To prohibit the National Science Foundation from using Federal funds to descope or decommission the Ocean Observatories Initiative instruments.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Saving the OOI Act of 2026
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Sec. 2. No NSF funding to descope or decommission the Ocean Observatories Initiative instruments; restoration
(a) In general
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the National Science Foundation shall not use any Federal funds to decommission or descope the Ocean Observatories Initiative instruments anchored off the States of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and North Carolina, and in the Irminger Sea, until the National Science Foundation conducts a thorough review of the initiative, and the national assets that it provides, with robust stakeholder engagement from the scientific and coastal communities.
(b) Maintenance of operations
The Director of the National Science Foundation shall maintain the Ocean Observatories Initiative with full and consistent operations, including monitoring in all States that had instruments decommissioned, until the full review described in subsection (a) has been completed.