To prohibit the National Science Foundation from obligating or expending Federal funds to descope or decommission the Ocean Observatories Initiative instruments, and for other purposes.

This bill would prohibit the National Science Foundation (NSF) from using federal funds to decommission or reduce the scope of Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) instruments until a thorough review is completed. The NSF would be required to maintain full operations and engage with scientific and coastal communities before making changes to instruments located off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina, and in the Irminger Sea. Additionally, the bill would mandate that the NSF continue monitoring in areas where instruments have already been decommissioned until the required review process is finalized.

This bill directly affects the National Science Foundation (NSF), which would be prohibited from decommissioning or descoping Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) instruments without a thorough review. The legislation also impacts the scientific and coastal communities, who must be engaged during the review process. Additionally, it affects operations and monitoring activities associated with OOI instruments located off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and North Carolina, as well as those in the Irminger Sea.

• Prohibition on decommissioning Ocean Observatories Initiative instruments. The bill prevents the National Science Foundation from using federal funds to descope or decommission Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) instruments until a comprehensive review is finalized.
• Requirement for a thorough OOI review with stakeholder engagement. The National Science Foundation must conduct a detailed review of the OOI that includes input from the scientific and coastal communities before taking action to reduce or remove specified instruments.
• Mandatory maintenance of full OOI operations. The National Science Foundation is required to maintain consistent and full operations of the OOI, including monitoring in states where instruments were previously decommissioned, until the required review is complete.
• Protection of specific OOI arrays and locations. The funding prohibition and review requirements apply to OOI instruments anchored off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and North Carolina, as well as those located in the Irminger Sea.

The bill's prohibitions and operational requirements remain in effect until the National Science Foundation completes a thorough review of the Ocean Observatories Initiative with engagement from scientific and coastal communities.

This bill places new restrictions on the National Science Foundation's existing authority to manage the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), specifically regarding the decommissioning or descoping of instruments. It mandates the maintenance of full OOI operations and requires a formal review process with stakeholder engagement before the agency can proceed with previously announced infrastructure changes.

The bill seeks to preserve the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) by prohibiting the National Science Foundation from decommissioning or reducing the scope of its ocean-monitoring instruments until a comprehensive review is conducted. The intent is to ensure continued collection of physical, chemical, geological, and biological ocean data through mandatory engagement with scientific and coastal communities.