Description:
S. 756 would reauthorize and amend the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act of 2006. The legislation would authorize the appropriation of $10 million annually over the 2018-2022 period for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in coordination with other agencies, to carry out activities to reduce the amount of debris in oceans and coastal areas. S. 756 also would authorize the appropriation of $2 million annually for the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to better enforce laws related to discarded refuse from ships. CBO estimates that implementing S. 756 would cost $44 million over the 2019-2023 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts. Enacting S. 756 would affect direct spending because it would authorize NOAA to collect and spend funds received from nonfederal entities; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However, CBO estimates that the legislation’s net effect on direct spending would be negligible. Enacting S. 756 would not affect revenues. CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. S. 756 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
