Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, the House Natural Resources (HNR) Committee’s Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries examined an ocean monitoring bill that Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is co-leading in a group of six bipartisan House Members. The hearing is a necessary step before the Committee schedules a vote on the bill that supports coastal communities.

“American Samoa, and every ocean community, depends on ocean observations for critical data that can save lives, lead to better maritime and economic decisions, environmental health, tsunami response, and support for fisheries, jobs, and U.S. efforts in this field of scientific research,” said Congresswoman Amata. “This reauthorization also modernizes IOOS for ongoing accuracy and improvement in ocean monitoring and equipment.”

Recently sponsored by Representative Mike Ezell (R-MS-04), with Congresswoman Aumua Amata (American Samoa) and other original cosponsors at introduction Reps. Bonamici (D-OR-01), Weber (R-TX-14), Dingell (R-MI-06), and David (D-IL-07), H.R. 2294 will reauthorize the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) for the next five fiscal years, maintaining its authorized funding level at $56 million annually.

The bill, which continues to attract more cosponsors since introduction, and has the key support of HNR Chairman Bruce Westerman, ensures continued support for critical ocean monitoring efforts that benefit coastal communities, fisheries, and maritime industries.

An expert witness in oceanography, Dr. Stephan Howden, testified at length in favor of the bill. He is professor in the Marine Science Department of the University of Southern Mississippi, and Director of the Hydrographic Science Research Center, along with various leadership roles in the Gulf of America Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) since 2005.

“IOOS is one of the most cost-effective, impactful federal programs supporting our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. It’s a cross-sector, bipartisan success story. And reauthorizing it is not just smart policy—it’s essential for public safety, national defense, economic growth, and resilience,” said Dr. Howden, continuing, “IOOS is not just about science and data. It’s about safety, sovereignty, and smart governance. Reauthorizing this critical law is a win for our nation.”

The IOOS Reauthorization Act of 2025 upgrades the program’s effectiveness in the following ways:

• Clarifying the type of data IOOS provides as operational oceanographic information;
• Updating statutory references to reflect current law by replacing the National Ocean Research Leadership Council with the Ocean Policy Committee;
• Enhancing the role of the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee to ensure IOOS is used to its full capacity as an integrated system.

“In American Samoa, we have a buoy gathering this kind of ocean information named in memory of longtime Port Director Chris King, and contributing to the data from all over the world,” concluded Congresswoman Amata.