# 119-s-4720: Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 2026

119-s-4720, Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR); status introduced (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4720
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4720
- Congress: 119
- Title: Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-06-09
- Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Tightening the 'genuine link' test for flag states.** This bill would expand when a nation can be labeled as failing its flag duties by requiring confirmation of a genuine link between the state and a vessel's beneficial owners and operators, as described in Article 5(1) of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It would also align the U.S. definition of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing with the Maritime SAFE Act. - Countries with open or loose ship registries. They would face a clearer basis for being identified as failing flag state responsibilities if they allow vessels to operate without confirming a genuine link to owners and operators. - Vessel owners and operators using those registries. Their vessels could face greater scrutiny or association with IUU fishing because their flag state might be designated as ineffective. - U.S. rule definitions and enforcement. The Secretary would have to amend the federal regulation defining IUU fishing to match the Maritime SAFE Act within 90 days of enactment. *Would not authorize new federal spending or change taxes.*

## Cosponsors (3)

- Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] (R-MS), 2026-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-AK), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS] (R-MS), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Tighter rules on foreign fishing flags: benefit, low. This bill would let the U.S. treat countries as failing to exercise flag-state duties if they allow vessels to register without confirming a "genuine link" to the vessel owners or controllers, as described in Article 5(1) of the United Nations Convention on the High Seas (1958/1962). If enacted, th…

## Related bills

- 119-s-2296: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-4784: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027
- 119-s-524: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-688: Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025
- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-3940: Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development Act

## Sources
- [119-s-4720 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4720)

## Related
- [119-s-2296: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2296)
- [119-s-4784: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4784)
- [119-s-524: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-524)
- [119-s-688: Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-688)
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-3940: Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3940)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4720 (as of 2026-09-10).