SRES683Referred to Committee

A resolution raising awareness of lake sturgeon.

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2026-04-22
Introduced
1
Cosponsors
SRES
Type

Sponsor

Peter Welch
Peter Welch
Democrat · VT · Senator
Votes with party: 82.5% (781 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/W000800

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (1)

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 →

Referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text: CR S1937-1938)

2026-04-22

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

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Plain-English Summary

This resolution calls attention to lake sturgeon, a large freshwater fish species found in North American lakes, and aims to increase public awareness about their ecological importance and conservation needs. The measure highlights efforts to protect these fish from threats like habitat loss and overfishing, which have significantly reduced their populations over the past century. Lake sturgeon matter to fishing communities, environmental groups, and anyone interested in preserving native fish species and healthy freshwater ecosystems.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

Subjects

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Full Bill Text

Verbatim text published on Congress.gov via GovInfo. Use Cmd+F / Ctrl+F to search within this excerpt.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. Res. 683 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 683 Raising awareness of lake sturgeon. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 22, 2026 Mr. Welch submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works _______________________________________________________________________ RESOLUTION Raising awareness of lake sturgeon. Whereas lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) are some of the largest North American freshwater fishes and can live for 150 years or longer; Whereas lake sturgeon are considered living fossils, as their lineage dates back to the time of dinosaurs, making them among the oldest fish species still in existence; Whereas lake sturgeon are slow to reproduce as they may not spawn until they are at least 10 to 30 years old, and they only spawn every 4 years on average; Whereas lake sturgeon are found across the Great Lakes, the Northeastern United States, and Southeastern Canada; Whereas lake sturgeon are bottom-dwelling fish that require extensive areas of shallow water to feed on a wide variety of organisms; Whereas historical overfishing, invasive species, and habitat degradation have caused declines in the population of local lake sturgeon; Whereas many States list lake sturgeon as an endangered, threatened, or otherwise protected species; Whereas lake sturgeon serve an important role as an indicator of an ecosystem's health; Whereas lake sturgeon attract the attention of the public because of their large size and prehistoric body; Whereas many Federal agencies, States, Tribes, and local communities are collaborating on lake sturgeon management programs that are reestablishing healthy lake sturgeon populations; and Whereas lake sturgeon have cultural importance for many Indigenous communities, representing a traditional food source: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate encourages-- (1) continued collaboration among Federal, State, Tribal, and other partners to manage and increase lake sturgeon populations across their extensive range; (2) continued collaboration with Canada to jointly manage and increase lake sturgeon populations in our shared waters; (3) continued efforts to identify, protect, and restore the habitat of lake sturgeon; (4) continued efforts to prevent and control the spread of invasive species and restore the reproductive habitat of lake sturgeon; (5) increased public awareness of lake sturgeon; and (6) the education of anglers and local communities on the proper ways to handle lake sturgeon if caught. <all>