Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act of 2025

Identification of Critical Needs: The creation of a Task Force will help identify and prioritize economic, cultural, and environmental threats—such as sea level rise and extreme weather—facing working waterfronts (Section 2, 306B(a)(3)(A)).

Financial Support for Waterfronts: The Working Waterfronts Grant Program provides funds for acquiring waterfront property, making improvements like repairing wharfs or boat ramps, and carrying out climate adaptation activities (Section 2, 306B(c)(2)(A)).

Support for Disadvantaged Communities: The Secretary may waive matching requirements for entities in disadvantaged communities or those with low income and small populations (Section 2, 306B(c)(5)(B)). Additionally, loan funds can be used for additional subsidization like principal forgiveness or grants for these communities (Section 2, 306C(d)(1)).

Expansion of Public Access: Grant-funded projects are required to provide for the expansion, improvement, or preservation of reasonable public access to coastal waters (Section 2, 306B(c)(7)).

Preservation of Local Economies: The bill focuses on preserving waterfronts used for commercial and recreational fishing, aquaculture, and boatbuilding (Section 2, 306B(b)(1)(A)(iii)).

Strict Use of Grants: Recipients of grant money must enter into a working waterfront covenant, which requires managing the property in a specific manner and maintaining it in perpetuity (Section 2, 306B(c)(11)(A)).

Risk of Property Reversion: If a working waterfront covenant is violated, the covered entity has the right to take back all right, title, and interest in the property (Section 2, 306B(c)(11)(B)(ii)).

Financial Matching Requirements: Most grant projects require the entity to provide a non-federal share of at least 25 percent (Section 2, 306B(c)(10)(A)).

State Financial Obligations: To receive a capitalization grant, an eligible coastal state must deposit at least 20 percent of the total grant amount into its loan fund (Section 2, 306C(e)).