S-2245-119
Held at the desk.
Sponsored by Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
What it does
This bill would amend the Digital Coast Act to make data collected under the program "fully and freely available" (adding to the existing "readily accessible" standard). It would expand the types of data collected to explicitly include underground infrastructure and subsurface utility data. It would also restrict program-funded trainings to technical instruction only, and extend the program's authorization from 2025 to 2030.
Who benefits
Coastal state and local governments that rely on Digital Coast data for land-use planning, emergency management, and infrastructure decisions. Civil engineers, utility companies, and construction firms that would gain access to subsurface utility data. Academic researchers and environmental scientists studying coastal change. Emergency managers and FEMA planners using coastal mapping for disaster preparedness. The general public in coastal communities who benefit from improved planning and hazard mitigation. Open-data advocates who gain from the "fully and freely available" standard.
Who is hurt
Private geospatial data companies that currently sell coastal or subsurface data commercially may face reduced demand if equivalent government data becomes freely available. Organizations that previously offered broader, non-technical training under the program would lose that funding avenue. Federal agencies may face modest administrative costs to expand data collection to include subsurface utilities. Taxpayers bear the cost of the five-year program extension, though no specific appropriation amount is stated in the bill text.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that freely available, high-quality coastal data reduces duplicative spending by state and local governments that would otherwise purchase the same data from private vendors. They contend that adding subsurface utility data addresses a critical gap — underground infrastructure failures during coastal storms and flooding events cause significant damage that better mapping could help prevent. The five-year extension, they argue, provides continuity for ongoing coastal resilience planning that communities depend on.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that restricting program-funded trainings to purely technical instruction narrows the program's usefulness, potentially excluding policy-oriented education that helps local officials apply the data effectively. They contend that making government data "fully and freely available" may undercut private-sector geospatial firms that have invested in building similar datasets, reducing market incentives for innovation. Critics may also question whether a five-year extension is warranted without a formal program evaluation or updated cost-benefit analysis.
Constitutional context
No significant constitutional issues are raised by this bill. Congress has broad authority to fund and operate data collection programs under the Commerce Clause and its general spending power. The bill modifies an existing statutory program and does not implicate digital privacy (no government surveillance), compelled speech, or platform regulation issues addressed in Riley, Carpenter, or Moody v. NetChoice.
Checks and balances
NOAA (executive branch) administers the Digital Coast program; Congress sets the program's scope, data standards, and authorization period through statute, retaining oversight authority.
Historical precedent
The original Digital Coast Act was enacted in 2018 (P.L. 115-381), establishing the program this bill would extend and modify; this bill follows the standard pattern of reauthorization with incremental scope adjustments.