H.R. 4770 would reauthorize existing programs within the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). That office works on managing and restoring habitat and providing educational opportunities in the Chesapeake Bay area. In 2023, NOAA allocated about $10 million to the office.
The bill also would authorize NOAA to enter into leases as necessary to carry out the office’s programs. Because signing a lease agreement would commit NOAA to pay the lessor to use a property over multiple years and in advance of appropriations for those future years, CBO considers the costs associated with such a lease to be direct spending. Based on similar authority provided for other NOAA activities and the relatively narrow focus of the Chesapeake Bay Office, CBO expects NOAA would use this authority to enter into one 30‑year lease for additional lab facilities at some point during the 2024-2033 period.
