Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on six bills and a discussion draft addressing improved species management and making long-overdue reforms to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Subcommittee Chair Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) issued the following statement in response:

"Today’s hearing underscores our commitment to ensuring that federal environmental laws work for the American people. These bills reflect a much-needed shift toward transparency, flexibility and common sense in how we manage our natural resources. I am proud to support legislative solutions that prioritize both conservation and responsible use."

Background

Discussion Draft of H.R. ____, introduced by U.S. Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska), will make vital reforms to the MMPA. This statute governs tribal activities, state fish and wildlife agencies, commercial fishing, offshore energy, the maritime sector and more. The Discussion Draft reduces regulatory uncertainty and ensures more effective implementation of the law. It advances the goals of House Republicans and the Trump administration to streamline the permitting process and provide clear direction to federal regulatory agencies.

H.R. 180, the Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), will amend the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to publish the “best scientific and commercial data available that are the basis for each” listing and critical habitat decision. Before finalizing ESA regulations, the USFWS and NMFS will be required to provide each affected state with the data used as the basis of the regulation. The bill also contains requirements for USFWS and NMFS to report to Congress their expenditures on ESA lawsuits and places caps on attorneys’ fees that can be awarded to plaintiffs in ESA lawsuits.

H.R. 3706, the Standards for Understanding Source and Habitat Identification Act or SUSHI Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas), will help combat the detrimental effects of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It will direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in consultation with the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection, to develop a methodology to identify the country of origin of seafood. This will support enforcement against IUU fishing. The bill also requires NOAA to conduct pilot studies on red snapper and tuna.

H.R. 3831, the Florida Safe Seas Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), will support safer recreational uses of public beaches by aligning state and federal laws related to shark feeding by extending the existing federal ban on shark feeding to the Exclusive Economic Zone seaward of the state of Florida.

H.R. 4033, the Sturgeon Conservation and Sustainability Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.), will exempt farm-raised sturgeon from the ESA's "take" prohibition. Through this exemption, the bill would allow American sturgeon farmers to continue their operations without fear of financial ruin.

H.R. 4293, introduced by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), will provide needed flexibility, allowing military installations the ability to enter into cooperative agreements to conserve natural resources and protect integral base operations. 

H.R. 4294, the Mitigation Action and Watermen Support Act of 2025 (MAWS) Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), will establish a three-year pilot program within the Department of Commerce’s Office of the Chesapeake Bay to support the commercial removal of invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay.