HR 1979 · 116th Congress 2019–2021, ended

Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act

Fact sheet

Latest action · May 8, 2019 Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedMar 28, 2019
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act

This bill addresses certain driftnet fishing. (Driftnet fishing is a method of fishing in which a gillnet composed of a panel or panels of webbing, or a series of such gillnets, is placed in the water and allowed to drift with the currents and winds for the purpose of entangling fish in the webbing.)

Currently, the use of large-scale drift gillnets with a total length of 2.5 kilometers or more is prohibited in the United States. The bill expands the definition of large-scale driftnet fishing to prohibit the use of gillnets with a mesh size of 14 inches or greater. This expanded prohibition does not apply within the U.S. exclusive economic zone for five years.

The Department of Commerce must conduct a transition program to facilitate the phase out of large-scale driftnet fishing and to promote the adoption of alternative fishing practices that minimize the incidental catch of living marine resources.

Commerce must award grants to program participants.

Cosponsors 19

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 28, 2019 to Dec 8, 2020, with 1 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-PABrian K. FitzpatrickOriginalMar 28, 2019
D-CATJ CoxApr 29, 2019
R-VARobert J. WittmanMay 14, 2019
D-CAAlan S. LowenthalMay 15, 2019
D-CABarbara LeeMay 20, 2019
R-FLBrian J. MastJun 6, 2019
D-NMDebra A. HaalandJun 6, 2019
D-HIEd CaseJun 27, 2019
R-MSSteven M. PalazzoJun 27, 2019
D-CAAdam B. SchiffOct 8, 2019
D-CAJosh HarderOct 8, 2019
R-VAH. Morgan GriffithNov 17, 2020
D-CAMike ThompsonDec 2, 2020
D-CAAnna G. EshooDec 7, 2020
D-DCEleanor Holmes NortonDec 7, 2020

Actions 4

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. May 8, 2019Subcommittee Hearings Held.
  2. Apr 18, 2019Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
  3. Mar 28, 2019Introduced in House
  4. Mar 28, 2019Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 906Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction ActIdentical billJan 1, 2021

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Mar 28, 2019Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.