# 119-hr-9507: FISH Act of 2026

119-hr-9507, FISH Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large] (R-AK); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-13).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9507
- As of: 2026-08-13
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-9507
- Congress: 119
- Title: FISH Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-06-29
- Sponsor: Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large] (R-AK)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-13

## Summary

**This bill would build a statutory framework to suppress _illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing_ and seafood harvested with forced labor** by linking a public vessel list, visa-based sanctions, enhanced Coast Guard actions, data strategies, and international capacity building. It combines enforcement tools, diplomacy, and new studies to improve supply-chain transparency and target abusive fishing practices. - Creates a public IUU vessel list with required vessel identifiers, ownership and registration details, and public explanations for listings. Agencies must maintain the list and provide a 90-day response window plus a hearing process for owners and beneficial owners. - Targets people and entities tied to listed vessels with visa-related consequences including denial and revocation while expanding Coast Guard boarding of suspected IUU vessels. It also requires cross-agency reporting on High Seas Boarding and Inspections and enforcement outcomes. - Funds diplomacy, technical assistance, and partner capacity building to strengthen regional fisheries management organizations and foreign fisheries. It mandates a technology study within 1 year and a Russia–China fishing collaboration study within 2 years and adds a National Academies review tied to the Interagency Working Group. *If enacted and funded, the bill would authorize about $10 million per year for 2026–2031 and a $2 million National Academies study, increasing federal spending by roughly $62 million over that period.*

## Provisions PRIA read

- Stronger enforcement and data tools: benefit, medium. If enacted, an interagency working group would plan stronger enforcement, data sharing, and risk-targeting to stop illegal fishing and fishing with forced labor. The group must report within 3 years and map data streams, legal barriers, and joint enforcement steps. Commerce would build a public dat…
- Studies and Sea Grant funding: benefit, low. If enacted, NOAA would fund a National Academies study on illegal fishing and forced labor and send Congress a report within 24 months. The bill would authorize $2,000,000 for that study. The State Department and Commerce would do a 2-year study of Russia–China fishing links and China reprocessing,…
- List of illegal fishing vessels and bans: mixed, medium. If enacted, the Commerce Secretary would publish a public list of foreign vessels, fleets, and beneficial owners tied to illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing. The bill would define who counts as a vessel's "beneficial owner": someone who controls the vessel or owns at least 50%. Owners must…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3633: Digital Asset Market Clarity Act
- 119-hr-471: Fix Our Forests Act
- 119-hr-7613: ALERT Act
- 119-hr-4075: Fire Weather Development Act of 2025
- 119-hr-5351: NSF AI Education Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-9507 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9507)

## Related
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-3633: Digital Asset Market Clarity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3633)
- [119-hr-471: Fix Our Forests Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-471)
- [119-hr-7613: ALERT Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7613)
- [119-hr-4075: Fire Weather Development Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4075)
- [119-hr-5351: NSF AI Education Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5351)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9507 (as of 2026-08-13).