Fisheries Data Modernization and Accuracy Act of 2025

This bill would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to reform its Marine Recreational Information Program, which estimates how many fish recreational anglers catch. It would create a standing committee at the National Academies that NOAA must consult when catch estimates for a seasonal fishery reach a 30 percent error rate or when a state petitions, and it would let states run their own approved catch data programs that NOAA would use in place of federal data. It would authorize $15 million a year from 2026 through 2031 for state grants, require regular stock assessment plans, and set up contracts with outside groups to survey fish populations. It would also require fishery councils to post live broadcasts and recordings or transcripts of their meetings online.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• John H. Rutherford Republican sponsor
• 13 cosponsors