[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1968 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1968
To support rural coastal and maritime economic development, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 5, 2025
Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Ms. Collins, and Mr. King) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support rural coastal and maritime economic development, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Working
Waterfronts Act of 2025''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--COASTAL ENERGY
Sec. 101. Credit for maintaining and enhancing hydroelectric
facilities.
Sec. 102. Transition to alternative fuel commercial fishing vessels.
TITLE II--FISHERIES AND SEAFOOD
Sec. 201. Department of Agriculture loans and grants for fishing and
mariculture businesses.
Sec. 202. Extension of credit to businesses providing services to
producers or harvesters of aquatic
products.
Sec. 203. Shellfish mariculture under the national harmful algal bloom
and hypoxia program.
Sec. 204. Allocation of funds under Saltonstall-Kennedy Act.
Sec. 205. Electronic Monitoring Innovation Prize.
TITLE III--SHORESIDE INFRASTRUCTURE
Subtitle A--Rural Coastal Community Processing Grants
Sec. 301. Definitions.
Sec. 302. Action plan and identification of coastal communities.
Sec. 303. Grants and cooperative agreements to support rural seafood
processing and cold storage.
Sec. 304. Authorization of appropriations.
Subtitle B--Working Waterfronts Preservation
Sec. 311. Working waterfront access protection grant program.
TITLE IV--WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Sec. 401. Maritime workforce grant program.
Sec. 402. Safety standards for certain fishing vessels.
TITLE V--MISCELLANEOUS
Subtitle A--Ocean Innovation
Sec. 501. Definitions.
Sec. 502. Ocean Innovation Clusters.
Sec. 503. Grants for Ocean Innovation Clusters.
Subtitle B--Vegetated Coastal Ecosystems and Great Lakes Ecosystems
Sec. 511. Definitions.
Sec. 512. Interagency Working Group on Vegetated Coastal Ecosystems and
Great Lakes ecosystems.
Sec. 513. National-level map and inventory of vegetated coastal
ecosystems and Great Lakes ecosystems.
Sec. 514. Grants for pilot projects and research on coastal natural
infrastructure in cold climates.
Subtitle C--Ocean Acidification
Sec. 521. Definitions in Federal Ocean Acidification Research And
Monitoring Act of 2009.
Sec. 522. Improvement of collaboration on ocean acidification.
Sec. 523. Technical corrections.
Subtitle D--Other Matters
Sec. 531. Transfer of, and amendments to, the Coastal Aquatic Invasive
Species Mitigation Grant Program and
mitigation fund.
TITLE I--COASTAL ENERGY
SEC. 101. CREDIT FOR MAINTAINING AND ENHANCING HYDROELECTRIC
FACILITIES.
(a) In General.--Subpart E of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after
section 48E the following new section:
``SEC. 48F. CREDIT FOR MAINTAINING AND ENHANCING HYDROELECTRIC
FACILITIES.
``(a) In General.--For purposes of section 46, the credit for
maintaining and enhancing hydroelectric facilities for any taxable year
is an amount equal to 30 percent of the basis of any hydropower
improvement property placed in service during such taxable year.
``(b) Certain Progress Expenditure Rules Made Applicable.--Rules
similar to the rules of subsections (c)(4) and (d) of section 46 (as in
effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Revenue
Reconciliation Act of 1990) shall apply for purposes of subsection (a).
``(c) Hydropower Improvement Property.--In this section, the term
`hydropower improvement property' means property which--
``(1) adds or improves fish passage at a qualified dam,
``(2) maintains or improves the quality of the water
retained or released by a qualified dam,
``(3) promotes downstream sediment transport processes and
habitat maintenance with respect to a qualified dam,
``(4) is part of a marine energy technology project or a
marine energy project, or
``(5) places into service an approved remote dam.
``(d) Other Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) Approved remote dam.--The term `approved remote dam'
means--
``(A) a hydroelectric dam which--
``(i) exclusively services communities not
interconnected to the Electric Reliability
Council of Texas, the Eastern Interconnection,
or the Western Interconnection,
``(ii) does not contribute to atmosphere
pollution, and
``(iii) has a maximum net output of not
greater than 40 megawatts, and
``(B) any interconnection property associated with
a dam described in subparagraph (A).
``(2) Commission.--The term `Commission' means the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission.
``(3) Fish passage.--The term `fish passage' means, with
respect to any qualified dam, any new or upgraded turbine,
fishway, or other fish passage technology which improves fish
migration and survival rates.
``(4) Interconnection property.--The term `interconnection
property' means any tangible property--
``(A)(i) with respect to any dam described in
paragraph (1)(A), to enable the delivery of electricity
from such dam to any customer, or
``(ii) with respect to any project described
paragraph (5)(A) or (6)(A), to enable the delivery of
electricity from such project to any customer, and
``(B) which satisfies the requirements under
clauses (ii) and (iii) of section 48(a)(8)(B).
``(5) Marine energy project.--The term `marine energy
project' means--
``(A) a project which produces electricity from--
``(i) waves, tides, and currents in oceans,
estuaries, and tidal areas,
``(ii) free flowing water in rivers, lakes,
streams, and man-made channels,
``(iii) differentials in salinity and
pressure gradients, or
``(iv) differentials in water temperature,
including ocean thermal energy conversion, and
``(B) any interconnection property associated with
a project described in subparagraph (A).
``(6) Marine energy technology project.--The term `marine
energy technology project' means--
``(A) a project which the Commission determines--
``(i) will produce electricity from a
generator that converts the potential energy of
flowing water,
``(ii) will utilize a generating technology
that is not in widespread, utility scale use in
the United States as of the date of enactment
of this section,
``(iii) will not be, based on information
available to the Commission, likely to
jeopardize the continued existence of any
species listed as a threatened species or an
endangered species under the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, and
``(iv) will not be, based on information
available to the Commission, likely to result
in the destruction or adverse modification of
an area designated as critical habitat for any
species listed as a threatened species or an
endangered species under such Act, and
``(B) any interconnection property associated with
a project described in subparagraph (A).
``(7) Qualified dam.--The term `qualified dam' means a
hydroelectric dam that is licensed by the Commission or legally
operating without such a license before the date of enactment
of this section.''.
(b) Elective Payment and Transfer of Credit.--
(1) Elective payment.--Section 6417 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 is amended--
(A) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the
following:
``(13) The credit for maintaining and enhancing
hydroelectric facilities under section 48F.'', and
(B) in subsection (d)(1)--
(i) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``(C),
or (D)'' each place it appears and inserting
``(C), (D), or (E)'',
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (E) (as
amended by clause (i)) as subparagraph (F), and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (D)
the following:
``(E) Election with respect to credit for
maintaining and enhancing hydroelectric facilities.--If
a taxpayer other than an entity described in
subparagraph (A) makes an election under this
subparagraph with respect to any taxable year in which
such taxpayer has, after December 31, 2022, placed in
service hydropower improvement property (as defined in
section 48F(c)), such taxpayer shall be treated as an
applicable entity for purposes of this section for such
taxable year, but only with respect to the credit
described in subsection (b)(13).''.
(2) Transfer.--Section 6418(f)(1)(A) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(xii) The credit for maintaining and
enhancing hydroelectric facilities under
section 48F.''.
(c) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 46 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is
amended--
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and'' at the
end,
(B) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``, and'', and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(8) the credit for maintaining and enhancing
hydroelectric facilities.''.
(2) Section 49(a)(1)(C) of such Code is amended--
(A) in clause (vii), by striking ``and'' at the
end,
(B) in clause (viii), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``, and'', and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(ix) the basis of any hydropower
improvement property under section 48F.''.
(3) Section 50 of such Code is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)(2)(E), as amended by section
13702(b) of Public Law 117-169, by striking ``or
48E(e)'' and inserting ``48E(e), or 48F(b)'', and
(B) in subsection (d)(2)--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by inserting ``or any hydropower
improvement property (as defined in section
48F(c))'' after ``any energy storage technology
(as defined in section 48(c)(6))'', and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking
``energy storage technology'' each place it
appears and inserting ``energy storage
technology or hydropower improvement
property''.
(4) The table of sections for subpart E of part IV of
subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 48E the following new item:
``Sec. 48F. Credit for maintaining and enhancing hydroelectric
facilities.''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to property placed in service after December 31, 2022.
SEC. 102. TRANSITION TO ALTERNATIVE FUEL COMMERCIAL FISHING VESSELS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
(2) Alternative fuel commercial fishing vessel.--The term
``alternative fuel commercial fishing vessel'' means a
commercial fishing vessel that runs on an energy source other
than an energy source that is exclusively derived from
petroleum, including a hybrid energy source.
(3) Commercial fishing vessel.--The term ``commercial
fishing vessel'' has the meaning given the term ``fishing
vessel'' in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code.
(4) Necessary shoreside infrastructure.--The term
``necessary shoreside infrastructure'' means shoreside
infrastructure necessary to facilitate the transition of
commercial fishing vessels to alternative fuel commercial
fishing vessels, including charging stations for electric
alternative fuel commercial fishing vessels and refueling
stations for alternative fuel commercial fishing vessels.
(5) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the
pilot program established under subsection (b)(1).
(b) Pilot Program.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation
with the Commandant of the Coast Guard, shall establish a pilot
program to facilitate the transition of United States-flagged
commercial fishing vessels to alternative fuel commercial
fishing vessels.
(2) Use of funds.--In carrying out the pilot program, the
Administrator may make loans--
(A) to facilitate the transition from commercial
fishing vessels using energy sources exclusively
derived from petroleum to alternative fuel commercial
fishing vessels, including loans for the building of
new alternative fuel commercial fishing vessels or
retrofitting existing commercial fishing vessels into
alternative fuel commercial fishing vessels; and
(B) for research and development of alternative
fuel technologies for commercial fishing vessels and
necessary shoreside infrastructure.
(3) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator and the Commandant
of the Coast Guard shall each promulgate regulations necessary
for the implementation of the pilot program.
(c) Study.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Administrator, jointly with the Commandant of the
Coast Guard, shall carry out, and submit to Congress a report
describing the results of, a study on--
(1) methods to further develop alternative fuels for use
with commercial fishing vessels;
(2) how to improve existing alternative fuel technologies
in commercial fishing vessels;
(3) the fuel sources available for commercial fishing
vessels, and the limitations of those fuel sources; and
(4) opportunities for the use of hybrid technologies in
commercial fishing vessels.
(d) Authorizations of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the Administrator $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026
through 2030 to carry out subsection (b).
(2) Allocation of funding.--Of the amounts made available
under paragraph (1) for each fiscal year--
(A) not less than $10,000,000 shall be used to make
loans described in subsection (b)(2)(A); and
(B) not less than $10,000,000 shall be used to make
loans described in subsection (b)(2)(B).
TITLE II--FISHERIES AND SEAFOOD
SEC. 201. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS AND GRANTS FOR FISHING AND
MARICULTURE BUSINESSES.
(a) Definitions of Farmer and Farming.--Section 343(a) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``farming.'' and
inserting ``farming, commercial fishing, or fish processing.'';
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``farming.'' and
inserting ``farming, commercial fishing, and fish
processing.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(14) Commercial fishing.--The term `commercial fishing'
means fishing (as defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802)) in
which the fish harvested, either in whole or in part, are
intended to enter commerce or enter commerce through sale,
barter, or trade.
``(15) Commercial fishing vessel.--The term `commercial
fishing vessel' means a fishing vessel and a fish processing
vessel (as those terms are defined in section 2101 of title 46,
United States Code).
``(16) Fish.--The term `fish' has the meaning given the
term in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code.
``(17) Fish processing.--The term `fish processing' means
the processing of fish for commercial use or consumption.
``(18) Fish processing facility.--The term `fish processing
facility' means a facility or vessel, boat,