Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a subcommittee hearing on four bills related to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including a fix for the disastrous proposed speed rule and updates to data collection for fisheries. Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) issued the following statement in response:

"The introduction of these pieces of legislation will continue our commitment to safeguarding our marine environments and the species that inhabit them. The billswe discussed today, if enacted would continue to prevent NOAA from implementing regulations that would harm our fishing communities. These legislative measures ensure that any changes in regulations are grounded in sound scientific evidence and properly take into account their impact on our coastal communities."

Background

H.R. 7925, the Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-N.Y.), improves access to a wide variety of data about United States' waterways by requiring the NOAA Administrator to publish this data on a website. This will enhance the recreational experience, encourage compliance with applicable laws and regulations and support industries vital to the American economy.

H.R. 8704, introduced by U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), prevents the devastating impacts of NOAA's proposed expansion of the vessel speed restriction rule, including vessels from 35-65 feet under the 10-knot speed limit. This legislation will keep the existing rule—which places a 10-knot speed limit on vessels 65 feet and longer—in place until Dec. 31, 2030. Additionally, this legislation creates a new grant program administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to deploy innovative technologies and other best practices to limit vessel strikes and other harmful interactions between ocean users and species like the North Atlantic right whale.

H.R. 8705, the Fisheries Data Modernization and Accuracy Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), reforms the Marine Recreational Information Program within NOAA to use the best available science and data as the agency makes fishery management decisions. The legislation would require NOAA to develop a standing committee with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to encourage better management decisions to improve stock assessments and recreational fisheries data collection. The legislation would also allow states to be more involved in this process, addressing longstanding concerns from states and stakeholders with NOAA’s fishery management.

H.R. 6841, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mark Levin (D-Calif.), reauthorizes two programs that assist NOAA’s research efforts to protect coastal communities and estuarine reserves most effectively. The legislation requires the Secretary of Commerce to designate five additional national estuarine reserves within five years of enactment.