Bill > HR3962

This bill, known as the ESTUARIES Act (Enhancing Science, Treatment, and Upkeep of America's Resilient and Important Estuarine Systems Act), amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to make two key changes to the National Estuary Program. First, it adds Mississippi Sound in Mississippi to the list of estuaries covered by the program, expanding the geographic scope of environmental protection and management efforts. Second, it extends the program's authorization from 2026 to 2031, providing continued federal support for estuary conservation. The bill includes a specific funding provision that limits the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to implement the Mississippi Sound addition: for fiscal year 2025, no funds can be used for this purpose, and for fiscal year 2026, implementation is only allowed if the program's total appropriation is at least $850,000 more than the 2024 funding level. This approach ensures that the program's expansion is accompanied by meaningful additional financial resources to support comprehensive conservation and management efforts.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3962/all-info