Fisheries Modernization Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4800 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4800

 To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
  to make certain freshwater fisheries eligible for fishery resource 
                            disaster relief.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 29, 2025

 Mr. Higgins of Louisiana (for himself and Mr. Fields) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
  to make certain freshwater fisheries eligible for fishery resource 
                            disaster relief.

    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 ``Fisheries Modernization Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. CERTAIN FRESHWATER FISHERIES ELIGIBLE FOR FISHERY RESOURCE 
              DISASTER RELIEF.

    (a) In General.--Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1861a(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
                ``infrastructure-related cause,'' after ``discrete 
                anthropogenic cause,'';
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (G) 
                as subparagraphs (F) through (H), respectively; and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the 
                following:
                    ``(E) Infrastructure-related cause.--The term 
                `infrastructure-related cause' means an event--
                            ``(i) caused by the operation or failure of 
                        Federal or State infrastructure, including--
                                    ``(I) flood control systems;
                                    ``(II) spillways;
                                    ``(III) levees; and
                                    ``(IV) diversions; and
                            ``(ii) that results in measurable 
                        disruption to commercial or subsistence fishery 
                        activity, aquatic habitat, or water quality.'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ``, including with 
        respect to the red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) and 
        white river crawfish (Procambarus zonangulus) fisheries'' after 
        ``in accordance with this subsection'';
            (3) in paragraph (3)(B)(v)--
                    (A) in subclause (III), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subclause (IV), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                                    ``(V) with respect to the red swamp 
                                crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) and 
                                white river crawfish (Procambarus 
                                zonangulus) fisheries, information 
                                related to hydrological conditions, 
                                water quality degradation, extreme 
                                flooding or drought, or other 
                                environmental disruptions that directly 
                                impact viability.''; and
            (4) in paragraph (5)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) by redesignating clauses (iii) and (iv) 
                        as clauses (iv) and (v), respectively;
                            (ii) by inserting after clause (ii) the 
                        following:
                            ``(iii) an infrastructure-related cause;''; 
                        and
                            (iii) in clause (iv), as so redesignated, 
                        by striking ``a combination of a natural cause 
                        and an anthropogenic cause'' and inserting 
                        ``any combination of clauses (i) through 
                        (iii)''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and 
                safety,'' and inserting ``and safety, and including a 
                disaster affecting the red swamp crawfish (Procambarus 
                clarkii) and white river crawfish (Procambarus 
                zonangulus) fisheries,''.
    (b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
to limit, reduce, or otherwise affect the eligibility of any marine or 
anadromous fishery for fishery resource disaster assistance under 
section 312 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1861a).
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