119-hr1917

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1917 Referred in Senate

    (RFS) ]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1917

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 July 23, 2025

 Received; read twice and referred to theCommittee on Environment and 
 Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

 To establish the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program, and for other 
 purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds that--

    (1) the Great Lakes have experienced rapid changes in 
 recent years due to--
        (A) the introduction of multiple aquatic invasive 
 species;
        (B) alterations in the food web; and
            (C) decreases in the abundance of prey species;

    (2) due to rapid biological change in the Great Lakes, the 
 Great Lakes need a collaborative, science-based program to 
 assist in making management actions regarding fish stocking 
 rates, the rehabilitation of important fish species, and 
 habitat restoration;

    (3) the States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, 
 Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Wisconsin and Indian Tribes 
 in those States, working through the Council of Lake Committees 
 of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, have identified that 
 mass marking is--
        (A) a precise tool to keep hatchery-produced fish 
 in balance with wild fish; and
        (B) essential to achieving fishery management and 
 research objectives through producing a better 
 understanding of--
            (i) the quantity of hatchery produced fish 
 compared to wild fish in the Great Lakes;
            (ii) the effectiveness of hatchery 
 operations; and
            (iii) the effectiveness of fishery 
 management actions;

    (4) the mass marking program of the United States Fish and 
 Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes--
        (A) was initiated in 2010 on a limited scale;
        (B) annually tags approximately 9,000,000 to 
 11,000,000 of the hatchery-produced fish stocked in the 
 Great Lakes;
            (C) is a basinwide cooperative effort among the 
 United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Indian Tribes, 
 and State management agencies; and
            (D) produces data used by State and Tribal fish 
 management agencies to make management decisions 
 regarding Great Lakes fisheries;

    (5) annually, Federal, State, and Tribal agencies stock 
 approximately 21,000,000 hatchery-produced fish in the Great 
 Lakes to support--
        (A) native species recovery; and
        (B) recreational and commercial fishing;

    (6) mass marking of hatchery-produced fish, using automated 
 technology, is an efficient method of implementing a 
 collaborative, science-based fishery program; and

    (7) the Great Lakes are an important and valued resource 
 that--
        (A) supports a robust regional economy valued at 
 more than $7,000,000,000; and
        (B) provides stability to the economy of the United 
 States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

    (2) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Great Lakes 
 Mass Marking Program established by 

section 4

    (a) .

SEC. 4. GREAT LAKES MASS MARKING PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--To assist in determining the effectiveness of 
hatchery operations and fisheries management actions and to support 
Great Lakes fisheries, there is established within the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service a program for the mass marking of hatchery-
produced fish in the Great Lakes basin, to be known as the ``Great 
Lakes Mass Marking Program''.

    (b) Authorized Actions.--In carrying out the Program, the Director 
may--

    (1) purchase capital and expendable equipment, fish tags, 
 and other items necessary to support and carry out tagging and 
 tag recovery operations, including data processing and data 
 dissemination relating to those operations; and

    (2) hire additional personnel, as necessary.
            (c) Required Collaboration.--In carrying out the Program, the 
Director shall collaborate with applicable Federal, State, and Tribal 
fish management agencies, the Council of Lake Committees of the Great 
Lakes Fishery Commission, and signatories to the Joint Strategic Plan 
for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries.
            (d) Availability of Data.--The Director shall make the data 
collected under the Program available to applicable Federal, State, and 
Tribal fish management agencies--

    (1) to increase the understanding of the outcomes of 
 management action;

    (2) to assist in meeting the restoration objectives of the 
 Great Lakes, including the fish community objectives and fish 
 management plans described in the Joint Strategic Plan for 
 Management of Great Lakes Fisheries;

    (3) to assist in balancing predators and prey;

    (4) to support and improve the economic status of Tribal, 
 recreational, and commercial fisheries; and

    (5) to assist in evaluating the effectiveness of habitat 
 restoration efforts in the Great Lakes.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Program 
$2,700,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

 Passed the House of Representatives July 22, 2025.

 Attest:

 KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

 Clerk.