DESCEND Act of 2019
Latest action · Dec 2, 2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
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.
- IntroducedDec 2, 2019
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 2019 or the DESCEND Act of 2019
This bill addresses the use of descending devices to release reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico. (A descending device is an instrument that will release fish at a depth sufficient for the fish to be able to recover from the effects of barotrauma.)
Specifically, the bill requires
- commercial and recreational fishermen to possess a venting tool or descending device that is rigged and ready for use when fishing for reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico Exclusive Economic Zone,
- the Department of Commerce to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study and produce a report on discard mortality in the Gulf reef fish fisheries, and
- Commerce and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to develop guidance for reporting discards and associated mortality and develop a plan to assess the effectiveness and usage of barotrauma-reducing devices.
Cosponsors 2
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Dec 2, 2019 to Dec 9, 2019, with 1 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-AL | Doug Jones | Original | Dec 2, 2019 |
| R-TX | John Cornyn | Dec 9, 2019 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 2, 2019Introduced in Senate
- Dec 2, 2019Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 5126 | DESCEND Act of 2020 | Related bill | Jan 13, 2021 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources.
- Atlantic Ocean
- Civil actions and liability
- Congressional oversight
- Fishes
- Government studies and investigations
- Gulf of Mexico
- Hunting and fishing
- Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
- Marine and inland water transportation
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Dec 2, 2019Introduced in Senate
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.