HR3718-119

Introduced

To reauthorize and amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and for other purposes.

119th Congress Introduced Jun 4, 2025

Summary

What This Bill Does

The bill creates updates the table of contents of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to reflect new section titles and numbering, amends the findings and purposes of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to recognize climate change as a major threat to fisheries and marine ecosystems, including ocean acidification and deoxygenation, and requires fishery management plans to promote resilience to climate change, consider climate impacts, include data for anticipated environmental conditions, assess climate vulnerability, and describe current climate. It relies on compliance mandates, reporting requirements, definition changes, and appropriations. The main policy areas are Fisheries, Agriculture, Science & Space, and Workplace Safety.

Who Benefits and How

Marine conservation organizations could face fewer barriers, Fishing communities could gain revenue opportunities, and Coastal fishing communities could gain revenue opportunities.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Regional Fishery Management Councils would take on compliance duties, NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service would take on compliance duties, and Secretary of Commerce/NOAA would take on compliance duties.

Key Provisions

  • Creates updates the table of contents of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to reflect new section titles and numbering.
  • Amends the findings and purposes of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to recognize climate change as a major threat to fisheries and marine ecosystems, including ocean acidification and deoxygenation.
  • Requires fishery management plans to promote resilience to climate change, consider climate impacts, include data for anticipated environmental conditions, assess climate vulnerability, and describe current climate...
  • Requires Secretary to assess climate vulnerability of all managed fish stocks every 5 years, notify Councils, and requires Councils to publish resilience plans within 1 year of notification.
  • Establishes a climate-ready fisheries innovation program requiring NOAA to develop tools and approaches to help fishery management adapt to climate change impacts within one year.

Evidence Chain:

This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.

At a Glance

What This Bill Does

The bill creates updates the table of contents of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to reflect new section titles and numbering, amends the findings and purposes of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to recognize climate change as a major threat to fisheries and marine ecosystems, including ocean acidification and deoxygenation, and requires fishery management plans to promote resilience to climate change, consider climate impacts, include data for anticipated environmental conditions, assess climate vulnerability, and describe current climate.

Key Policy Areas

Fisheries, Agriculture, Science & Space, Workplace Safety

Primary Purpose

The bill creates updates the table of contents of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to reflect new section titles and numbering, amends the findings and purposes of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to recognize climate change as a major threat to fisheries and marine ecosystems, including ocean acidification and deoxygenation, and requires fishery management plans to promote resilience to climate change, consider climate impacts, include data for anticipated environmental conditions, assess climate vulnerability, and describe current climate.

Policy Domains

Fisheries Agriculture Science & Space Workplace Safety

Title I - Climate Change and Fisheries Resilience

Identified Gains
  • Marine conservation organizations
  • Fishing communities
  • Coastal fishing communities
  • Universities and research institutions
  • Commercial fishing industry
Model: codex-gpt-5:bulk-repair | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
Fishing communities: ,
Coastal fishing communities: ,
Commercial fishing industry: ,
Marine conservation organizations: , , ,
Universities and research institutions: ,
Identified Costs
  • Regional Fishery Management Councils
  • NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service
  • Secretary of Commerce/NOAA
  • NOAA/Secretary of Commerce
  • NOAA administration
Model: codex-gpt-5:bulk-repair | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
NOAA administration: ,
NOAA/Secretary of Commerce: ,
Secretary of Commerce/NOAA: ,
Regional Fishery Management Councils: , , , , , , , ,
NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service: , , ,

Legislative Progress

Introduced
Introduced Committee Passed
Jun 4, 2025

Mr. Huffman (for himself, Mr. Moylan, and Mr. Case) introduced …

Stakeholder Effects

cui bono?

How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.

Fishing & Forestry
34 mentions across 29 clauses
+21 positive -7 negative ?6 uncertain

Charter fishing businesses, Coastal fishing communities, Commercial fisheries

Positive-direction: Coastal fishing communities, Commercial fishers affected by stock shifts, Commercial fishers operating in multi-region fisheries, Commercial fishing industry, Commercial fishing industry near wind areas, Commercial fishing infrastructure operators, Commercial fishing vessels, Commercial tuna fishing industry, Fishing communities, Fishing communities facing climate impacts, Historically underserved coastal communities, New fishery entrants, Northeast commercial fishing vessel operators, Predator fisheries (tuna, pollock), Recreational fishing industry, Recreational fishing industry (Atlantic tuna), Seafood industry, Short-lived species fisheries (squid, shrimp)

Negative-direction: Commercial fishing industry in overfished fisheries, Commercial fishing operations affecting habitat, Commercial fishing operations in sensitive habitats, Commercial fishing operations with high bycatch, Forage fish fisheries (menhaden, anchovy, sardine), Highly migratory species fisheries (excluding Atlantic tuna), Inshore mobile gear fishing operations (trawlers, dredgers)

Government
32 mentions across 24 clauses
+7 positive -23 negative ?2 uncertain

Fisheries observers and at-sea monitors, Law enforcement agencies, NOAA

NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service faces effects in multiple directions

Positive-direction: Fisheries observers and at-sea monitors, Law enforcement agencies, NOAA employees and covered personnel, NOAA employees and fisheries observers, Pacific Insular Area governments (Guam, American Samoa, Northern Marianas), Regional Fishery Management Council staff

Negative-direction: NOAA, NOAA administration, NOAA personnel with merchant mariner credentials, NOAA/Secretary of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service, Regional Fishery Management Councils, Secretary of Commerce/NOAA, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

Research & Science
12 mentions across 11 clauses
+11 positive -1 negative

Climate research community, Climate research consultants, Climate research firms and consultants

Positive-direction: Climate research community, Climate research consultants, Climate research firms and consultants, Climate research organizations, Climate scientists, Climate scientists and ecosystem researchers, Climate vulnerability research organizations, Fisheries research and management contractors, Marine research organizations, Marine scientists specializing in highly migratory species, Shark research organizations

Negative-direction: Scientific and statistical committees

Environment
8 mentions across 8 clauses
+7 positive -1 negative

At-sea observer industry, Conservation organizations, Marine conservation organizations

Positive-direction: Conservation organizations, Marine conservation organizations, Marine ecosystem conservation organizations, Marine habitat conservation advocates

Negative-direction: At-sea observer industry

Indigenous Communities
6 mentions across 4 clauses
+6 positive

Alaska Federation of Natives, Alaska Native tribes, Indian Tribes

Technology
5 mentions across 4 clauses
+5 positive

AI and cloud services providers, Autonomous survey technology providers, Data management and technology contractors

State & Local Government
3 mentions across 3 clauses
+2 positive -1 negative

Coastal state governments, State fisheries agencies, State fisheries data programs

Positive-direction: Coastal state governments, State fisheries data programs

Negative-direction: State fisheries agencies

Education
3 mentions across 3 clauses
+3 positive

Universities and research institutions, Virginia Institute of Marine Science

47/60
sections analyzed
Full impact breakdown

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Fisheries Agriculture Science & Space Workplace Safety
Actor Mappings
"the_council"
→ Regional Fishery Management Councils
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of Commerce
"the_administrator"
→ Administrator of NOAA
Domains
Fisheries Coastal Development Subsistence
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of Commerce
Domains
Workplace Safety Federal Employment
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of Commerce
"the_under_secretary"
→ Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere
Domains
Fisheries Data Collection Research Technology
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of Commerce
"the_administrator"
→ Administrator of NOAA
"the_assistant_administrator"
→ Assistant Administrator for Fisheries
Domains
Fisheries Marine Conservation Stock Management
Actor Mappings
"the_council"
→ Regional Fishery Management Councils
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of Commerce

Key Definitions

Terms defined in this bill

6 terms
"Administrator" §4

The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

"Subsistence fishing" §201

Fishing in which the fish harvested are intended for customary and traditional uses, including for direct or sharing personal, family, or community consumption, for making handicraft articles, for barter, and for customary trade

"Covered personnel" §3552

Individuals who work with or conduct business on behalf of NOAA including observers, at-sea monitors, catch monitors, and Council staff

"Council" §4_council

Has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802) - refers to Regional Fishery Management Councils

"Secretary" §4_secretary

The Secretary of Commerce

"Working waterfront" §202_working_waterfront

Waterfront infrastructure supporting commercial fishing, recreational fishing/boating, aquaculture, boatbuilding, or water-dependent coastal business

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology