H.R. 1265 (119th)Bill Overview

To amend the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act to expand eligibility for certain wastewater infrastructure grants, and for other purposes.

Environmental Protection|Environmental Protection
Cosponsors
Support
Democratic
Introduced
Feb 12, 2025
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief
Plain-English summaryWhat this bill actually does

This bill amends Section 302 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act to broaden eligibility for certain wastewater infrastructure and trash‑free waters grants by explicitly adding or clarifying entities such as States, municipalities, units of local government, and Indian Tribes as eligible applicants or recipients.

Why people may split

Left emphasizes environmental justice and Tribal inclusion benefits

Watch point

Narrow, technical change likely to attract bipartisan support and move through committee and floor readily.

This bill amends Section 302 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act to broaden eligibility for certain wastewater infrastructure and trash‑free waters grants by explicitly adding or clarifying entities such as States, municipalities, units of local government, and Indian Tribes as eligible applicants or recipients.

Passage70/100

Small, technocratic amendment with limited fiscal impact fits patterns of successful narrow grant‑eligibility bills; procedural and scheduling factors remain key uncertainties.

CredibilityPartial

How solid the drafting looks.

Contention45/100

Left emphasizes environmental justice and Tribal inclusion benefits

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Likely benefits vs burdens50% / 50%
Local governmentsLocal governments · Federal agencies

These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.

Likely helped
  • Local governmentsMore municipalities and local governments can apply directly for federal wastewater and trash-reduction grants.
  • Local governmentsExpanded eligibility could accelerate local projects reducing marine debris and improving water quality.
  • Local governmentsGreater direct access to grants may enable faster project starts and local contracting opportunities.
Likely burdened
  • Potential burdenMore eligible applicants could dilute available grant funds per recipient, reducing individual award sizes.
  • Local governmentsSmaller local governments may lack capacity to apply for and administer federal grants effectively.
  • Federal agenciesExpanded eligibility might increase administrative burden for the federal agency managing more applicants.
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Left emphasizes environmental justice and Tribal inclusion benefits
Progressive85%

Likely supportive because the change increases access to federal funding for local governments and Tribal nations to address pollution and environmental justice.

Would want assurances that funds prioritize disadvantaged communities and Tribal consultation.

Leans supportive
Centrist75%

Likely cautiously supportive as a targeted, procedural expansion of grant eligibility that can increase local capacity.

Would want clarity on fiscal impact, program administration, and measurable outcomes.

Leans supportive
Conservative40%

Skeptical of expanding federal grant beneficiaries without offsets; concerned about increased federal spending, administrative growth, and federal involvement in local affairs.

May accept if no new mandatory spending is created.

Split reaction
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood70/100

Small, technocratic amendment with limited fiscal impact fits patterns of successful narrow grant‑eligibility bills; procedural and scheduling factors remain key uncertainties.

Scope and complexity
24%
Scopenarrow
24%
Complexitylow
Why this could stall
  • Absent CBO/budgetary estimate
  • Committee and floor scheduling/priorities
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Left emphasizes environmental justice and Tribal inclusion benefits

Small, technocratic amendment with limited fiscal impact fits patterns of successful narrow grant‑eligibility bills; procedural and schedul…

Unlocked analysis

Pro readers get the full perspective split, passage barriers, legislative design review, stakeholder impact map, and lens-based policy tradeoff analysis for To amend the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act to expand eligibility for c…

Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.

Perspective breakdownsPassage barriersLegislative design reviewStakeholder impact map
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