# 116-hr-5126: DESCEND Act of 2020

116-hr-5126, DESCEND Act of 2020, is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Graves, Garret [R-LA-6] (R-LA); status Became Public Law No: 116-340. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5126
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-5126
- Congress: 116
- Title: DESCEND Act of 2020
- Status: Became Public Law No: 116-340.
- Introduced: 2019-11-15
- Sponsor: Rep. Graves, Garret [R-LA-6] (R-LA)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 2019 or the DESCEND Act of 2019 This bill addresses the use of descending devices to release reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico. (A descending device is an instrument that will release fish at a depth sufficient for the fish to be able to recover from the effects of barotrauma.) Specifically, the bill requires commercial and recreational fishermen to possess a venting tool or descending device that is rigged and ready for use when fishing for reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico Exclusive Economic Zone, the Department of Commerce to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study and produce a report on discard mortality in the Gulf reef fish fisheries, and Commerce and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to develop guidance for reporting discards and associated mortality and develop a plan to assess the effectiveness and usage of barotrauma-reducing devices.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (D-CA), 2019-11-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Palazzo, Steven M. [R-MS-4] (R-MS), 2019-11-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cunningham, Joe [D-SC-1] (D-SC), 2019-12-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rooney, Francis [R-FL-19] (R-FL), 2019-12-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] (D-TX), 2020-01-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11] (R-FL), 2020-09-24T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 116-hr-3495: Improve Well-Being for Veterans Act
- 116-hr-550: Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019
- 116-hr-4305: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act
- 116-hr-5297: CONTRACT Act of 2019
- 116-hr-1865: Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020
- 116-hr-1379: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act

## Sources
- [116-hr-5126 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5126)

## Related
- [116-hr-3495: Improve Well-Being for Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-3495)
- [116-hr-550: Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-550)
- [116-hr-4305: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-4305)
- [116-hr-5297: CONTRACT Act of 2019](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5297)
- [116-hr-1865: Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-1865)
- [116-hr-1379: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-1379)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5126 (as of 2025-11-18).