# 119-s-2586: MARA Act of 2025 119-s-2586, MARA Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] (R-MS); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2586 - As of: 2026-09-10 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-2586 - Congress: 119 - Title: MARA Act of 2025 - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2025-07-31 - Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] (R-MS) - Cosponsors: 3 - Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-09-10 ## Summary **Creates a NOAA Office of Aquaculture to pilot and study commercial offshore aquaculture.** The bill directs NOAA to run an Assessment Program, permit demonstration projects, and fund education and coastal grants to expand sustainable domestic seafood production while guarding environmental and community interests. - Coastal communities and commercial fishers get grant and project support to keep working waterfronts and support projects that benefit those already in fishing or aquaculture industries. Working Waterfronts grants are authorized at $20.0 million per year for FY2026–FY2030 and federal cost-share may not exceed 50 percent. - Students and regional training programs receive dedicated grants to build aquaculture curricula and workforce pathways. Aquaculture Centers of Excellence are authorized at $25.0 million per year for FY2026–FY2030 and target minority-serving, Tribal, and other covered institutions. - Regulators and industry face new science and permit rules. NOAA must stand up an Assessment Program within 180 days, require environmental compliance and public review, issue 10-year demonstration permits, and monitor escapes, disease, and ecosystem effects. *Authorizes $25.0 million per year for Aquaculture Centers of Excellence and $20.0 million per year for Working Waterfronts for FY2026–FY2030; overall budget effects depend on future appropriations.* ## Cosponsors (3) - Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-07-31T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS), 2025-09-30T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-01-14T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Grants for aquaculture training centers: benefit, high. This bill would create Aquaculture Centers of Excellence at qualifying minority-serving and Tribal colleges. Grants would pay for aquaculture courses, training, research, extension, and career development. NOAA would start the program within one year of enactment. The bill would authorize $25 milli… - Grants for seafood marketing and training: benefit, medium. This bill would create marketing grants to help sell farmed seafood at home and abroad. It would also create workforce grants to train people to manage and operate offshore aquaculture. NOAA may run the workforce program through Centers of Excellence. Regional fisheries offices would form networks… - Grants to preserve working waterfronts: benefit, medium. This bill would create a competitive Working Waterfronts Preservation Grant Program for coastal States. Grants could support commercial fishing, aquaculture, recreational fishing, and boatbuilding projects. Federal funding may cover up to 50% of a project's cost. Grants for private property would o… - New NOAA aquaculture office and database: benefit, medium. This bill would create an Office of Aquaculture inside NOAA Fisheries. The Office would place at least one regional coordinator in each fisheries office. It would keep a protected database of research, monitoring methods, and best practices. The Office would give banks science-based information to… - New permit process for offshore farms: mixed, medium. This bill would create a permit program for commercial offshore aquaculture demonstration projects. Applicants would submit detailed site, species, and contingency plans. NOAA would publish each application and allow public comment and formal objections from Governors or Tribal leaders. NOAA must d… - Science and oversight for offshore farms: mixed, medium. This bill would set up studies and official reviews to guide offshore aquaculture. NOAA would create an Assessment Program within 180 days and publish a report within two years. The bill would direct the National Academies to study best practices within five years. The GAO would review 15 years of… ## Related bills - 119-s-2296: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 - 119-s-4784: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 - 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act - 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 - 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act - 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 ## Sources - [119-s-2586 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2586) ## Related - [119-s-2296: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2296) - [119-s-4784: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4784) - [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748) - [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923) - [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744) - [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2586 (as of 2026-09-10).