South Atlantic Red Snapper Fair Access Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9933 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9933

To prohibit certain commercial activities with respect to certain South 
  Atlantic red snapper during certain periods, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2026

 Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To prohibit certain commercial activities with respect to certain South 
  Atlantic red snapper during certain periods, and for other purposes.

    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 ``South Atlantic Red Snapper Fair 
Access Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) South Atlantic red snapper is a healthy public fishery 
        resource that supports recreational anglers, for-hire 
        operators, coastal communities, fishing tackle retailers, 
        marinas, restaurants, lodging providers, and other businesses 
        throughout the South Atlantic region.
            (2) In recent years, recreational harvest of South Atlantic 
        red snapper in Federal waters has been limited to extremely 
        short seasons, including one- and two-day seasons, despite 
        historic abundance and strong public demand for access to the 
        fishery.
            (3) Conversely, commercial harvest of South Atlantic red 
        snapper in Federal waters has remained open for substantially 
        longer periods, including commercial seasons that have lasted 
        for weeks or months in recent years.
            (4) Leading up to the 2026 recreational fishing season, the 
        States of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, 
        working with the National Marine Fisheries Service, developed 
        and received approval for State-led exempted fishing permit 
        pilot programs designed to improve recreational fisheries data 
        collection, test State management strategies, reduce 
        uncertainty, and provide more reasonable recreational access to 
        South Atlantic red snapper.
            (5) Those State-led pilot programs were halted by a 
        preliminary injunction issued by the United States District 
        Court for the District of Columbia, blocking the approved 2026 
        pilot seasons for the States of Florida, Georgia, South 
        Carolina, and North Carolina, including Florida's season just 
        hours before it was scheduled to begin.
            (6) While anglers continue to sit at the dock awaiting a 
        management system that allows reasonable access to a healthy 
        public fishery resource, conservation burdens and access 
        restrictions should be shared fairly across sectors.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES WITH RESPECT TO 
              CERTAIN SOUTH ATLANTIC RED SNAPPER DURING CERTAIN 
              PERIODS.

    (a) In General.--It is unlawful for any person, for commercial 
purposes--
            (1) to harvest any South Atlantic red snapper from Federal 
        waters during a covered period; or
            (2) to sell, purchase, trade, barter, or offer for sale any 
        South Atlantic red snapper harvested from Federal waters during 
        a covered period.
    (b) Penalties.--
            (1) In general.--An act described in subsection (a) shall 
        be treated as an act described in section 307 of the Magnuson-
        Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
        1857) for purposes of sections 308 through 311 of that Act (16 
        U.S.C. 1858-1860).
            (2) Enforcement.--The Secretary shall enforce this section 
        as if a violation of subsection (a) were a violation of section 
        307 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
        Act (16 U.S.C. 1857).
    (c) Implementation.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue such regulations 
as are necessary to carry out this section.
    (d) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Covered period.--The term ``covered period'' means a 
        period during which the recreational harvest of South Atlantic 
        red snapper in Federal waters is prohibited.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce, acting through the Director of the National Marine 
        Fisheries Service.
            (3) South atlantic red snapper.--The term ``South Atlantic 
        red snapper'' means red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) subject 
        to management under the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper 
        Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region published by the 
        South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
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