Cooperative Institute Act of 2026

S. 5332 would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to maintain its Cooperative Institute Program. The Cooperative Institute Program is an existing NOAA arrangement that partners the agency with outside research institutions; this bill would require NOAA to continue operating it, though the bill's full text has not yet been published, so the specific mechanisms, funding levels, or other details of how that requirement would be implemented are not yet known.

Based on the title alone, the bill would primarily affect NOAA and the universities and research institutions that participate in the Cooperative Institute Program, as well as scientists and staff whose work depends on that partnership. Because the text is not yet available, it is not possible to say what specific changes, if any, the bill would make to how the program currently operates.

The bill was introduced in the Senate on August 6, 2026, by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and its only recorded action so far is that introduction. As with most introduced bills, the next steps would typically involve committee review before any further action, such as a committee vote or floor consideration; no such action has occurred yet, and none is confirmed to be scheduled.

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