119-HR-3962 Journalist Public Summary

Headline Summary

A bipartisan bill to keep the National Estuary Program running through 2031 and add Mississippi Sound to the list of protected estuaries, while preventing the new addition from siphoning current funds.

What It Does

The ESTUARIES Act (H.R. 3962) updates the Clean Water Act’s National Estuary Program (NEP). It extends the program’s authorization to fiscal year 2031 and formally includes Mississippi Sound, Mississippi, as a designated estuary. It also adds budget guardrails so the Environmental Protection Agency cannot use FY2025 money for the new designation and can use FY2026 funds for it only if overall NEP funding for FY2026 is at least $850,000 above FY2024 levels.

• Extends NEP authorization from 2026 to 2031.
• Adds Mississippi Sound, MS, to the program’s designated estuaries.
• Bars use of FY2025 NEP funds for the new estuary.
• Allows FY2026 use only if NEP’s FY2026 appropriation exceeds FY2024 by at least $850,000.

Who’s For It

• Lead sponsors from both parties: Reps. Figures (AL), Mast (FL), Larsen (WA), Haridopolos (FL), Bonamici (OR), and LaLota (NY), joined by a bipartisan group of coastal and near‑coastal members.
• House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee advanced it 57–2 on September 17, 2025, indicating broad committee support.
• Supporters say it protects water quality and coastal economies, and the guardrails ensure the new estuary doesn’t drain existing projects.

Who’s Against It

• Two committee votes against suggest limited but present opposition.
• No formal floor statements against are included here; typical concerns in debates over similar bills include overall federal spending, adding new sites without larger offsets, or preferring state‑led approaches.

What’s Next

The House passed H.R. 3962 by voice vote on December 15, 2025. It now moves to the Senate. If the Senate passes the same text, it goes to the President; if the Senate changes it, the chambers must resolve differences before final passage.