33 U.S.C. § 1961: Establishment and purposes…

Summary

Creates the Marine Debris Foundation as a charitable, nonprofit corporation. It is not a U.S. government agency or establishment. The Foundation must accept and manage private donations to help NOAA’s Marine Debris Program and related efforts. It must help NOAA assess, prevent, reduce, and remove marine debris and deal with harms to the U.S. economy, the marine environment, and navigation safety. It must work with state, local, Tribal governments, Indian Tribes, foreign governments, groups, and people (including in U.S. waters, the high seas, and other countries’ waters). Under an agreement with the Secretary of Commerce, it will run the Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovation. It also supports other federal actions to reduce marine debris.

Title 33, §1961

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Establishment

There is established the Marine Debris Foundation (in this title referred to as the “Foundation”). The Foundation is a charitable and nonprofit corporation and is not an agency or establishment of the United States.

(b)Purposes

The purposes of the Foundation are—

(1)to encourage, accept, and administer private gifts of property for the benefit of, or in connection with, the activities and services of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Marine Debris Program established under section 1952 of this title, and other relevant programs and agencies;

(2)to undertake and conduct such other activities as will augment efforts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to assess, prevent, reduce, and remove marine debris and address the adverse impacts of marine debris on the economy of the United States, the marine environment, and navigation safety;

(3)to participate with, and otherwise assist, State, local, and Tribal governments, Indian Tribes, foreign governments, entities, and individuals in undertaking and conducting activities to assess, prevent, reduce, and remove marine debris and address the adverse impacts of marine debris and its root causes on the economy of the United States, the marine environment (including waters in the jurisdiction of the United States, the high seas, and waters in the jurisdiction of other countries), and navigation safety;

(4)subject to an agreement with the Secretary of Commerce, administer the Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovation as described in subchapter III; and

(5)to support other Federal actions to reduce marine debris.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This title, referred to in subsec. (a), means title I of Pub. L. 116–224, Dec. 18, 2020, 134 Stat. 1074, but probably should refer to “this subtitle”, meaning subtitle B of Pub. L. 109–449, which is classified generally to this subchapter and was transferred from subtitle B of title I of Pub. L. 116–224 by Pub. L. 119–65, § 3(a), Dec. 26, 2025, 139 Stat. 1987. As originally enacted, subtitle B was the only subtitle in title I of Pub. L. 116–224 to refer to the term “Foundation” on its own. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 4211 of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 119–65.

Amendments

2025—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 119–65, § 3(b), substituted “corporation” for “organization”. Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 119–65, § 3(c)(1), inserted “Indian Tribes,” after “Tribal governments,”. Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 119–65, § 3(c)(2), substituted “subchapter III” for “title II”.

§1961 Establishment and Purposes of Foundation