Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act
Latest action · Feb 23, 2026 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 438.
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.
- IntroducedMay 13, 2025
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act
This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to publish geospatial data related to public recreational use of federal waterways (e.g., boating and fishing).
Under the bill, NOAA must consult with relevant stakeholders (including state and local governments, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations) to develop and adopt standards for the coordination and dissemination of geospatial data relating to fishing restrictions and recreational vessels' use of federal waterways, including the exclusive economic zone of the United States (EEZ). (The EEZ generally includes waters between 3 and 200 miles seaward from the U.S. coastline.)
Within four years after the bill is enacted, NOAA must provide geographic information system data on a public website that identifies and describes the locations where and conditions under which certain recreational activities are restricted in federal waterways. Specifically, the website must identify (1) locations where fishing restrictions are imposed, (2) areas in the EEZ with restrictions on specified recreational vessel types, and (3) federally protected areas (e.g., National Marine Sanctuaries). NOAA must also continue to provide digitized navigation information related to the EEZ and make the information available on the website to the extent practicable.
The bill allows NOAA to coordinate and partner with nonfederal entities to carry out this bill. It also directs NOAA to work with other federal agencies to ensure compatibility and interoperability among federal databases with respect to collecting and disseminating geospatial data related to the public outdoor recreational use of the EEZ.
Cosponsors 15
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 13, 2025 to Dec 18, 2025; 2 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Jimmy Panetta | Original | May 13, 2025 |
| D-CA | Mike Levin | Original | May 13, 2025 |
| D-LA | Troy A. Carter | Jun 4, 2025 | |
| D-HI | Ed Case | Jul 14, 2025 | |
| R-NY | Andrew R. Garbarino | Jul 16, 2025 | |
| R-NY | Michael Lawler | Jul 17, 2025 | |
| D-HI | Jill N. Tokuda | Jul 21, 2025 | |
| R-GA | Earl L. "Buddy" Carter | Jul 29, 2025 | |
| R-SC | Nancy Mace | Aug 8, 2025 | |
| D-CA | Dave Min | Aug 15, 2025 | |
| R-FL | John H. Rutherford | Sep 2, 2025 | |
| D-NY | Laura Gillen | Sep 30, 2025 | |
| D-VA | Eugene Simon Vindman | Oct 3, 2025 | |
| D-DE | Sarah McBride | Dec 9, 2025 | |
| D-CA | Derek Tran | Dec 18, 2025 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Natural Resources Committee | Referred May 13, 2025Markup Jan 22, 2026Reported Feb 23, 2026 |
Actions 6
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 23, 2026Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-512.
- Feb 23, 2026Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 438.
- Jan 22, 2026Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Jan 22, 2026Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
- May 13, 2025Introduced in House
- May 13, 2025Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Sep 4, 2026H.R. 3340, Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans ActAs reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on February 23, 2026
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 171, no. 80, May 13, 2025, page H2001.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 759 | Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act | Identical bill | Sep 25, 2026 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To provide for the standardization, publication, and accessibility of data relating to public outdoor recreational use of Federal waterways, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources.
Text 2
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 23, 2026Reported in House
- May 13, 2025Introduced in House
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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
