H.R. 3048

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3048 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3048

To establish Ocean Innovation Clusters to strengthen the coastal 
communities and ocean economy of the United States through 
technological research and development, job training, and cross-sector 
partnerships, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 28, 2025

Ms. Pingree (for herself, Ms. Salazar, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Barragan, Mr. 
Huffman, Ms. Brown, and Mr. Moskowitz) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 
addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
Science, Space, and Technology, and Financial Services, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To establish Ocean Innovation Clusters to strengthen the coastal 
communities and ocean economy of the United States through 
technological research and development, job training, and cross-sector 
partnerships, and for other purposes.

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 ``Ocean Regional Opportunity and 
Innovation Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Blue economy.--The term ``Blue Economy'' means the 
value and impact of sustainable industries related to the Great 
Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts on the economy of 
the United States, including living resources, marine 
construction, marine transportation, offshore energy 
development and siting including for renewable energy, offshore 
mineral production, ship and boat building, tourism, 
recreation, subsistence, commercial, recreational, and charter 
fishing, seafood processing, and other fishery-related 
businesses, kelp and shellfish aquaculture, coastal resilience, 
and other industries the Secretary of Commerce considers 
appropriate.
(2) Director of sea grant.--The term ``Director of Sea 
Grant'' means the Director of the National Sea Grant College 
Program appointed under section 204(d)(1) of the National Sea 
Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1123(d)(1)).
(3) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the 
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(4) Native hawaiian organization.--The term ``Native 
Hawaiian organization'' has the meaning given the term in 
section 6207 of the Native Hawaiian Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
7517).
(5) Ocean innovation center for cross-sector 
collaboration.--The term ``Ocean Innovation Center for Cross-
Sector Collaboration'' means a physical space for collaboration 
developed and managed in accordance with section 3(i).
(6) Ocean innovation cluster.--The term ``Ocean Innovation 
Cluster'' means an eligible entity designated by the Secretary 
of Commerce under section 3.

SEC. 3. OCEAN INNOVATION CLUSTERS.

(a) Designation.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with 
the Director of Sea Grant, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 
Oceans and Atmosphere, and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 
Economic Development, shall designate not fewer than 7 eligible 
entities as Ocean Innovation Clusters.
(b) Eligible Entities.--For purposes of this section, an eligible 
entity is an entity--
(1) that is composed, in a concentrated geographic region, 
of 1 or more--
(A) business organizations;
(B) academic institutions, including minority- and 
Tribal-serving institutions;
(C) not-for-profit organizations;
(D) Federal, State, or local governmental entities, 
agencies, or instrumentalities;
(E) Indian Tribes; or
(F) Native Hawaiian organizations;
(2) that is led by a not-for-profit organization; and
(3) that works to deliver services in the concentrated 
geographic region where the entity is located, enhance 
collaboration, promote innovation, and contribute to the 
equitable and sustainable growth of the Blue Economy across all 
sectors.
(c) Priority.--In designating entities as Ocean Innovation Clusters 
under subsection (a), the Secretary of Commerce shall prioritize 
entities with a history of supporting cross-sector growth and 
development of the Blue Economy.
(d) Geographic Diversity.--The Secretary of Commerce shall 
designate not fewer than 1 Ocean Innovation Cluster under subsection 
(a) in--
(1) each of the regions covered by the 5 regional offices 
of the National Marine Fisheries Service;
(2) the Great Lakes region; and
(3) the Gulf of Mexico region.
(e) Considerations.--In designating an eligible entity as an Ocean 
Innovation Cluster under subsection (a), the Secretary of Commerce 
shall consider the following:
(1) The economic development potential of the coastal 
community or region in which the entity is located.
(2) The ability of the entity to incorporate and bring 
growth and opportunity to broad geographic areas, including 
urban, rural, and underserved areas.
(3) Whether the entity serves a diverse, multigenerational, 
ocean-dependent population consisting of groups with different 
socioeconomic and educational attainment levels, industries, 
and Indian Tribes.
(4) The ability of the entity to cultivate and leverage 
partnerships with private industry, academia, nongovernmental 
organizations, Federal, State, and local governments, and 
Indian Tribes to collaborate on shared outcomes.
(5) The relative potential for the designation of the 
entity as an Ocean Innovation Cluster to reverse a decline, or 
accelerate growth, in ocean sector jobs.
(6) The ability of the entity to carry out projects that 
support economic and climate resilience through economic 
diversification and long-term recovery from natural disasters.
(7) The extent, rural and underserved nature, and economic 
underutilization of the coastline and ocean area that projects 
carried out by the entity could affect.
(f) Partnership Management.--
(1) Partnership liaisons.--
(A) Designation.--The Director of Sea Grant, the 
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
Atmosphere, and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 
Economic Development shall each designate 1 partnership 
manager from within their respective agencies to serve 
as a partnership liaison between each Ocean Innovation 
Cluster and Sea Grant, the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, and the Economic 
Development Administration, respectively.
(B) Function.--Each partnership liaison designated 
under subparagraph (A) shall ensure that Ocean 
Innovation Clusters--
(i) have direct communication with the 
agency of the liaison; and
(ii) allow for collaboration and alignment 
with Federal objectives in each region 
regarding the Blue Economy.
(2) Interagency coordination.--
(A) Secretary of commerce.--The Secretary of 
Commerce shall coordinate with the Director of Sea 
Grant, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans 
and Atmosphere, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 
Economic Development, the Department of Energy, the 
Maritime Administration of the Department of 
Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, 
the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of the Department 
of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the 
Coast Guard, and such other Federal agencies, including 
bureaus of the Department of Commerce, as the Secretary 
of Commerce considers appropriate to increase technical 
knowledge exchange and opportunities for cross-sector 
collaboration with those agencies.
(B) Secretary of energy.--With respect to matters 
relating to the nexus of the Blue Economy and the 
responsibilities and expertise of the Department of 
Energy, the Secretary of Energy--
(i) shall provide advice and 
recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce in 
order to increase technical knowledge exchange 
and opportunities for cross-sector 
collaboration; and
(ii) may provide such advice and 
recommendations without any formal request from 
the Department of Commerce.
(g) Development of Economic Impact Metrics of Ocean Innovation 
Clusters.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, the Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the 
Department of Commerce, and the heads of other relevant Federal 
agencies shall use and refine the Marine Economy Satellite Account to 
measure the value to and impact of Ocean Innovation Clusters on the 
Blue Economy.
(h) Areas of Focus.--The Director of Sea Grant, the Assistant 
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and the Assistant 
Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development shall coordinate with 
each Ocean Innovation Cluster in the following areas of focus:
(1) Increasing pathways for new entrants into the Blue 
Economy for individuals and entities.
(2) Intellectual property management.
(3) Enhancing the sustainability of seafood supply chains, 
including with respect to food, transportation, processing, 
health and beauty products, animal feed, medical biotechnology, 
bioplastics, biofuels, and other value-added products, to 
strive for full use of harvested natural resources.
(4) Providing significant and sustainable economic 
opportunity through advanced research, cross-sector science, 
and technology development.
(5) Contributing new knowledge, processes, technology, and 
support for stakeholders in the Blue Economy, especially to 
advance sustainability in specific sectors.
(6) Working with Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies 
to clearly communicate laws, regulations, and agency practices 
affecting industry needs, planning, or growth opportunities.
(7) Creating investable opportunities through the 
development of economies of scale to enhance growth 
opportunities, job creation, sustainability, and expansion for 
small businesses within the Blue Economy.
(8) Workforce development and training, business planning, 
identifying existing and needed technology and economic 
infrastructure, and coordinated research and development among 
small businesses, government, and industry.
(9) Research, development, and implementation of ocean 
energy, bioprospecting, and other innovative and sustainable 
ocean resource development endeavors.
(i) Ocean Innovation Centers for Cross-Sector Collaboration.--
(1) In general.--In order to foster collaboration and 
innovation and strengthen regional ocean sector economies while 
creating employment opportunities, the Director of Sea Grant, 
the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, 
and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic 
Development shall collaborate with cross-sector partners to 
jointly develop or designate at least 1 physical space for 
collaboration as an Ocean Innovation Center for Cross-Sector 
Collaboration within each of the 7 regions with an Ocean 
Innovation Cluster.
(2) Management.--An Ocean Innovation Cluster or a group of 
Ocean Innovation Clusters shall manage the Ocean Innovation 
Center for Cross-Sector Collaboration of the region in which 
the Cluster or Clusters is located.
(3) Functions.--Each Ocean Innovation Center for Cross-
Sector Collaboration shall--
(A) serve as a hub for partners within Ocean 
Innovation Clusters to work toward the areas of focus 
in described in subsection (h);
(B) support a community of entrepreneurs focused on 
strengthening vibrant marine-dependent communities and 
the Blue Economy;
(C) create workspaces and laboratories designed to 
promote collaboration, including through shared meeting 
rooms, access to technology, common spaces, and 
offices;
(D) strengthen relationships among industry sectors 
through shared scientific, staffing, and business 
resources;
(E) develop the critical networks with cross-sector 
partners that entrepreneurs need to grow effectively; 
and
(F) develop the next generation of Blue Economy 
workers by providing internships, apprenticeships, or 
training, as appropriate, including for 
underrepresented and Tribal communities and local trade 
schools.

SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR OCEAN INNOVATION CLUSTERS.

The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 
3701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 31. GRANTS FOR OCEAN INNOVATION CLUSTERS.

``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Director 
of Sea Grant, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
Atmosphere, and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic 
Development, may award grants, on a competitive basis, to Ocean 
Innovation Clusters for the purposes described in subsection (b).
``(b) Purposes.--The Secretary may award grants under subsection 
(a) for the operation and administration of one or more Ocean 
Innovation Clusters under the Ocean Regional Opportunity and Innovation 
Act of 2025, with the goal that Ocean Innovation Clusters will become 
membership-based, self-sustaining entities.
``(c) Input.--In awarding a grant under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall provide an opportunity for input from the Director of 
Sea Grant, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
Atmosphere, and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic 
Development.
``(d) Term of Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The term of a grant awarded under 
subsection (a) shall be 2 years.
``(2) Renewal.--The Secretary may renew a grant awarded 
under subsection (a) for additional periods of such duration as 
the Secretary determines to be appropriate and necessary for 
the Ocean Innovation Cluster that received the grant to provide 
regional economic benefits.
``(e) Limitations on Grant Amounts.--A grant awarded under 
subsection (a) may not exceed $10,000,000.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to award grants under subsection (a) 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Director of sea grant.--The term `Director of Sea 
Grant' means the Director of the National Sea Grant College 
Program appointed under section 204(d)(1) of the National Sea 
Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1123(d)(1)).
``(2) Ocean innovation cluster.--The term `Ocean Innovation 
Cluster' has the meaning given that term in section 2 of the 
Ocean Regional Opportunity and Innovation Act of 2025.''.
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