all states that had instruments decommissioned, until the review is finished.

In practical terms, the bill is intended to prevent the program from being scaled back or closed before the NSF completes a broader assessment of its importance and hears from relevant stakeholders.

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Sponsors

12 bill sponsors

Actions

2 actions

Date Action
Jul. 13, 2026 Introduced in House
Jul. 13, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

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