# 119-hr-5746: MARA Act of 2025

119-hr-5746, MARA Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Ezell, Mike [R-MS-4] (R-MS); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5746
- 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-5746
- Congress: 119
- Title: MARA Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-10-14
- Sponsor: Rep. Ezell, Mike [R-MS-4] (R-MS)
- Cosponsors: 8
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Create a federal Office of Aquaculture and test commercial-scale offshore farms** to grow U.S. seafood production, support coastal jobs, and build a science-based permitting system. The bill would fund demonstration projects, technical assistance, and a National Academies study to guide safe, sustainable offshore aquaculture.

## Cosponsors (8)

- Rep. Cammack, Kat [R-FL-3] (R-FL), 2025-10-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1] (D-HI), 2025-10-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19] (D-CA), 2025-10-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14] (R-TX), 2025-10-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2] (D-HI), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2] (R-KS), 2025-11-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [R-IA-1] (R-IA), 2026-01-07T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Grants to upgrade working waterfronts: benefit, high. If enacted, this would create a competitive Working Waterfronts Grant Program. It would provide $50 million each year from FY2025 through FY2029. Grants could cover up to 75% of project costs, with waivers for disadvantaged or low‑capacity communities. The Secretary would decide applications within…
- College grants for aquaculture training: benefit, high. If enacted, this would fund a competitive grant program for aquaculture education. It would provide $25 million each year from FY2026 through FY2030. Grants would go to covered schools like HBCUs, Tribal colleges, and other minority‑serving institutions. Funds would support new courses, research, i…
- New NOAA office and business support: benefit, medium. If enacted, NOAA would set up an Office of Aquaculture with regional coordinators to help operators. The office would run outreach to communities and leaders about sustainable aquaculture. It would create a public database of research, technologies, and best practices while protecting confidential…
- Studies to guide safe aquaculture rules: benefit, medium. If enacted, NOAA would seek a National Academies study to set science‑based best practices for offshore aquaculture. The study would be due within five years after the assessment program starts and would be public. It would review risks, feeds, siting, climate impacts, conflicts with other ocean us…
- Grants to market farmed seafood: benefit, low. If enacted, NOAA would offer grants to improve sales and public perception of cultured seafood. The program would be set up and run with industry input. Funds could support domestic and export marketing efforts by producers and seafood businesses.
- Permit path for offshore fish farms: mixed, medium. If enacted, NOAA would start an assessment program within 180 days to study offshore aquaculture viability. After that, it would open a permit pathway for demonstration projects. Applications must list the site, species, and contingency plans and trigger public notice and State or Tribal review. NO…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-4275: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-5746 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5746)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-4275: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4275)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5746 (as of 2026-04-21).