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