No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6939 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6939
To address data and research gaps to improve marine environmental data
collection, particularly in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf
of Alaska, prioritize technology that supports research, bycatch
reduction, and marine benthic habitat in Alaska fisheries, advance and
streamline electronic monitoring and electronic reporting in United
States fisheries, and establish a fund to provide financial assistance
for fishermen purchasing gear and technology aimed at reducing bycatch
and marine benthic habitat contact from trawl fishing gear.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 6, 2026
Mr. Begich introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To address data and research gaps to improve marine environmental data
collection, particularly in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf
of Alaska, prioritize technology that supports research, bycatch
reduction, and marine benthic habitat in Alaska fisheries, advance and
streamline electronic monitoring and electronic reporting in United
States fisheries, and establish a fund to provide financial assistance
for fishermen purchasing gear and technology aimed at reducing bycatch
and marine benthic habitat contact from trawl fishing gear.
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 ``Bycatch Reduction and Research Act
of 2026''.
SEC. 2. RESEARCH.
(a) Reconstitution of the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (referred to in this Act as the
``Administrator'') shall reconstitute the membership of the
Alaska Salmon Research Task Force, as described in the Alaska
Salmon Research Task Force Act (Public Law 117-328; 136 Stat.
5271).
(2) Bycatch reduction and research task force.--The
reconstituted membership described in paragraph (1) shall be
referred to as the ``Bycatch Reduction and Research Task
Force''.
(3) Members.--The Secretary of Commerce shall appoint an
additional 2 representatives who are academic experts in
groundfish ecology and invertebrate ecology to the Bycatch
Reduction and Research Task Force.
(4) Duties.--The Bycatch Reduction and Research Task Force
shall--
(A) review all research conducted and reports
published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration under this section; and
(B) in consultation with the Administrator, provide
priority recommendations for future work as described
in subsection (d)(2)(B).
(5) Inapplicability of federal advisory committee act.--
Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as
the ``Federal Advisory Committee Act''), shall not apply to the
Bycatch Reduction and Research Task Force.
(b) Salmon Life History Research.--
(1) Salmon tagging.--
(A) In general.--The Administrator shall enter into
public-private partnerships with State agencies,
nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher
education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))), Indian
Tribes or Tribal organizations (as defined in section 4
of the Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)), and research
institutions to research the marine life history of
Alaska origin salmon species in the Bering Sea,
Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska.
(B) Partnerships.--In entering into partnerships
described in subparagraph (A), the Administrator--
(i) shall involve a diverse group of Alaska
salmon experts, including Alaska Natives,
fishing industry representatives, commercial
fishermen, and individuals who possess personal
knowledge of, and direct experience with,
subsistence uses in Alaska; and
(ii) may include cooperative research
efforts with privately owned commercial or
charter fishing vessel owners.
(C) Research.--At a minimum, the research required
under subparagraph (A) shall include satellite tagging
or other intelligent tagging methodologies to better
understand migration and distributions of Alaska origin
salmon during their marine life history in the Bering
Sea, Aleutian Islands, or Gulf of Alaska.
(2) Genetic sampling grant program.--The Administrator
shall conduct a competitive grant program to support improving
the turnaround time of genetic analyses of biological samples
collected at-sea or shoreside to provide real-time, or near-
real-time, in-season genetic stock identification and age
composition estimates of Alaska origin salmon caught
incidentally in commercial fisheries conducted in the exclusive
economic zone (as defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802)).
(3) Reporting.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall publish a
report--
(A) on the findings of the salmon life history
research conducted under paragraph (1) and the findings
of the genetic analyses grant program conducted under
paragraph (2) that details how the research and genetic
analyses can better inform Alaska origin salmon stock
status and distributions; and
(B) that includes potential uses of artificial
intelligence or machine learning technology to perform
predictive modeling to inform potential Alaska salmon
bycatch avoidance areas.
(c) Ecosystem Analyses.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall conduct--
(A) research, through studies and models that
incorporate existing data, literature, and ongoing
research, of how contact from non-pelagic trawl and
pelagic trawl gear impact shallow shelves or other
marine benthic habitats in the Bering Sea, Aleutian
Islands, and Gulf of Alaska;
(B) a review of existing data, literature, and
ongoing research efforts on fluctuations in Bering Sea,
Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska marine ecosystems
that may affect the survivability or energetic
condition of commercially or culturally important wild
marine and anadromous species, including examining--
(i) harmful algal blooms;
(ii) marine heatwaves;
(iii) in-river temperatures;
(iv) sea ice extent and thickness;
(v) ocean acidification;
(vi) diseases;
(vii) nutrient or prey availability;
(viii) density dependence;
(ix) shifting stock distributions;
(x) impacts from hatchery released species,
with particular attention to foreign hatchery
releases; and
(xi) predator-prey interactions; and
(C) new research, using the review of data,
literature, and ongoing research efforts under
subparagraph (B), to prioritize data collection that
support conservation of commercially or culturally
important wild marine and anadromous species.
(2) Diverse group involvement.--In conducting research
under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall--
(A) enter into public-private partnerships with
relevant entities, such as State agencies, nonprofit
organizations, institutions of higher education (as
defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))), and Indian Tribes or
Tribal organizations (as defined in section 4 of the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
(25 U.S.C. 5304)); and
(B) include a framework that involves a diverse
group of experts in commercially or culturally
important wild marine and anadromous species, including
Alaska Natives, fishing industry representatives,
commercial fishermen, and individuals who possess
personal knowledge of, and direct experience with,
subsistence uses in Alaska.
(d) Reports.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall publish interim
annual reports and a final report (not later than 3 years after
the date of enactment of this Act)--
(A) on findings and results of the research and
review conducted under subsection (c)(1), and the
status of milestones reached for all research
initiatives under this section;
(B) on the results from the salmon tagging and
genetic sampling research under subsection (b),
including modeled Alaska origin salmon migration routes
and potential applications to inform how best to
minimize Alaska salmon bycatch; and
(C) that includes results from the ecosystem
analyses under subsection (c).
(2) Recommendations; findings.--The reports described under
paragraph (1) shall include--
(A) recommendations for applying the results from
the ecosystem analyses review to model potential
impacts on commercially or culturally important wild
marine and anadromous species in the Bering Sea,
Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska to support
informed management actions; and
(B) other findings and recommendations for future
work under this section.
SEC. 3. FLUME TANK.
(a) In General.--The Administrator shall enter into a public-
private partnership to build a flume tank for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, the fishing industry, and other researchers
to test technology and improved fishing gear aimed at reducing bycatch
and contact with Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska
marine benthic habitats.
(b) Flume Tank Assistance Fund.--The Administrator shall establish
a Flume Tank Assistance Fund to provide grants or other financial
assistance to support entities that wish to test their innovative
technology, including approaches that support prototype development and
associated devices, instruments, sensors, or fishing gear designs aimed
at reducing bycatch in fisheries and Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and
Gulf of Alaska marine benthic habitat contact from non-pelagic trawl
and pelagic trawl gear, including workforce and training programs on
such technology or gear.
SEC. 4. OBSERVER COVERAGE.
(a) Electronic Monitoring and Reporting.--The Administrator shall--
(1) create a timeline and process for reviewing and
approving exempted fishing permits to support innovating
fishing gear types and technology for reducing bycatch and
reducing marine habitat disturbances, including streamlining
exempted fishing permits for fishermen and owners and operators
of commercial fishing vessels who purchase or modify fishing
gear, equipment, or technology with financial assistance
provided under the Bycatch Mitigation and Habitat Protection
Assistance Fund, established under section 322 of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, if approving
such permits does not interfere with fishery conservation
objectives;
(2) streamline the approval process for experimental or
exempted fishing permits for electronic monitoring pilot
projects, if approving such permits does not interfere with
fishery conservation objectives;
(3) facilitate cooperative research programs and regional
pilot frameworks;
(4) conduct a public stakeholder consultation process not
less often than once every 3 years, which shall include public
notice, listening sessions, and a written comment period of not
less than 60 days, and solicit input from stakeholders,
including service providers, regional management council
technical teams, fishery industry participants, and data
scientists, on--
(A) revisions to electronic monitoring and
electronic reporting technical standards or operational
guidance;
(B) improvements to cost-effectiveness or
usability; and
(C) barriers to electronic monitoring adoption,
particularly among small-scale fleets; and
(5) provide a data integration strategy that--
(A) incorporates electronic monitoring data
directly into regional science center workflows and
stock assessment models;
(B) aligns electronic monitoring data review and
retention timelines and quality control protocols with
those used in traditional observer data streams;
(C) reduces latency between data collection and
management application; and
(D) supports the development of interoperable
databases that facilitate real-time or near-real-time
analysis and decision making.
(b) Transparency.--The Administrator shall require the regional
offices of the National Marine Fisheries Service to publish, online and
in layman's terms, up-to-date observer coverage category requirements
for high-volume Federal fisheries specifying the Federal fishery under
their jurisdiction, including prohibited species catch (bycatch) for
each observer program category.
(c) Reporting.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall publish a report
on how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and
Regional Fishery Management Councils can improve and integrate
the use of observer and electronic monitoring data to better
inform spatio-temporal fishing activity and impacts to
harvested and incidentally harvested populations, while
ensuring the protection of proprietary information.
(2) Report to congress.--The Administrator shall submit a
report to Congress and publish the report on the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website that includes
the data integration strategy for increasing data review
efficiency and uniformity described in subsection (a)(5).
(3) Recommendations.--The reports required under paragraphs
(1) and (2) shall include recommendations--
(A) for the use of any technologies identified as
effective for sharing real-time, or near-real-time,
catch information to identify bycatch hotspots and
bycatch avoidance areas; and
(B) to minimize commercially or culturally
important wild marine and anadromous species in the
Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska origin
salmon bycatch.
SEC. 5. BYCATCH REDUCTION AND MITIGATION.
(a) Reauthorization of Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program.--
Section 316 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (16 U.S.C. 1865) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $4,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.''.
(b) Bycatch Mitigation and Habitat Protection Assistance Fund.--
Title III of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (16 U.S.C. 1851 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 322. BYCATCH MITIGATION AND HABITAT PROTECTION ASSISTANCE FUND.
``(a) In General.--There is established in the general fund of the
Treasury of the United States an account to be known as the `Bycatch
Mitigation and Habitat Protection Assistance Fund', which shall--
``(1) be administered by the Foundation; and
``(2) consist of donations of amounts accepted pursuant to
subsection (c).
``(b) Use.--The Foundation shall use the amounts in the Fund to
reduce or mitigate bycatch, and reduce marine benthic habitat contact
from non-pelagic and pelagic trawl gear, including by providing
financial assistance to fishermen and owners and operators of
commercial fishing vessels to purchase or modify fishing gear,
equipment, and technology, including innovative technology, prototypes,
instruments, or sensors.
``(c) Donations.--The Foundation may solicit and accept donations
of amounts for deposit into the Fund.
``(d) Consultation.--In administering the Fund, the Foundation
shall consult with the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, each Council, and
each of the regional science centers of the National Marine Fisheries
Service to ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable, amounts in
the Fund are used in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
``(e) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment
of this section, and biennially thereafter, the Foundation shall
publish and post online in a manner available to the public information
regarding the use of the Fund during--
``(1) with respect to the first publication of information,
the preceding 3 years; and
``(2) with respect to each subsequent publication of
information, the preceding 2 years.
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Foundation.--The term `Foundation' means the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
``(2) Fund.--The term `Fund' means the Bycatch Mitigation
and Habitat Protection Assistance Fund established under
subsection (a).''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line