S. 110 would authorize the appropriation of $4 million a year over the 2018-2022 period to continue the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Digital Coast program. Under that program, NOAA makes geospatial data, decision-support tools, and best practices regarding the management of coastal areas available on a public website. (In 2016, NOAA used $4 million of appropriated funds to carry out the Digital Coast program.) CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $20 million over the 2018-2022 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts.
S. 110 also would authorize NOAA to collect and spend fees, without further appropriation, for training, workshops and conferences related to the Digital Coast program; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However, CBO estimates that the net effect of such collections and spending would not be significant in any year and over the 2017-2027 period. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 110 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
S. 110 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would benefit state, local, and tribal governments by authorizing federal financial and technical assistance for coastal communities. Any costs incurred by those entities, including matching contributions, would result from participation in a voluntary federal program.
