# 119-hr-3718: Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act of 2025 119-hr-3718, Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (D-CA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3718 - 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-3718 - Congress: 119 - Title: Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act of 2025 - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2025-06-04 - Sponsor: Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (D-CA) - Cosponsors: 2 - Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-04-21 ## Summary **Climate-ready fisheries management** would be the central aim, shifting federal fishery rules to explicitly factor climate change, habitat loss, and community resilience into science, planning, and management. It also pairs stronger data, monitoring, and governance rules with new grants and loan tools for coastal communities. - Families, fishers, and coastal communities: Would require Councils and NOAA to do regular vulnerability assessments, produce resilience plans, and fold climate science and social-economic needs into stock assessments and management decisions. This aims to protect livelihoods and coastal economies as stocks shift. - Working waterfronts, local governments, and borrowers: Would create competitive grants and perpetual revolving loan funds to preserve and adapt waterfront access, allow loans up to 40 years for disadvantaged communities, and prioritize climate-adaptation projects. It authorizes $50.0 million per year for FY2026–2030 for these programs. - Tribes, Councils, and data users: Would expand tribal seats and community participation in limited-access programs, require more transparency and conflict disclosures, and modernize data and electronic monitoring. It establishes a Climate-Ready Fisheries Innovation Program with $5.0 million per year for FY2026–2030 to support tools and stakeholder engagement. *Would authorize roughly $275.0 million in program funding across FY2026–2030, increasing potential federal spending.* ## Cosponsors (2) - Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU-At Large] (R-GU), 2025-06-04T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1] (D-HI), 2025-06-04T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Low-cost loans for working waterfronts: benefit, high. This bill would let states create loan funds to fix and preserve working waterfronts, backed by federal grants. States would need to put in at least 20% of each grant. Loans would be at or below market rates, start repayment within 18 months, and amortize in 30 years (up to 40 for disadvantaged are… - Five-year funding for fisheries programs: benefit, high. The bill would authorize funding for FY2026–FY2030 to carry out its programs. The amounts are $698.142 million (FY2026), $714.2 million (FY2027), $730.626 million (FY2028), $747.431 million (FY2029), and $764.621 million (FY2030). Congress would still need to appropriate these funds. - Grants to upgrade working waterfronts: benefit, medium. If enacted, eligible waterfront entities could apply for competitive grants to buy land, build or fix wharfs and ramps, plan improvements, or add climate upgrades. Applications would need to match approved local programs. The Secretary would set rules and approve or reject each application within 6… - Better data, tech, and backup plans: benefit, medium. The bill would set prize contests to speed new electronic tools for fisheries data. GAO would review NOAA’s e-monitoring capacity and report within 18 months. The Administrator would create a contingency plan within 1 year for times when normal monitoring is not possible. A Northeast pilot trawl su… - Climate-ready planning for U.S. fisheries: benefit, medium. This bill would make climate change part of fisheries planning. The Secretary would issue guidance to councils within 2 years. Plans would have to build resilience starting 4 years after enactment. The Secretary would assess stock climate risks within 3 years and every 5 years, and councils would p… - Faster fishery fixes and appeals: benefit, medium. Councils would have up to 2 years to act after the Secretary finds a stock is overfished or at risk. If a council misses the deadline, the Secretary would issue a plan within 9 months, warn 30 days before, and act within 180 days after any disapproval. Councils could request short-term interim meas… - More support for cooperative fishery research: benefit, medium. The cooperative research program would expand to include fishing communities and fund competitive projects based on council needs. The Secretary would issue guidance within 1 year for cooperative management agreements and report on past recommendations within 180 days. The Fisheries Conservation an… - Protecting forage fish and food webs: benefit, medium. Within 12 months of enactment, the Secretary would define "forage fish" with council input. Within 18 months, the Secretary would issue management guidelines and hold workshops. Five years after enactment, councils would set catch limits that also consider the diet needs of fish, birds, and marine… - Stronger protections for fish habitats: benefit, medium. The bill would expand habitat protections in fishery plans. It would define “adverse effect” as anything that reduces habitat quality or quantity. Councils would make habitat protection plans with measurable targets and review them at least every 7 years. It would also define special habitat areas… - Stronger rules to rebuild fish stocks: benefit, medium. The Secretary would decide at any time if a stock is overfishing, overfished, or likely to be overfished within 2 years. Determinations would be published and sent to councils, and an annual report to Congress would list status and rebuilding plans. Rebuilding plans must be as short as practicable… - Harassment ban and training in fisheries: benefit, low. If enacted, harassment would be banned during work under this Act. Council members and staff would take 2 hours of approved harassment‑prevention training within 1 year or at hire, and at least every 2 years after. Covered people include council members and staff, advisory members, federal fishery… - Outreach and research on sharks, inshore gear: benefit, low. USDA and NOAA would create an outreach plan to help fishing businesses use USDA marketing programs, with reports due in 2 years. The Commerce Secretary would set shark research priorities within 1 year. Commerce would also study how shallow‑water mobile gear affects habitats and non‑target species… - Safer NOAA workplaces and confidential reporting: benefit, low. NOAA would set up a restricted, confidential way to report sexual harassment or assault within 3 years. The bill defines who is covered, including observers, monitors, and council staff. Limited identity disclosures would be allowed only with written consent, to prevent a serious threat, to provide… - Stronger standards for fishery councils: benefit, low. Council appointees would need expertise in local fisheries or in ecosystem-based management or climate science. Governors must send at least three qualified nominees per vacancy with supporting statements, and the Secretary would review and can seek changes. The Secretary would strive for fair, bal… - Climate training for fishery councils: benefit, low. Council members and designees would get training on climate change, shifting fish ranges, and ecosystem‑based fishery management. This aims to support better decisions as oceans warm. - More observers or cameras on boats: cost, medium. Councils would require data collection using onboard observers or electronic monitoring, unless a vessel lacks safe, adequate space. The Secretary would add river herring and shad to the Atlantic herring and mackerel plans within 180 days. At least 50% of trips using mid-water trawl or paired mid-w… - NOAA Corps ban for sex offense convictions: cost, low. If enacted, people convicted of certain sexual offenses would be barred from serving in the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. - Community access and oversight of quotas: mixed, medium. Fishing communities in a council area could apply to join limited access privilege programs if they submit a Community Sustainability Plan. Plans must cover governance, quota rules, appeals, monitoring, new entry, and safeguards against concentration; prior plans stay valid unless amended. The Comm… - New bycatch rules and reporting: mixed, medium. Fishery plans would have to measure bycatch and consider keeping all catch of species that die at high rates, but only if catch limits and accountability rules are in place. A national bycatch reporting program would be set up within 3 years to standardize data across regions. Managers would also h… - New science-based limits for tunas: mixed, medium. A scientific committee for highly migratory species would be required, and annual catch limits could not exceed its advice for stocks not under the Atlantic Tunas Convention. Catch-limit rules would not apply to species with about a one‑year life cycle unless the stock is overfished. One clause tha… - Rules for cross-border and new fisheries: mixed, medium. The Secretary would publish a list of all federal fisheries and allowed gear. Using gear or fishing a fishery not on the list would be banned, except for limited experimental permits. Councils must review the list within 2 years and then at least every 5. Commerce would review council boundaries at… - New rules for U.S. tuna commissioners: mixed, low. For the Inter‑American Tropical Tuna Commission, the President would appoint four U.S. commissioners, including one Commerce employee and one conservation expert, with no more than two living in states without a substantial fishery in the area; they would be supervised by State in consultation with… - Stronger council ethics and transparency rules: mixed, low. Council appointees, advisors, staff, and contractors would need to file financial disclosures, posted on NOAA and council websites; no one could be appointed until they file. Federal funds could not be used to lobby on laws or Executive actions, with narrow exceptions; the Secretary would investiga… ## Related bills - 119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act - 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act - 119-hr-10061: Wildfire Response and Readiness Act - 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act - 119-hr-3077: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025 - 119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 ## Sources - [119-hr-3718 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3718) ## Related - [119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10421) - [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977) - [119-hr-10061: Wildfire Response and Readiness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10061) - [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973) - [119-hr-3077: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3077) - [119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4206) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3718 (as of 2026-04-21).