US Codex
Bill
Notes

Title II — Fisheries and seafood

S. 1968 · 119th Congress · Jun 5, 2025 · Lineage

II Fisheries and seafood

Sec. 201 Department of Agriculture loans and grants for fishing and mariculture businesses

(a)
Definitions of farmer and farming— Section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (1), by striking “farming.” and inserting “farming, commercial fishing, or fish processing.”;
(2)
in paragraph (2), by striking “farming.” and inserting “farming, commercial fishing, and fish processing.”; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:

“(14) Commercial fishing—The term commercial fishing means fishing (as defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802)) in which the fish harvested, either in whole or in part, are intended to enter commerce or enter commerce through sale, barter, or trade.

“(15) Commercial fishing vessel—The term commercial fishing vessel means a fishing vessel and a fish processing vessel (as those terms are defined in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code).

“(16) Fish—The term fish has the meaning given the term in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code.

“(17) Fish processing—The term fish processing means the processing of fish for commercial use or consumption.

“(18) Fish processing facility—The term fish processing facility means a facility or vessel, boat, ship, or other craft used or equipped for fish processing.”

(b)
Farm ownership loans—
(1)
Eligibility— Section 302(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1922(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(3) Eligibility of wild-caught fish and shellfish—For purposes of direct and guaranteed farm loans under this subtitle—

“(A) the terms farmer and rancher shall include an individual or entity engaged in commercial fishing or fish processing; and

“(B) the terms farm and ranch shall include—

“(i) a commercial fishing vessel; and

“(ii) a fish processing facility.”

(2)
Purposes— Section 303(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1923(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(3) Commercial fishery participants; fish processors

“(A) Commercial fishery participants—An individual or entity engaged in commercial fishing may use a direct or guaranteed loan under this subtitle for—

“(i) acquiring a commercial fishing permit; and

“(ii) acquiring, operating, and maintaining a commercial fishing vessel.

“(B) Fish processors—An individual or entity engaged in fish processing may use a direct or guaranteed loan under this subtitle for acquiring, operating, and maintaining a fish processing facility.”

(c)
Farm operating loans—
(1)
Eligibility— Section 311(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1941(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(3) Eligibility of wild-caught fish and shellfish—For purposes of direct and guaranteed farm loans under this subtitle—

“(A) the terms farmer and rancher shall include an individual or entity engaged in commercial fishing or fish processing; and

“(B) the terms farm and ranch shall include—

“(i) a commercial fishing vessel; and

“(ii) a fish processing facility.”

(2)
Purposes— Section 312 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1942) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(f) Commercial fishery participants; fish processors

“(1) Commercial fishery participants—An individual or entity engaged in commercial fishing may use a direct or guaranteed loan under this subtitle for acquiring, operating, and maintaining a commercial fishing vessel.

“(2) Fish processors—An individual or entity engaged in fish processing may use a direct or guaranteed loan under this subtitle for acquiring, operating, and maintaining a fish processing facility.”

(d)
Farmers' markets and local food promotion program— Section 210A(d)(6) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1627c(d)(6)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(F) Eligibility of wild-caught fish and shellfish—For purposes of this paragraph—

“(i) an agricultural commodity or product described in subsection (a)(12) shall include fish (as defined in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code) that is caught, taken, or harvested from the wild; and

“(ii) the eligible activities described in paragraph (2) shall include domestic seafood marketing.”

Sec. 202 Extension of credit to businesses providing services to producers or harvesters of aquatic products

(a)
Farm credit banks—
(1)
Eligibility for credit and financial services— Section 1.9 of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. 2017) is amended—
(A)
in paragraph (2), by striking “or” at the end;
(B)
by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
(C)
by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:

“(3) persons furnishing to producers or harvesters of aquatic products services directly related to their operating needs; or”

(2)
Purposes for extensions of credit— Section 1.11(c)(1) of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. 2019(c)(1)) is amended by inserting “and to persons furnishing services directly related to the operating needs of producers or harvesters of aquatic products” after “needs”.
(b)
Production credit associations— Section 2.4(a) of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. 2075(a)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (2), by striking “and” at the end;
(2)
in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:

“(4) persons furnishing to producers or harvesters of aquatic products services directly related to their operating needs.”

Sec. 203 Shellfish mariculture under the national harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program

Section 603A of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4002) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (e)—
(A)
by redesignating paragraphs (10) and (11) as paragraphs (11) and (12), respectively; and
(B)
by inserting after paragraph (9) the following:

“(10) enhance competitive grant programs to support shellfish mariculture and expand access to testing for harmful algal bloom toxins for subsistence and recreational shellfish harvesters through innovative methods that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of such testing in rural and remote areas;”

(2)
by adding at the end the following:

“(j) Definition of shellfish mariculture—In this section, the term shellfish mariculture means the cultivation of shellfish in their natural habitat for human consumption.”

Sec. 204 Allocation of funds under Saltonstall-Kennedy Act

Section 2(f) of the Act of August 11, 1939 (commonly known as the “Saltonstall-Kennedy Act”) (chapter 696; 15 U.S.C. 713c–3(f)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (1)—
(A)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)—
(i)
in the first sentence, by striking “all moneys in the fund shall” and inserting “25 percent of all moneys transferred to the Secretary under subsection (b)(1) shall”; and
(ii)
in the second sentence, by striking “all moneys in the fund,” and all that follows through “with respect to that fiscal year,” and inserting “such moneys”;
(B)
in subparagraph (A)—
(i)
by striking “use no less than 60 per centum of such moneys” and inserting “make available not less than 75 percent of such moneys, equal to 18.75 percent of all moneys transferred to the Secretary under subsection (b)(1),”;
(ii)
by inserting “under the Saltonstall-Kennedy competitive grant program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration” after “grants”; and
(iii)
by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;
(C)
by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); and
(D)
by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:

“(B) the Secretary shall make available not less than 20 percent of such moneys, equal to 5 percent of all moneys transferred to the Secretary under subsection (b)(1), to carry out the Young Fishermen’s Development Act (33 U.S.C. 1141 et seq.); and”

(2)
in paragraph (2), by striking “$3,000,000” and inserting “$10,000,000”.

Sec. 205 Electronic Monitoring Innovation Prize

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and under the authority provided by section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in consultation with the heads of relevant Federal agencies and nongovernmental partners, as appropriate, shall establish an Electronic Monitoring Innovation Prize, which the Administrator may award for the development of advanced electronic fisheries monitoring equipment and data analysis tools, including improved fish species recognition software.