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S. 4822 · 119th Congress

Saving the OOI Act of 2026

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IntroducedPassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law (gold)Resolution agreed to (full, dark)Failed or vetoed (gray)

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Passed the Senate without a recorded vote. It passed by voice vote or unanimous consent, which don't record how each member voted. Its text can still change before it becomes law.

LMR MurkowskiSponsor
11 cosponsors · 10 D, 1 R
TBD Baldwin MCD Cantwell EMD Markey PMD Murray JMD Merkley JRD Reed DSR Sullivan CVD Van Hollen RWD Wyden SWD Whitehouse EWD Warren

11 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

  1. Senate Introduced Jun 17, 2026
  2. Senate Passed Jun 17, 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.

What it does: CRS 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 the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Saving the OOI Act of 2026

Latest action (Jun 18, 2026): Held at the desk.

Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Jun 17, 2026

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

  1. Senate Introduced Jun 17, 2026
  2. Senate Passed Jun 17, 2026

No recorded floor vote found.