§1981. Definitions

In this chapter:

(1) Circular economy

The term "circular economy" has the meaning given such term in section 4201 of this title.

(2) Coastal shoreline community

The term "coastal shoreline community" means a city or county directly adjacent to the open ocean, major estuaries, or the Great Lakes.

(3) EPA Administrator

The term "EPA Administrator" has the meaning given such term in section 4201 of this title.

(4) Indian Tribe

The term "Indian Tribe" has the meaning given that term in section 5304 of title 25.

(5) Interagency Committee

The term "Interagency Committee" means the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee established under section 1954 of this title.

(6) Marine debris

The term "marine debris" means any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes.

(7) MARPOL; Annex V; Convention

The terms "MARPOL", "Annex V", and "Convention" have the meaning given those terms under section 1901(a) of this title.

(8) Non-Federal funds

The term "non-Federal funds" means funds provided by-

(A) a State;

(B) an Indian Tribe;

(C) a territory of the United States;

(D) one or more units of local governments or Tribal organizations;

(E) a foreign government;

(F) a private for-profit entity;

(G) a nonprofit organization; or

(H) a private individual.

(9) Nonprofit organization

The term "nonprofit organization" has the meaning given such term in section 4201 of this title.

(10) Post consumer materials management

The term "post-consumer materials management" has the meaning given such term in section 4201 of this title.

(11) Program

The term "Program" means the Marine Debris Program established under section 1952 ¹ of this title.

(12) Severe marine debris event

The term "severe marine debris event" means atypically large amounts of marine debris caused by a natural disaster, including a tsunami, flood, landslide, or hurricane, or other source.

(13) State

The term "State" means-

(A) any State of the United States that is impacted by marine debris within its seaward or Great Lakes boundaries;

(B) Indian Tribe;

(C) the District of Columbia;

(D) American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; and

(E) any other territory or possession of the United States, or separate sovereign in free association with the United States, that is impacted by marine debris within its seaward boundaries.

(14) Tribal Government

The term "Tribal Government" means the recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community, component band, or component reservation, individually identified (including parenthetically) in the list published most recently as of December 26, 2025, pursuant to section 5131 of title 25.

(15) Tribal organization

The term "Tribal organization" has the meaning given the term in section 5304 of title 25.

(16) Under Secretary

The term "Under Secretary" has the meaning given such term in section 4201 of this title.

( Pub. L. 109–449, §131, formerly §7, Dec. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 3338 ; Pub. L. 112–213, title VI, §608, Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1578 ; renumbered §131 and amended Pub. L. 119–65, §§4(b)(1), 5(a), (b)(1), (c), Dec. 26, 2025, 139 Stat. 1989 , 1990.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 1952 of this title, referred to in par. (11), was in the original "section 3", and was translated as reading "section 101" of Pub. L. 109–449 to reflect the probable intent of Congress and the renumbering of section 3 as 101 by Pub. L. 119–65, §2(a)(2).

Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 1956 of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 119–65.

Amendments

2025-Par. (1). Pub. L. 119–65, §5(a)(1), (3), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which defined "Administrator" as the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Pars. (2) to (7). Pub. L. 119–65, §5(a)(2), (3), added pars. (2) to (4) and redesignated former pars. (2) to (4) as (5) to (7), respectively. Former pars. (5) to (7) redesignated (11) to (13), respectively.

Par. (8). Pub. L. 119–65, §5(b)(1), transferred par. (7) of section 4201 of this title to par. (8) of this section.

Par. (8)(D). Pub. L. 119–65, §5(c), struck out "(as defined in section 5304 of title 25)" after "Tribal organizations".

Pars. (9), (10). Pub. L. 119–65, §5(a)(4), added pars. (9) and (10).

Pars. (11) to (13). Pub. L. 119–65, §5(a)(2), redesignated pars. (5) to (7) as (11) to (13), respectively.

Par. (13)(B) to (E). Pub. L. 119–65, §5(a)(6), added subpar. (B) and redesignated former subpars. (B) to (D) as (C) to (E), respectively.

Pars. (14) to (16). Pub. L. 119–65, §5(a)(5), added pars. (14) to (16).

2012-Par. (2). Pub. L. 112–213, §608(1), substituted "section 1954 of this title" for "section 1914 of this title".

Par. (3). Pub. L. 112–213, §608(2), added par. (3) and struck out former par. (3). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "The term 'United States exclusive economic zone' means the zone established by Presidential Proclamation Numbered 5030, dated March 10, 1983, including the ocean waters of the areas referred to as 'eastern special areas' in article 3(1) of the Agreement between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Maritime Boundary, signed June 1, 1990."

Par. (5). Pub. L. 112–213, §608(3)–(5), redesignated par. (7) as (5), struck out "Prevention and Removal" before "Program", and struck out former par. (5). Prior to amendment, text of par. (5) read as follows: "The term 'navigable waters' means waters of the United States, including the territorial sea."

Par. (6). Pub. L. 112–213, §608(6), added par. (6) and struck out former par. (6). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "The term 'territorial sea' means the waters of the United States referred to in Presidential Proclamation No. 5928, dated December 27, 1988."

Pars. (7), (8). Pub. L. 112–213, §608(7), redesignated par. (8) as (7). Former par. (7) redesignated (5).

¹ See References in Text note below.