United States 119th Congress Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 1 D · 1 R cosponsors

S 318 — ANCHOR Act

Last action — Held at the desk.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 29, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 46% · moderate confidence

  • Passed Senate

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (1 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

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 oftelecommunications and networking needs of ARF, consistent with typical scientific missions;cybersecurity needs appropriate for the ownership of ARF vessels and their typical research functions;the costs necessary to meet these needs; andthe time required to implement necessary upgrades.The plan must also include (1) 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; and (2) a proposal regarding the adoption of common solutions or consortial licensing agreements, or the centralization of cybersecurity, telecommunications, or data management at a single facility. Among other factors specified in the bill, the NSF must consider the network capabilities necessary to meet mission needs (e.g., to upload data to 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 one year of the bill's enactment.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

6 added · 148 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated text of the bill indicates that lines have been added to include an acknowledgment of the bill's passage in the Senate on October 8, 2025. Additionally, significant sections of text, including the short title and definitions related to the U.S. academic research fleet, have been removed. This matters because it signifies a change in the document’s structure, focusing on a streamlined version without those specific details, which may affect how the bill is interpreted and implemented.

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318 Reported in Senate (RS)] <DOC> Calendar No.
318 Engrossed in Senate (ES)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
169 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
318 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To require a plan to improve the cybersecurity and telecommunications of the U.S.
318 [Report No.
119-64] To require a plan to improve the cybersecurity and telecommunications of the U.S.
_______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 29, 2025 Mr.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.
Padilla (for himself and Mr.
Sullivan) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation September 29, 2025 Reported by Mr.
Cruz, with an amendment [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To require a plan to improve the cybersecurity and telecommunications of the U.S.
Academic Research Fleet, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, <DELETED>SECTION 1.
SHORT TITLE.</DELETED> <DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Accelerating Networking, Cyberinfrastructure, and Hardware for Oceanic Research Act'' or the ``ANCHOR Act''.</DELETED> <DELETED>SEC.
2.
DEFINITIONS.</DELETED> <DELETED> In this Act:</DELETED> <DELETED> (1) U.S.
academic research fleet.--The term ``U.S.
Academic Research Fleet'' means the United States-flagged vessels that--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) have been accepted into, and are active participants administered within, the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System;</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) are operated as oceanographic research vessels by research universities and laboratories;</DELETED> <DELETED> (C) receive funding from the National Science Foundation;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (D) have achieved designation as a member vessel through a standard evaluation process.</DELETED> <DELETED> (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of the National Science Foundation.</DELETED> <DELETED> (3) Oceanographic research vessel.--The term ``oceanographic research vessel'' has the meaning given the term in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code.</DELETED> <DELETED>SEC.
3.
PLAN TO IMPROVE CYBERSECURITY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS OF U.S.
ACADEMIC RESEARCH FLEET.</DELETED> <DELETED> (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall, in consultation with the head of any Federal agency, university, or laboratory that owns or operates a vessel of the U.S.
Academic Research Fleet, submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Space, Science, and Technology of the House of Representatives a plan to improve the cybersecurity and telecommunications of the U.S.
Academic Research Fleet.</DELETED> <DELETED> (b) Elements.--The plan required by subsection (a) shall include--</DELETED> <DELETED> (1) an assessment of the telecommunications and networking needs of the U.S.
Academic Research Fleet, consistent with the typical scientific mission of that vessel;</DELETED> <DELETED> (2) in accordance with guidance issued by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Institute for Standards and Technology, an assessment of cybersecurity needs appropriate for--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) the ownership of vessels within the U.S.
Academic Research Fleet;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) the typical research functions and topics of such vessels;</DELETED> <DELETED> (3) an assessment of the costs necessary to meet the needs described in paragraphs (1) and (2), including-- </DELETED> <DELETED> (A) any necessary equipment, such as satellite communications equipment, software, high- performance computing clusters shipboard and shoreside, or enterprise hardware;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) estimated personnel costs in excess of current expenditures, including any necessary training, support, or logistics;</DELETED> <DELETED> (4) an assessment of the time required to implement any upgrades required to meet the needs described in paragraphs (1) and (2) under varying budgets and funding scenarios;</DELETED> <DELETED> (5) the adoption of common solutions or consortial licensing agreements, or by centralizing elements of fleet cybersecurity, telecommunications or data management at a single facility;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (6) in consultation with any non-Federal owners of a vessel of the U.S.
Academic Research Fleet, a spending plan for the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, non-Federal owners of vessels of the U.S.
Academic Research Fleet, users of the U.S.
Academic Research Fleet, or any combination thereof, to provide funding to cover the costs described in paragraph (3).</DELETED> <DELETED> (c) Considerations.--The Director shall, in preparing the plan required by subsection (a), consider--</DELETED> <DELETED> (1) the network capabilities, including speed and bandwidth targets, necessary to meet the scientific mission needs of each class of vessel within the U.S.
Academic Research Fleet for such purposes as--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) executing the critical functions and communications of the vessel;</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) providing network access for the health and well-being of deployed personnel, including communications to conduct telemedicine (including mental health care), counseling, interviews with crisis response providers, and other remote individual care and services;</DELETED> <DELETED> (C) as necessary to meet operations, uploading any scientific data to a shoreside server, including the copying of data off ship for disaster recovery or risk mitigation purposes;</DELETED> <DELETED> (D) as appropriate, conducting real-time streaming to enable shore-based observers to participate in ship-based maintenance or research activities;</DELETED> <DELETED> (E) real-time coordinated viewing of-- </DELETED> <DELETED> (i) scientific instrumentation so that it is possible to conduct scientific surveys and seafloor mapping with fully remote subject-matter experts;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (ii) critical operational technology by manufacturers and vendors so that it is possible to carry out maintenance and repairs to systems with limited expertise on the vessel, with fully remote subject-matter experts advising;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (F) as appropriate, enabling video communications to allow improved outreach to, and other educational services for, K-12 students, including occasional remote classroom teaching for instructors at sea to improve oceanographic access for students;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (2) in consultation with the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Director of the National Institute for Standards and Technology, and the heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) the cybersecurity recommendations in the report of the private scientific advisory group known as JASON entitled ``Cybersecurity at NSF Major Facilities'' (JSR-21-10E) and dated October 2021 as applied to the U.S.
Academic Research Fleet;</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) aligning with international standards and guidance for information security, including the use of encryption for sensitive information, the detection and handling of security incidents, and other areas determined relevant by the Director;</DELETED> <DELETED> (C) facilitating access to cybersecurity personnel and training of research and support personnel;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (D) the requirements for controlled unclassified or classified information.</DELETED> SECTION 1.
Calendar No.
Passed the Senate October 8, 2025.
169 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
Attest:
318 [Report No.
Secretary.
119-64] _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To require a plan to improve the cybersecurity and telecommunications of the U.S.
119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
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318 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To require a plan to improve the cybersecurity and telecommunications of the U.S.
_______________________________________________________________________ September 29, 2025 Reported with an amendment
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What Congress says this changes

S. Rept. 119-64

Published by the reporting committee Not generated — this is the committee's own “Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported”.

The committee states that this bill does not amend existing law. (S. Rept. 119-64)

Source: S. Rept. 119-64 · govinfo

Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

  3. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

  4. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-64.

  5. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-64.

  6. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 169.

  7. Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

  8. Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7007-7009; text: CR S7008-7009)

  9. Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  10. Received in the House.

  11. Held at the desk.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 545 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (545)

545 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 545 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety environment technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 318 do?
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 oftelecommunications and networking needs of ARF, consistent with typical scientific missions;cybersecurity needs appropriate for the ownership of ARF vessels and their typical research functions;the costs necessary to meet these needs; andthe time required to implement necessary upgrades.The plan must also include (1) 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; and (2) a proposal regarding the adoption of common solutions or consortial licensing agreements, or the centralization of cybersecurity, telecommunications, or data management at a single facility. Among other factors specified in the bill, the NSF must consider the network capabilities necessary to meet mission needs (e.g., to upload data to 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 one year of the bill's enactment.
Who sponsors S 318?
S 318 is sponsored by Padilla, Alex (Democratic) and Sullivan, Dan (Republican).
What is the current status of S 318?
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 29, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track S 318?
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