Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1620), a bill that would extend congressional authorization for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program through Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. The bill would also increase the authorized amount of funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program by $500,000 each year, from $90 million in FY 2020 up to $92 million in FY 2024.

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The Chesapeake Bay Reauthorization Act is sponsored by Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02), Congressman John Sarbanes (MD-03), Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01). Authorization for the Chesapeake Bay Program expired in 2004, but Congress has continued to fund the program each year.

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Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn applauded the House passage of H.R. 1620:

“The Chesapeake Bay Program is the central entity on which the Chesapeake Bay regional partnership depends to provide science and monitoring and to coordinate efforts so that we can restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay. This is nothing short of a monumental task, and the Chesapeake Bay Program has a strong record of success. Reauthorization provides greater assurance from Congress that the Chesapeake Bay Program is an absolutely essential leader in the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay.”

Feature Photo by Michael Weiss