Support federal Save Our Seas Act to address plastic pollution

In October 2018, the Save Our Seas of 2018 (S.O.S. Act) passed through Congress and was signed by the President. This bill offers needed funding for the NOAA Marine Debris Program that works on single-use plastics, fishing gear and net removal and on convening stakeholders, such as those that gathered at the 6th International Marine Debris Conference. The program is authorized to receive $10 million in funding per year through 2022. The bill also offers assistance for severe marine debris events, which may result from tsunamis and other major weather events. Specifically, it allows the NOAA Administrator to declare severe marine debris events and authorize funds to assist with cleanup and response. The governor of an affected state may request the NOAA Administrator make this declaration. This was a bipartisan bill authored by Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).