# 119-hr-2176: Saving NEMO Act of 2025

119-hr-2176, Saving NEMO Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1] (D-HI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2176
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-2176
- Congress: 119
- Title: Saving NEMO Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-03-18
- Sponsor: Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1] (D-HI)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Protect coral reef species from collection and trade that harm reefs.** The bill would create a federal rulebook that limits taking, importing, exporting, selling, and moving certain marine reef species to reduce harm to coral reef ecosystems. - Families and coastal communities: The bill would reduce availability of certain reef fish and corals in interstate and international trade when those species are designated as covered coral reef species. Designations would initially include marine reef species listed in Appendix II of CITES unless the Interior finds no substantial sustainability risk within 90 days of inclusion. - Aquaculture, breeders, and researchers: Qualified aquaculture or mariculture facilities, cooperative breeding programs, and scientifically based management plans could continue production and trade if they meet strict standards and are certified by the relevant Secretary. Scientific, museum, and zoological work may proceed under authorizations. - Traders, fishers, and importers: The bill would create civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation and criminal penalties including up to 6 months imprisonment for general violations and up to 2 years for import/export crimes and false certifications. It would allow seizures, forfeiture, and private suits to stop violations, with a 60-day notice rule before lawsuits. The law would take effect one year after enactment.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (D-CA), 2025-03-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2025-04-17T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Tough penalties and citizen lawsuits: cost, high. One year after enactment, officers could search for and seize illegally taken or traded reef animals. Civil fines could be up to $25,000 per violation. Knowing violations could bring jail time up to 6 months, or up to 2 years for importers and exporters. False statements on import or export certifi…
- New rules for reef species trade: mixed, medium. One year after enactment, trading covered reef species would largely be banned. You could not take, import, export, or sell them, and trying to do so would also be illegal. Some paths would stay open: approved management plans, qualified aquaculture or breeding programs, permitted science or zoo us…
- How reef species get covered: mixed, medium. One year after enactment, reef species on CITES Appendix II would be covered. If a species is added later, Interior and Commerce would have 90 days to find no substantial risk; if not, it would be covered. The agencies could also add species after public comment if trade risks the species or if man…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act
- 119-hr-10061: Wildfire Response and Readiness Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-2176 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2176)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8870)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10421)
- [119-hr-10061: Wildfire Response and Readiness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10061)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2176 (as of 2026-04-21).