HR4294Passed House

MAWS Act of 2026

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Introduced
In Committee
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2025-07-07
Introduced
10
Cosponsors
HR
ⓘ
Type

Sponsor

Sarah Elfreth
Sarah Elfreth
Democrat · MD · Representative
Votes with party: 98.2% (554 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/E000301

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (10)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

2026-03-18

Source: Congress.gov

Plain-English Summary

Mitigation Action and Watermen Support Act of 2026 or the MAWS Act of 2026 This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a pilot program to facilitate the purchase of blue catfish caught within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. (Blue catfish are considered an invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay.) Under the program, NOAA must enter into cooperative agreements with manufacturers or processors of pet food, animal feed, or aquaculture feed for the purchase of blue catfish from watermen and seafood processors. NOAA must determine the minimum price per pound after considering market factors; feedback from watermen, seafood processors, and participants in the program; and differentiation of price points for fillet and byproduct. The bill also requires NOAA to enter into a memorandum of understanding with nonfederal partners to develop abundance estimates of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. NOAA must make the first abundance estimate publicly available before beginning the pilot program.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Subjects

Public Lands and Natural Resources
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