119th Congress
H.R. 1223
ANCHOR Act
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became law
- Sponsor
- Vince Fong(R-CA)
- Introduced
- Feb 12, 2025
- Policy area
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Committees
- House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Official text
- Referred in Senate · Congress.gov page
Cosponsors (5)
Original cosponsors (1)
- Haley M. Stevens (D-MI)
Added later (4)
- Jay Obernolte (R-CA) · Feb 24, 2025
- Sarah McBride (D-DE) · Feb 24, 2025
- Josh Riley (D-NY) · May 5, 2025
- Nicholas J. Begich III (R-AK) · May 5, 2025
Summary
Summary by the Congressional Research Service· describes the “Introduced in House” version
Accelerating Networking, Cyberinfrastructure, and Hardware for Oceanic Research Act or the ANCHOR Act
This bill requires the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a plan to improve the cybersecurity and telecommunications capabilities of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF).
ARF is comprised of U.S.-flagged vessels that provide at-sea laboratories where oceanographic scientists, educators, and students research and learn about marine science.
The bill requires the plan to include assessments of
• telecommunications and networking needs of ARF, consistent with typical scientific missions;
• cybersecurity needs appropriate for the operation of ARF vessels and their specific research functions;
• the costs necessary to meet these needs;
• the time required to implement necessary upgrades; and
• opportunities for the adoption of common solutions or consortial licensing agreements, or for the centralization of cybersecurity, telecommunications, or data management at a single facility.
The plan must also include a spending plan for the NSF, the Office of Naval Research, nonfederal owners of ARF vessels, and users of the vessels to cover identified costs.
Among other factors specified in the bill, the NSF must consider, as appropriate, the network capabilities necessary to meet mission needs (e.g., to upload data to cloud-based or shoreside servers), international standards and guidance for information security, and requirements for controlled unclassified or classified information.
The plan must be provided to Congress within 18 months of the bill's enactment, and the NSF must later report to Congress on the plan's implementation.
Roll-call votes
| Date | Vote | Result | Your members |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2025 House #136 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass: ANCHOR Act | Passed | Set your home to see |
Actions
- May 21, 2025 · Senate
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. - May 20, 2025 · House
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. - May 20, 2025 · House
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 412 - 11 (Roll no. 136). (text: 5/19/2025 CR H2113-2114) - May 20, 2025 · House
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2168) - May 19, 2025 · House
At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Babin objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was considered as withdrawn. - May 19, 2025 · House
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1223. - May 19, 2025 · House
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2113-2115) - May 19, 2025 · House
Mr. Fong moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. - Apr 29, 2025
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote. - Apr 29, 2025
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held - Feb 12, 2025 · House
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. - Feb 12, 2025
Introduced in House