Updated on December 24, 2022

With President Biden’s signature on the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, the Regional Ocean Partnership Act is now law.

This bill represents bipartisan support for ocean and coastal management in a time when we need common sense solutions more than ever.

What is a Regional Ocean Partnership?

Regional Ocean Partnerships are regional organizations that collaborate with states, Tribes, federal agencies and other ocean users to address ocean and coastal issues of common concern. These partnerships have operated in several regions for over a decade, working to address ocean issues unique to the region, including:

• Promoting sustainability through science and information-based management.
• Coordinating solutions to coastal hazards.
• Creating publicly available regional ocean-data portals that spatially display environmental and economic data.
• Providing a common venue to discuss management needs and challenges like offshore wind and coastal resilience.

Passage of this bill also formalizes the role of Regional Ocean Partnerships as collaborative partners with federal agencies and secures more predictable funding to advance collaborative regional ocean efforts.

What does the Regional Ocean Partnership Act do?

The Regional Ocean Partnership Act supports governor-created Regional Ocean Partnerships like the Northeast Regional Ocean Council, Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean, West Coast Ocean Alliance and Gulf of Mexico Alliance. Importantly, the bill now authorizes funds to directly support Tribal engagement with Regional Ocean Partnerships.

Both the United States Senate and House as well as both parties have recognized the value of Regional Ocean Partnerships that serve their states and constituents, and have worked to advance these partnerships nationwide. The Regional Ocean Partnership Act is an excellent example of bipartisanship to support our oceans and coasts.

Ocean Conservancy has actively engaged with Regional Ocean Partnerships across the nation and fully supports these organizations as important venues to address today’s most challenging ocean and coastal issues. Their unique position within the region allows these partnerships to actively coordinate across state, Tribal and local governments as well as with ocean users and communities where they live and work, including marine industries, scientists and conservation groups like us

We thank the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Wicker, and House and Senate co-sponsors that worked to ensure this bill is now law.