# 117-s-497: American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act

117-s-497, American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act, is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-AK); status became_law; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-01-05).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-497
- As of: 2026-01-05
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-s-497
- Congress: 117
- Title: American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act
- Status: became_law
- Introduced: 2021-03-01
- Sponsor: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-AK)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-01-05

## Summary

**Creates the American Fisheries Advisory Committee (AFAC) to steer federal fisheries research and grant decisions.** AFAC will identify fishing-community needs, develop and review grant proposals, set regional priorities, expand grant goals to include fisheries science and recreational fishing, and require public titles and abstracts for funded projects. - Fishing communities and industry: The law sets six geographic regions and three regional members per region, giving harvesters, processors, and recreational interests formal input on priorities and grant selection. - Researchers and applicants: Grant applications face mandatory independent technical review by three or more experts, enhanced conflict-of-interest disclosures, and public posting of project titles and abstracts. - Federal grant process: The Secretary must consider AFAC recommendations, confirm an applicant's technical and financial capacity before funding, and provide written justification if a recommended project is not funded.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] (R-AK), 2021-03-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2021-03-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2021-03-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (D-WA), 2021-03-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] (R-FL), 2021-04-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2021-06-07T00:00:00.000Z

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2022-04-26T00:00:00.000Z | house | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass | Passed | 404 | 11 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- Fisheries grants now cover science and recreation: benefit, medium. The law expands fisheries research and development grants. Projects in fisheries science and recreational fishing now qualify, alongside harvesting and processing. Researchers and fishing businesses can apply if their work fits these purposes. The change takes effect upon enactment. The law does no…
- New committee and stricter grant reviews: mixed, low. The law creates the American Fisheries Advisory Committee within 90 days to help run fisheries grants across six regions. Members come from fishing, processing, growing, and fisheries science. They serve three-year terms, meet no more than twice a year, and get travel costs reimbursed. The Committe…

## Related bills

- 117-s-1605: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022
- 117-sres-748: A resolution honoring and celebrating the life and legacy of Representative Jackie Walorski.
- 117-s-4587: Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 117-sres-621: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the late Senator Orrin G. Hatch.
- 117-sres-593: A resolution relating to the death of Kaneaster Hodges, Jr., former United States Senator for the State of Arkansas.
- 117-sres-565: A resolution honoring and celebrating the life and legacy of Representative Don Young.

## Sources
- [117-s-497 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/497)

## Related
- [117-s-1605: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-1605)
- [117-sres-748: A resolution honoring and celebrating the life and legacy of Representative Jac…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-sres-748)
- [117-s-4587: Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-4587)
- [117-sres-621: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the late Senator Orrin G. Hatch.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-sres-621)
- [117-sres-593: A resolution relating to the death of Kaneaster Hodges, Jr., former United Stat…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-sres-593)
- [117-sres-565: A resolution honoring and celebrating the life and legacy of Representative Don…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-sres-565)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-497 (as of 2026-01-05).