HR 1808
Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act of 2025
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Bill overview
The Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act of 2025 aims to support and preserve working waterfronts across the United States. It establishes a Task Force to identify critical needs and develop strategies for these areas, and creates grant and loan programs to help coastal states, tribes, and organizations maintain and improve them. The bill also establishes a preservation loan fund to provide financial assistance for working waterfront projects.
Key provisions
- Establishes a Task Force to identify and address critical needs for working waterfronts.
- Creates a Working Waterfronts Grant Program to fund preservation, improvement, and adaptation projects.
- Establishes a Working Waterfronts Preservation Loan Fund to provide loans to eligible entities.
- Requires approved working waterfronts plans from covered entities.
- Allows for the allocation of grant funds to disadvantaged communities.
- Provides for technical assistance to covered entities seeking to develop or implement working waterfronts plans.
- Mandates public access improvements at working waterfronts.
- Establishes a process for reverting waterfront property to the original owner if a covenant is violated.
Who is affected
- Coastal states
- Indian Tribes
- Native Hawaiian organizations
- Fishing businesses
- Boatbuilding industries
Notable changes
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Primary sponsor
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 1808
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to establish a working waterfronts Task Force and working waterfronts grant and loan programs, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act of 2025
.
The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 306A (16 U.S.C. 1455a) the following:
The Secretary shall appoint members of the Task Force, and shall include—
experts in the unique economic, social, cultural, ecological, geographic, and resource concerns of working waterfronts; and
the Office of Coastal Management of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
the Department of Agriculture;
the Environmental Protection Agency;
the United States Geological Survey;
the Department of the Navy;
the National Marine Fisheries Service;
the Economic Development Administration;
such other Federal agencies as the Secretary determines appropriate;
Indian Tribes; and
Native Hawaiian organizations.
The Task Force shall—
economic and cultural importance of such working waterfronts to communities;
changing circumstances and threats such working waterfronts face from trade barriers and environmental changes, including sea level rise, extreme weather events, ocean acidification, and harmful algal blooms; and
identifying such working waterfronts and highlighting them within communities;
recommend which Federal agency is best suited to address each critical need identified under subparagraph (A) for which no responsible Federal agency is identified under subparagraph (C).
Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this section, the Task Force shall submit to Congress a report regarding the findings of the Task Force under this subsection.
Not later than 30 months after the date of the enactment of this section, the head of each Federal agency identified under paragraph (3)(C) shall, to the extent practicable and subject to the availability of appropriations, implement the options outlined under paragraph (3)(B).
A covered entity may submit to the Secretary a working waterfronts plan for approval under this subsection, which, as applicable and with respect to the covered entity—
shall—
provide for the preservation and expansion of access to coastal waters by coastal users;
be complementary to and incorporate the policies, objectives, and regulations of regional and local working waterfronts plans or strategies in effect before the date of the enactment of this section;
be developed through a process that—
ensures the involvement of coastal stakeholders; and
ensure that such qualified holder complies with the duty of a qualified holder to enforce each working waterfront covenant to which the qualified holder is a party; and
a description of any relevant non-Federal laws and regulations that affect working waterfronts in the geographic areas identified under subclauses (III) and (IV);
an identification of geographic areas where working waterfronts are, as of the date of the enactment of this subsection, under threat of conversion to uses incompatible with commercial and recreational fishing, recreational fishing and boating businesses, aquaculture, boatbuilding, or other water-dependent, coastal-related business, and the level of that threat;
an identification of additional working waterfronts needs, including improvements to existing working waterfronts;
a strategic and prioritized plan for the preservation, expansion, and improvement of each relevant working waterfront;
for geographic areas identified under subclauses (III) and (IV), an identification of the current availability and potential for expansion of public access to coastal waters in such geographic areas;
a description of the degree of community support for the plan included under subclause (VI); and
may—
be developed using existing information contained in relevant surveys, plans, or other documents to fulfill the information requirements under this paragraph;
include a vulnerability assessment, hazards resilience plan, or identification of waterfront properties exposed to sea level rise or inundation; and
be part of a management program approved under section 306.
A working waterfronts plan approved by the Secretary under this subsection shall be effective during the 5-year period beginning on the date of such approval.
Working Waterfronts Grant Program.
to implement or revise an approved working waterfronts plan of such eligible covered entity, including—
acquiring a working waterfront or an interest in a working waterfront;
making improvements to a working waterfront, including constructing or repairing wharfs, boat ramps, or related facilities; or
carrying out necessary climate adaptation mitigation activities for a working waterfront; or
to develop a working waterfronts plan of such eligible covered entity under subsection (b).
in such form, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary determines appropriate.
Not later than 60 days after the date on which the Secretary receives an application for a grant under this paragraph, the Secretary shall approve or reject such application.
The Secretary shall, in consultation with the entities described in paragraph (1), issue guidelines regarding the implementation of the grant program.
In awarding a grant to an eligible covered entity, the Secretary shall take into account the following criteria:
to identify and obtain sources of Federal technical or financial assistance other than that provided under this subsection to develop a working waterfronts plan for approval under subsection (b) or to implement or revise an approved working waterfronts plan;
to develop a working waterfronts plan for approval under subsection (b);
to implement or revise an approved working waterfronts plan;
to develop additional tools to protect working waterfronts;
regarding guidance for best storm water management practices with regard to working waterfronts; or
to collect and disseminate best practices regarding working waterfronts and resilience planning.
for fair market value from a willing seller; or
for less than fair market value from a seller that certifies to the Secretary that the seller is willing and is not subject to coercion.
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Federal share of a project carried out with a grant awarded under this subsection may not exceed 75 percent.
The Secretary may waive the application of subparagraph (A)—
a community that has an inability to draw on other sources of funding because of the small population or low income of the community; or
for any other reason the Secretary determines appropriate.
The value, as determined by an appraisal performed at such time before the award of the grant as the Secretary determines appropriate, of a working waterfront or an interest in a working waterfront, including conservation and other easements, that is held in perpetuity by a qualified holder, if the working waterfront or interest in a working waterfront—
is identified in the grant application; and
is acquired by the qualified holder not later than 3 years after—
the grant award date; or
the date of the submission of such application and before the end of the initial 5-year period for which the approved working waterfronts plan associated with the grant application, if any, is effective.
The costs, including cash or in-kind contributions, associated with the acquisition, restoration, or enhancement of or making other improvements to a working waterfront or an interest in a working waterfront, if—
such costs are identified in the grant application; and
the costs are incurred—
for working waterfronts described in clause (i), within the time limits described in that clause.
The Secretary shall biennially submit to Congress a report regarding the implementation of this subsection, which shall include—
descriptions of each project carried out using a grant awarded under this section.
The Secretary may use not more than 5 percent of the amounts made available under this subsection in each fiscal year to pay the administrative expenses necessary to carry out this subsection.
In this section:
The term approved working waterfronts plan means a working waterfronts plan that is approved by the Secretary under subsection (b).
persons that engage in commercial or recreational fishing;
recreational fishing and boating businesses; and
boatbuilding, aquaculture, and other water-dependent, coastal-related businesses.
The term covered entity means—
a coastal state;
a coastal Indian Tribe; or
a Native Hawaiian organization.
has an approved working waterfronts plan;
is in the process of developing a working waterfronts plan for approval under subsection (b); or
has a coastal land use plan that the Secretary determines is sufficient for the purposes of this section.
The term grant program means the grant program established under subsection (c).
The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
that serves the interests of Native Hawaiians;
in which Native Hawaiians serve in substantive and policymaking positions;
that is recognized for having expertise in Native Hawaiian culture and heritage, including tourism; and
is located within a coastal state.
a unit of local government of a covered entity, if the covered entity is a coastal state; or
a nonprofit organization;
that is designated by a covered entity in the approved working waterfronts plan of the covered entity to carry out some or all of the functions of the covered entity under the grant program if the covered entity applies for and is awarded a grant under the grant program, including holding title to or an interest in a working waterfront acquired with a grant awarded under the grant program.
The term Task Force means the task force established under subsection (a)(1).
The term disadvantaged community means a community the Secretary determines, based on appropriate data, indices, and screening tools, is economically, socially, or environmentally disadvantaged.
provides access to coastal waters by coastal users; and
is used for, or supports, commercial and recreational fishing, recreational fishing and boating businesses, and boatbuilding, aquaculture, and other water-dependent, coastal-related business.
Except as provided in subparagraph (C), the title to or interest in the working waterfront will be held by an entity that is subject to such agreement in perpetuity.
each party involved in such sale or exchange shall accede to such agreement; and
The Secretary may enter into an agreement with an eligible coastal state to issue a capitalization grant, including a letter of credit, to such eligible coastal state to implement the approved working waterfronts plan of such eligible coastal state.
To be eligible to receive a capitalization grant under this subsection, an eligible coastal state shall establish a working waterfronts preservation loan fund.
Davis-Bacon Act) with respect to any construction project carried out in whole or in part with financial assistance made available from a working waterfronts preservation loan fund.
Each intended use plan prepared by an eligible coastal state under paragraph (1) shall include, with respect to the eligible coastal state—
a list of each project to be assisted with amounts from the working waterfronts preservation loan fund in the first fiscal year that begins after the date such intended use plan is finalized, including, with respect to each such project—
a description of the project;
the expected terms of financial assistance; and
the size of the community served;
the criteria and methods established to distribute amounts from the working waterfronts preservation loan fund; and
a description of the financial status of the working waterfronts preservation loan fund and the short- and long-term goals of such working waterfronts preservation loan fund.
Each working waterfronts preservation loan fund under this section shall be established, maintained, and credited with repayments and interest and the fund corpus shall be available in perpetuity to provide financial assistance described in subsection (f) to covered entities under this section.
To the extent amounts in a working waterfronts preservation loan fund are not required for obligation or expenditure, such amounts shall be invested in interest-bearing obligations.
forgiveness of principal;
grants;
negative interest loans;
other loan forgiveness; and
through buying, refinancing, or restructuring debt.
A loan from a working waterfronts preservation loan fund with an interest rate equal to or greater than 0 percent shall not be considered additional subsidization for the purposes of this subsection.
may not exceed 35 percent; and
to the extent that there are, as determined by the Secretary, sufficient applications from disadvantaged communities for loans, may not be less than 12 percent.
to make a loan to a covered entity, on the condition that—
the interest rate for the loan does not exceed the market rate;
principal and interest payments on the loan will commence not later than 18 months after completion of the project for which the loan was made;
terminates not later than the date that is 40 years after the completion of the project; and
does not exceed the expected design life of the project;
the recipient of the loan will establish a dedicated source of revenue (or, in the case of a privately owned working waterfront property, demonstrate that there is adequate security) for the repayment of the loan; and
the working waterfronts preservation loan fund of the eligible coastal state will be credited with all payments of principal and interest on the loan;
to guarantee, or purchase insurance for, a local obligation (all of the proceeds of which finance a project eligible for financial assistance under this section) if the guarantee or purchase would improve credit market access or reduce the interest rate applicable to the obligation;
to earn interest on the amounts deposited into the working waterfronts preservation loan fund of the eligible coastal state.
to cover the reasonable costs of administration of the programs under this section, including the recovery of reasonable costs expended to establish a working waterfronts preservation loan fund that are incurred after the date of the enactment of this section; and
The amount referred to in subparagraph (A) is an amount equal to the sum of—
the greater of—
$400,000;
0.2 percent of the current valuation of the working waterfronts preservation loan fund of the eligible coastal state; or
an amount equal to 4 percent of all grant awards made to the working waterfronts preservation loan fund of the eligible coastal state under this section for the fiscal year.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
In this section:
The term covered entity means—
a State agency;
an Indian Tribe;
a Native Hawaiian organization;
a nonprofit organization.
The term working waterfront has the meaning given the term in section 306B.