HR3706-119

What This Bill Does

The SUSHI Act requires Federal science and enforcement agencies to create a seafood-origin testing methodology. Key agency leadership means the NOAA Administrator and the NIST Under Secretary, in consultation with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Commandant of the Coast Guard. They must jointly develop a standard methodology, based on chemical analysis, for identifying the country of origin of seafood to support enforcement against unlawful, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The methodology must fit law-enforcement needs, minimize processing time, use a field kit that one individual can carry, and, where practicable, test prepared foods such as ceviche, sashimi, sushi, and poke. Pilot studies must cover red snapper as a stationary stock and bigeye, yellowfin, and bluefin tuna as highly migratory stocks. Within two years, the NIST Under Secretary must report to Congress with the methodology, an operationalization plan, and explanations if any chemical-analysis approach is impractical.

Who Benefits and How

Federal seafood enforcement officers benefit from a standard origin-testing method and portable field-kit design. State seafood enforcement agencies benefit if the method can support faster field investigations. Domestic commercial fishermen benefit because stronger origin testing can make it harder for illegal or mislabeled foreign seafood to undercut lawful catch. Seafood consumers benefit from better confidence that origin claims are accurate. Red snapper and tuna enforcement programs benefit because the pilot studies target those species directly.

Who Bears the Burden and How

NOAA, NIST, Customs and Border Protection, and Coast Guard leadership must coordinate methodology development. The NIST Under Secretary must deliver a report within two years and explain any impractical elements. Seafood importers and distributors may face more origin-testing scrutiny. Restaurants and prepared-food sellers could face testing of raw prepared seafood where practicable. Federal laboratories and field officers bear implementation work if the method becomes operational.

Key Provisions

• Defines key agency leadership as NOAA and NIST leadership in consultation with CBP and the Coast Guard.
• Requires a standard chemical-analysis methodology for identifying seafood country of origin.
• Requires the methodology to support Federal and State enforcement against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
• Directs pilot studies on red snapper and specified tuna species.
• Requires a congressional report within two years with the methodology, operational plan, and impracticability analysis.