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33 USC § 1972 - Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovations 

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t33/s1972"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "33 USC § 1972 - Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovations"
title_number: 33
title_name: "NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS"
section_number: "1972"
section_name: "Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovations"
chapter_number: 33
chapter_name: "MARINE DEBRIS RESEARCH, PREVENTION, AND REDUCTION"
subchapter_number: "III"
subchapter_name: "GENIUS PRIZE FOR SAVE OUR SEAS INNOVATIONS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 109–449, § 122, formerly Pub. L. 116–224, title I, § 122, Dec. 18, 2020, 134 Stat. 1081; renumbered Pub. L. 109–449, § 122, by Pub. L. 119–65, § 4(a), Dec. 26, 2025, 139 Stat. 1989.)"
---

# § 1972. Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovations

**(a)** **In general**

**(1)** **In general** Not later than 1 year after December 18, 2020, the Secretary shall establish under section 3719 of title 15 a prize competition—

**(A)** to encourage technological innovation with the potential to reduce plastic waste, and associated and potential pollution, and thereby prevent marine debris; and

**(B)** to award 1 or more prizes biennially for projects that advance human understanding and innovation in removing and preventing plastic waste, in one of the categories described in paragraph (2).

**(2)** **Categories for projects** The categories for projects are:

**(A)** Advancements in materials used in packaging and other products that, if such products enter the coastal or ocean environment, will fully degrade without harming the environment, wildlife, or human health.

**(B)** Innovations in production and packaging design that reduce the use of raw materials, increase recycled content, encourage reusability and recyclability, and promote a circular economy.

**(C)** Improvements in marine debris detection, monitoring, and cleanup technologies and processes.

**(D)** Improvements or improved strategies to increase solid waste collection, processing, sorting, recycling, or reuse.

**(E)** New designs or strategies to reduce overall packaging needs and promote reuse.

**(b)** **Designation** The prize competition established under subsection (a) shall be known as the “Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovations”.

**(c)** **Prioritization** In selecting awards for the prize competition, priority shall be given to projects that—

**(1)** have a strategy, submitted with the application or proposal, to move the new technology, process, design, material, or other product supported by the prize to market-scale deployment;

**(2)** support the concept of a circular economy; and

**(3)** promote development of materials that—

**(A)** can fully degrade in the ocean without harming the environment, wildlife, or human health; and

**(B)** are to be used in fishing gear or other maritime products that have an increased likelihood of entering the coastal or ocean environment as unintentional waste.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 109–449, § 122, formerly Pub. L. 116–224, title I, § 122, Dec. 18, 2020, 134 Stat. 1081; renumbered Pub. L. 109–449, § 122, by Pub. L. 119–65, § 4(a), Dec. 26, 2025, 139 Stat. 1989.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to  prior to renumbering by .