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CIVIC HERALD
HR 1223 · 119th Congress · HouseIn committee

ANCHOR Act

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

In plain language: This bill directs the National Science Foundation to create a plan and help fund high-speed internet and cybersecurity upgrades for university-operated ocean research ships. Faster, more secure connections will allow at-sea scientists to upload research data directly to the cloud, consult with onshore specialists to fix equipment, and broadcast live video to K–12 classrooms. It will also give deployed crews better access to remote medical care and mental health counseling while calculating how the added tech costs might impact daily ship rental rates.

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Provisionalunreviewed: impact, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affected—Not determinable from the text provided; the bill references fleet crew, researchers, and K-12 students receiving outreach but provides no population counts.
Fiscal magnitude—The text requires cost assessments and a spending plan and authorizes support for upgrades, but specifies no specific authorization or appropriation dollar amounts.
Reach
provisional · pending review14rigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Public R&D+15

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Provisional: our reading of who it affects, pending review.

Who it helps

  • Universities and research laboratories operating research vesselsBecome eligible to receive federal coordination and funding support for vessel cybersecurity, hardware, satellite communications, and networking upgrades under Sec. 2(b) and Sec. 2(d)(1).provisional
  • Research vessel crew and deployed scientistsGain improved at-sea connectivity designed to support telemedicine, mental healthcare, crisis counseling, and real-time remote scientific collaboration under Sec. 2(c)(1)(B)-(E).provisional

Who it burdens

  • National Science FoundationMust conduct comprehensive fleet assessments, consult with partners, submit an 18-month plan to Congress, and deliver a two-year progress report on implementation under Sec. 2(a), 2(b), and 2(d)(2).provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

Provisional: our reading of what the bill does, pending review.

  1. Requires the National Science Foundation, in consultation with other federal agencies, universities, and research laboratories, to submit an 18-month plan to Congress for improving the cybersecurity, networking, and satellite communications of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, including cost estimates and funding plans for shipboard internet, remote research, and crew telehealth access.

    Sec. 2(a)-(c)provisional

  2. Authorizes the National Science Foundation, in coordination with the Office of Naval Research and vessel owners and users, to support and fund cybersecurity and cyberinfrastructure upgrades for the research fleet consistent with the plan.

    Sec. 2(d)(1)provisional

  3. Directs the National Science Foundation to submit a progress report to Congress within two years of delivering the initial plan, detailing the implementation of the fleet's cybersecurity and telecommunications upgrades.

    Sec. 2(d)(2)provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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The record

How members voted on ANCHOR Act.

Recorded roll calls on this bill, most recent first. Open one to see each member's position.

  • House · May 20, 2025 · 2/3 YEA-AND-NAY

    On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass · Passed

    Source →

Timeline

How it moved.

Show all 13 actions
  1. May 21, 2025Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  2. May 20, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  3. May 20, 2025On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 412 - 11 (Roll no. 136). (text: 5/19/2025 CR H2113-2114)
  4. May 20, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 412 - 11 (Roll no. 136). (text: 5/19/2025 CR H2113-2114)
  5. May 20, 2025Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2168)
  6. May 19, 2025At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Babin objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was considered as withdrawn.
  7. May 19, 2025DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1223.
  8. May 19, 2025Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2113-2115)
  9. May 19, 2025Mr. Fong moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  10. Apr 29, 2025Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
  11. Apr 29, 2025Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  12. Feb 12, 2025Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
  13. Feb 12, 2025Introduced in House
  1. May 21, 2025Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  2. May 20, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  3. May 20, 2025On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 412 - 11 (Roll no. 136). (text: 5/19/2025 CR H2113-2114)
  4. May 20, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 412 - 11 (Roll no. 136). (text: 5/19/2025 CR H2113-2114)
  5. Apr 29, 2025Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
  6. Feb 12, 2025Introduced in House

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Read the original text →

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 4 months ago

Cite this page

Civic Herald. “ANCHOR Act (H.R. 1223, 119th Congress).” https://civicherald.app/bills/119-hr-1223. Congress.gov record as of Jul 13, 2026.

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