US HB1124

Secretary of Commerce must establish a grant program within 180 days to conserve, restore, and manage kelp forest ecosystems, with $5 million authorized annually for fiscal years 2026-2030

Eligible grant recipients include fishing industry members, universities, nonprofits, Indian Tribes, state agencies, and local governments, who must collaborate with at least one other eligible entity type

Federal funding capped at 85% of project costs, with matching requirement waivable for projects on Indian Tribal lands; at least $750,000 annually reserved for Indian Tribe grants

Eligible projects must address regional kelp decline and focus on ecosystem resilience, kelp seeding, predator control (including urchin removal and sunflower sea star recovery), monitoring, or integration of Indigenous knowledge

Program explicitly supports native wild kelp restoration and excludes commercial or mechanized harvesting activities