Integrated Ocean Observation System Reauthorization Act of 2025

This legislation reauthorizes the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009, providing $56,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. A key funding provision mandates that at least 7.5 percent of these appropriations be allocated to existing regional coastal observing systems, excluding disaster relief funds. The bill expands the system's observational scope to include meteorological observations and information , alongside coastal and ocean data, and updates governance by consistently replacing references to the "Council" with the "Ocean Policy Committee." The reauthorization emphasizes strengthening data infrastructure by including data management systems and cyber infrastructure to address information gaps. It also mandates the Committee to develop requirements for regional associations and federally funded projects to collaborate on data sharing at regional levels. Furthermore, the bill introduces a new reporting requirement for post-storm evaluations to assess the system's impact on storm forecast accuracy and expands the system's applications to include resource and coastal management.