Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA): Overview and Issues for Congress

The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA; P.L. 92-583, 16 U.S.C. §§1451-1466), enacted in 1972 and since amended, set up a national framework for states and territories to consider and manage coastal resources and potential impacts on those resources, and for the federal government to provide financial assistance to support such efforts. Congress may continue to consider whether to alter—and if so, how—the focus and implementation of CZMA activities and CZMA’s federal assistance authorizations and appropriations. Congress also may consider whether—and if so, how—to modify or codify in statute any executive actions taken by the Trump Administration. Under CZMA, if a state or territory chooses to develop a coastal management program (CMP) and the Secretary of Commerce approves such a program, the state or territory becomes a participant and (1) is eligible for federal financial assistance and (2) can perform consistency determination reviews of federal agency actions in coastal areas. The Secretary of Commerce has delegated CZMA administration to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Office for Coastal Management (OCM). States determine the details of their CMPs, including coastal zone boundaries, issues of most interest to them, and policies to address these issues, among other factors. Thirty-five states and territories (including the Great Lakes states, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) are eligible to participate. Although all 35 have chosen to participate at some point, 34 are currently part of the National Coastal Zone Management Program (NCZMP; Alaska has not participated since 2011). Between FY1974 and FY2024, NOAA allocated nearly $2.7 billion (nominal dollars) to participants across six coastal zone management-related financial assistance programs. During this time, participants received amounts ranging from at least $25.5 million to over $134.0 million in financial assistance, depending on factors such as how long the participant had been a part of NCZMP, the participant’s population and shoreline length, and the extent of the participant’s success in competitive CZMA grant programs. Congress provided $81.5 million to NOAA for coastal zone management financial assistance in FY2026. CZMA consistency provisions require federal actions that have reasonably foreseeable effects on coastal uses or resources to be consistent with policies of a participant’s approved CMP. An action may occur in the participant’s approved coastal zone or in nearby federal or out-of-state waters that may cause interstate coastal effects. Federal agencies or applicants proposing to perform work in or near coastal zones (e.g., a project developer proposing an activity pursuant to a federal permit or using federal funds) must submit a consistency determination to the potentially affected participant certifying that the actions are consistent with participant policies and providing participants the opportunity to review their determinations. Depending on the federal action, federal agencies may or may not move forward with the activity if the participant finds the action is not consistent with the participant’s policies. Congress continues to consider changes to CZMA. For example, some Members in the 119th Congress have argued for alterations to CZMA account for continued population and infrastructure growth along the coast, and evolving coastal environmental conditions. Introduced bills would amend CZMA to address climate change and “working waterfronts” (e.g., H.R. 1808; H.R. 2786, H.R. 2990; H.R. 3718 §202; and H.R. 5746 §303), among other topics. Congress has examined how the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA have implemented CZMA and whether changes to the agency, the law, or the law’s implementation are necessary. Concerns have focused on specific financial assistance programs, as well as federal consistency determination reviews of certain activities. Members of Congress have introduced some bills to address these issues (e.g., H.R. 1874 and H.R. 5342) and may consider additional oversight activities, such as reporting. Additionally, Congress may consider proposals to reauthorize or modify appropriated amounts for CZMA financial assistance programs. Various stakeholders have argued for changes to appropriated amounts for the CZMA financial assistance programs to address changing or additional priorities on and away from the coast. Bills in the 119th Congress to modify CZMA’s authorization of appropriations or funding include H.R. 143 and H.R. 2786.