Part ofMarine Debris →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.

HR3969FEDERALFederal Billfiled

High Impact

Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (SOS 2.0 Act)

Original title: SOS 2.0 Act

Record date · August 29, 2019

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Would Do

The SOS 2.0 Act aims to reduce marine debris by creating a new federal trust fund, establishing a non-profit foundation to support cleanup efforts, and funding infrastructure improvements for waste management and recycling. It also mandates several scientific studies on plastic pollution, microplastics, and the feasibility of using recycled plastic in construction.

Why it matters

This bill authorizes federal funding and creates new grant programs for local governments and tribes to upgrade waste management and water treatment systems, directly impacting how communities handle plastic waste and water quality.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Local waste management authorities

They are eligible to receive grants and loans for infrastructure improvements to meet waste management standards.

Directly affected

Fishermen

The bill directs the Under Secretary to establish a pilot program providing incentives for fishermen who incidentally capture and properly dispose of marine debris.

Directly affected

Volunteer organizations

They are exempted from special-use authorization requirements when storing marine debris on National Forest System land for up to 60 days.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this bill cost taxpayers money?

Yes, the bill authorizes appropriations for the Marine Debris Response Trust Fund, the Marine Debris Foundation, and various grant programs for fiscal years 2020 through 2025.

How will this affect local waste management?

The bill creates block grants for states to establish s, which local waste management authorities can use to upgrade systems to meet national standards and implement new recycling technologies.

What is the 'Genius Prize' mentioned in the bill?

It is a biennial prize competition established by the Secretary of Commerce to encourage technological innovation in reducing plastic waste and preventing marine debris.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift toward circular economy

The bill explicitly integrates the concept of a 'circular economy' into federal grant criteria and prize competitions, signaling a policy shift toward systemic waste reduction rather than just cleanup.

Environmental Protection Agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration