US HB3048

Secretary of Commerce must designate at least 7 Ocean Innovation Clusters within 1 year to strengthen the "Blue Economy" (sustainable ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes industries including fishing, aquaculture, offshore energy, marine transportation, and tourism)

Clusters must be led by not-for-profit organizations and include at least 1 in each of the 5 National Marine Fisheries Service regions, plus the Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico regions

Each region will have at least 1 physical Ocean Innovation Center for Cross-Sector Collaboration to serve as hubs for entrepreneurs, provide shared workspaces and laboratories, and develop workforce training including internships and apprenticeships

Federal partnership liaisons from Sea Grant, NOAA, and the Economic Development Administration will coordinate with clusters on areas including seafood supply chain sustainability, intellectual property management, ocean energy development, and job creation

Authorizes $10 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2030 for competitive grants to clusters, with individual grants capped at $10 million and initial 2-year terms, with the goal of clusters becoming self-sustaining membership-based entities