Fisheries Science Modernization Act of 2026

This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study and expand the use of environmental DNA (eDNA), which is genetic material found in water or other environmental samples, to estimate fish populations. NOAA would run a multi-year pilot study in at least 3 federally managed fisheries, write an implementation plan, train staff, and add routine eDNA sampling to ongoing fishery surveys. The bill states that collecting water, air, or sediment samples only for eDNA analysis is not a 'taking' under the Endangered Species Act or the Marine Mammal Protection Act. It also creates a multi-agency National Aquatic Biomolecular Coordination Network, led by NOAA, to set national eDNA standards, and allows NOAA to support eDNA research and partnerships with private labs.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Lisa Murkowski Republican sponsor
• 8 cosponsors