119-hr4294

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4294 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4294

 To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a pilot program with 
 respect to the sale of blue catfish caught within the Chesapeake Bay 
 Watershed.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 7, 2025

 Ms. Elfreth (for herself, Mr. Wittman, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, and 
 Mr. Hoyer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a pilot program with 
 respect to the sale of blue catfish caught within the Chesapeake Bay 
 Watershed.

 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 ``Mitigation Action and Watermen 
Support Act of 2025'' or the ``MAWS Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. BLUE CATFISH PILOT PROGRAM.

 

Section 307 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
Authorization Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 1511d) is amended--

    (1) by redesignating subsection

    (e) as subsection

    (f) ; and

    (2) by inserting after subsection
            (d) the following:
 ``

    (e) Blue Catfish Pilot Program.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a pilot 
 program to award amounts to covered entities to purchase, in 
 accordance with paragraph

    (3) --
 ``
        (A) from watermen, blue catfish caught within the 
 Chesapeake Bay Watershed by such watermen; and
 ``
        (B) from seafood processors, such blue catfish 
 purchased by seafood processors from such watermen.
 ``

    (2) Applications.--To be eligible to be awarded amounts 
 under the pilot program, a covered entity shall submit to the 
 Secretary an application in such form, at such time, and 
 containing such information as the Secretary determines 
 appropriate.
 ``

    (3) Use of amounts.--A covered entity that is awarded 
 amounts under the pilot program--
 ``
        (A) shall use such amounts to purchase blue 
 catfish from watermen or seafood processors for at 
 least the amount determined by the Secretary under 
 paragraph

    (5) ; and
 ``
        (B) may use not more than 15 percent of such 
 amounts to offset the cost to transport such blue 
 catfish to manufacturing or processing facilities.
 ``

    (4) Waterman and seafood processor eligibility.--To be 
 eligible to sell a blue catfish under the pilot program to a 
 covered entity that is awarded amounts under the pilot 
 program--
 ``
        (A) a waterman shall certify to such a covered 
 entity that the waterman caught the blue catfish within 
 the Chesapeake Bay Watershed; and
 ``
        (B) a seafood processor shall certify to such a 
 covered entity that the seafood processor purchased the 
 blue catfish from a waterman who caught the blue 
 catfish within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
 ``

    (5) Determination of minimum purchase amount.--With 
 respect to blue catfish sold by watermen or seafood processors 
 under the pilot program, the Secretary shall determine the 
 minimum price per pound, taking into consideration--
 ``
        (A) market factors;
 ``
        (B) feedback from watermen, seafood processors, 
 and covered entities who participate in the pilot 
 program, if available; and
 ``
            (C) differentiation of price points for fillet 
 and byproduct.
 ``

    (6) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on 
 which the pilot program terminates in accordance with paragraph

    (7) , the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report regarding 
 the pilot program, including the following information:
 ``
        (A) An estimate of the size and spawning stock 
 biomass of the blue catfish population in the 
 Chesapeake Bay Watershed prior to and at the conclusion 
 of the pilot program, using the most recent data 
 available.
 ``
        (B) The size distribution and diet of the blue 
 catfish population in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed 
 during and at the conclusion of the pilot program.
 ``
            (C) The number of blue catfish and the amount of 
 blue catfish (measured in pounds) caught by watermen 
 who participate in the pilot program during the pilot 
 program.
 ``
            (D) The effect of the pilot program on species 
 other than the blue catfish in and the environment of 
 the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
 ``
        (E) The economic effect of the pilot program on 
 watermen who participate in the pilot program, 
 including--
 ``
            (i) the revenue generated by each such 
 waterman by selling blue catfish under the 
 pilot program; and
 ``
            (ii) catch data with respect to and 
 revenue generated from other species fished by 
 such watermen during the pilot program.
 ``
        (F) The market response to the pilot program, 
 including--
 ``
            (i) the total amount awarded to covered 
 entities under the pilot program; and
 ``
            (ii) trends in the types of covered 
 entities awarded amounts under the pilot 
 program.
 ``
        (G) With respect to the manufacturing or 
 processing practices of each covered entity that is 
 awarded amounts under the pilot program, information 
 regarding whether each such covered entity--
 ``
            (i) uses internal or third-party 
 manufacturers or processors;
 ``
            (ii) uses, for each type of food product 
 produced by the covered entity, whole fish, 
 fillet, or byproduct; and
 ``
            (iii) if the covered entity uses only 
 part of the fish, sells the remainder to third 
 parties.
 ``
        (H) How each covered entity that is awarded 
 amounts under the pilot program transports blue catfish 
 purchased by the covered entity, including--
 ``
            (i) whether the covered entity freezes 
 such blue catfish;
 ``
            (ii) how often the covered entity picks 
 up such blue catfish; and
 ``
            (iii) whether the covered entity uses a 
 seafood transport company that is local to the 
 Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
 ``
            (I) Policy recommendations regarding--
 ``
            (i) the continuation of the pilot program 
 in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed; and
 ``
            (ii) the expansion of the pilot program 
 to other watersheds, including--
 ``
            (I) best practices;
 ``
            (II) specific recommendations 
 regarding invasive species of carp in 
 the Mississippi rivershed;
 ``
            (III) with respect to other 
 invasive aquatic species and watersheds 
 that may benefit from the pilot 
 program; and
 ``
            (IV) other strategies with 
 respect to the mitigation of aquatic 
 invasive species for Congress to 
 consider piloting.
 ``

    (7) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
 program from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2029.
 ``

    (8) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the 
 pilot program $2,000,000 for each fiscal year for the duration 
 of the pilot program in accordance with paragraph

    (7) .
 ``

    (9) === Definitions. ===
-In this subsection:
 ``
        (A) Animal feed.--The term `animal feed'--
 ``
            (i) means an article that is intended for 
 use--
 ``
            (I) for food for an animal other 
 than man; and
 ``
            (II) as a substantial source of 
 nutrients in the diet of such an 
 animal; and
 ``
            (ii) is not limited to a mixture intended 
 to be the sole ration of such an animal.
 ``
        (B) Aquaculture feed.--The term `aquaculture 
 feed'--
 ``
            (i) means an article that is intended for 
 use--
 ``
            (I) for food for an aquacultural 
 species, including any species of 
 finfish, mollusk, crustacean (or other 
 aquatic invertebrate), amphibian, 
 reptile, ornamental fish, or aquatic 
 plant that is propagated and reared in 
 a controlled or selected environment; 
 and
 ``
            (II) as a substantial source of 
 nutrients in the diet of such an 
 aquacultural species; and
 ``
            (ii) is not limited to a mixture intended 
 to be the sole ration of such an aquacultural 
 species.
 ``
            (C) Blue catfish.--The term `blue catfish' means 
 the species Ictalurus furcatus.
 ``
            (D) Chesapeake bay watershed.--The term 
 `Chesapeake Bay Watershed' means the region that 
 covers--
 ``
            (i) the Chesapeake Bay;
 ``
            (ii) the portions of the States of 
 Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, 
 Virginia, and West Virginia that drain into the 
 Chesapeake Bay; and
 ``
            (iii) the District of Columbia.
 ``
        (E) Covered entity.--The term `covered entity' 
 means a person engaged in the business of manufacturing 
 or processing--
 ``
            (i) pet food;
 ``
            (ii) animal feed; or
 ``
            (iii) aquaculture feed.
 ``
        (F) Pilot program.--The term `pilot program' 
 means the pilot program established under paragraph

    (1) .
 ``
        (G) Seafood processor.--The term `seafood 
 processor' means a person engaged in the business of 
 preparing or packaging fish or fish products (including 
 fish harvested by the processor) for sale.
 ``
        (H) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the 
 Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator 
 of the National Oceans and Atmospheric 
 Administration.''.
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