Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Garcia (CA-25)
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Rep. Mike Garcia’s (CA-27) ANCHOR Act, H.R. 7630, a bipartisan bill co-led by Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), passed the House unanimously. This critical legislation facilitates much-needed cybersecurity and telecommunications upgrades for the 17 oceanographic vessels in the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, including three based in California.
The ANCHOR Act directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create a detailed plan within one year to modernize the fleet’s cybersecurity and telecommunications systems and implement it within the following two years and report back to Congress.
“These vessels have already made significant discoveries, like locating WWII-era munitions off the Los Angeles coast,” said Rep. Garcia. “We’re protecting not just our oceans, but our national interests and future research, ensuring America stays at the forefront of global innovation.”
The ANCHOR Act is endorsed by leading research institutions, including Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and marks a major step forward in securing the tools and technologies critical to our nation’s research and security.