To prohibit the National Science Foundation from obligating or expending Federal funds to descope or decommission the Ocean Observatories Initiative instruments, and for other purposes.

Keep Ocean Observatories instruments running

This bill would stop the National Science Foundation from using federal funds to decommission or descope Ocean Observatories Initiative instruments. It would apply to instruments anchored off Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and North Carolina, and in the Irminger Sea. The ban would remain until NSF completes a thorough review with robust stakeholder engagement from the scientific and coastal communities. The bill would require the NSF Director to keep the instruments fully operating until that review finishes. The prohibition would apply notwithstanding any other provision of law, and maintaining operations would be mandatory even if other budgetary or legal constraints exist.