OPENING THE RECORD
OPENING THE RECORD
H.R. 4294 · 119TH CONGRESS
This has not become law. Both chambers must pass the same text before sending it to the president. How a bill becomes law.
CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
Mitigation Action and Watermen Support Act of 2026 or the MAWS Act of 2026
This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a pilot program to facilitate the purchase of blue catfish caught within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. (Blue catfish are considered an invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay.)
Under the program, NOAA must enter into cooperative agreements with manufacturers or processors of pet food, animal feed, or aquaculture feed for the purchase of blue catfish from watermen and seafood processors. NOAA must determine the minimum price per pound after considering market factors; feedback from watermen, seafood processors, and participants in the program; and differentiation of price points for fillet and byproduct.
The bill also requires NOAA to enter into a memorandum of understanding with nonfederal partners to develop abundance estimates of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. NOAA must make the first abundance estimate publicly available before beginning the pilot program.
Written by the Congressional Research Service for this version of the bill. Later versions may differ. Read at Congress.gov.