Today, the Senate passed an FY 2026 Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) appropriations bill as part of a minibus package that also included the Interior and Environment, and Energy and Water Development funding bills. The package passed in the House of Representatives last week and is now headed to the President’s desk for signature.
Coastal States Organization was pleased to see that the bipartisan CJS bill passed by Congress maintains level funding for coastal zone management programs at $81.5 million for fiscal year 2026. This funding, which is matched dollar-for-dollar, supports the core work of state and territory coastal zone management programs around the United States. Without this funding, these programs would not be able to carry out their mandated mission of providing effective management, beneficial use, protection, and development of the coastal zone. The bill also funds Congressionally directed community projects and other coastal programs at NOAA.
This year, in a positive step, the funding amounts for CZM and other accounts under NOAA’s National Ocean Service are incorporated into the bill text itself. This ensures that the levels agreed upon by Republicans and Democrats in Congress are legally binding, giving the Administration, which had proposed eliminating CZM programs in its annual budget request, less discretion on how funds are spent.
While CSO appreciates the efforts of appropriators to protect the overall funding for core coastal programs, doing so came at a cost. The CJS funding bill eliminates all unobligated Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for FY 2026 within NOAA. This includes all final year (year 5) CZM capacity and competitive funds, as well as remaining BIL funds for aligned programs (National Estuarine Research Reserve System, Regional Ocean Partnerships, etc.). These funds, totaling tens of millions of dollars, were intended for building state and territory capacity to effectively prepare for and manage coastal hazards and projects to conserve, protect and restore coastal habitats, supporting coastal economies and engaging local coastal communities.
The appropriations bill also included funding for coastal related programs at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Environmental Protection Agency and US Army Corps of Engineers. The passage of the bill eliminates concerns of a government shutdown at the end of the month impacting NOAA, EPA, Army Corps and other agencies funded in this package.
