# 119-hr-4294: MAWS Act of 2026

119-hr-4294, MAWS Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3] (D-MD); status passed_house; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4294
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-4294
- Congress: 119
- Title: MAWS Act of 2026
- Status: passed_house
- Introduced: 2025-07-07
- Sponsor: Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3] (D-MD)
- Cosponsors: 10
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Creates a NOAA-run Blue Catfish Pilot Program to buy invasive blue catfish from Chesapeake Bay watermen and steer them into pet, animal, and aquaculture feed supply chains.** The pilot pairs purchases with monitoring to measure abundance, environmental effects, and market outcomes so lawmakers can decide whether to continue or expand the approach. - Watermen in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed would have a ready buyer and a NOAA-set minimum price per pound for blue catfish, provided they certify the catch came from the watershed. - Pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed manufacturers and seafood processors could receive awarded funds to buy blue catfish from watermen, with up to 15% of funds allowed to cover transportation costs. - NOAA would work with Maryland, Virginia, and research partners to produce public abundance estimates by September 30, 2027 and annually through fiscal year 2032, and must report program findings and brief congressional committees on outcomes and recommendations.

## Cosponsors (10)

- Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1] (R-VA), 2025-07-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2] (R-VA), 2025-07-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hoyer, Steny H. [D-MD-5] (D-MD), 2025-07-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4] (D-MD), 2025-07-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6] (D-MD), 2025-07-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Olszewski, Johnny [D-MD-2] (D-MD), 2025-07-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7] (D-MD), 2025-07-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3] (D-VA), 2025-08-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Maloy, Celeste [R-UT-2] (R-UT), 2026-01-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9] (R-AZ), 2026-01-16T00:00:00.000Z

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-17T00:00:00.000Z | house | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed | 320 | 66 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- Pilot buys blue catfish from watermen: benefit, low. This bill would set up a NOAA pilot that partners with businesses making pet, animal, or aquaculture feed to buy blue catfish caught in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed from watermen or from seafood processors. Awarded buyers would have to pay at least a minimum price per pound set by the Secretary of…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1993: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act
- 119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-4294 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4294)

## Related
- [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909)
- [119-hr-1993: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1993)
- [119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1422)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1229)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4294 (as of 2026-09-10).