II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5552 

To modify a provision supporting the execution of bilateral agreements concerning illicit transnational maritime activity and to authorize the President to impose sanctions with respect to illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing and the sale, supply, purchase, or transfer of endangered 

species, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 17 (legislative day, DECEMBER 16), 2024 

Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. CASSIDY) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To modify a provision supporting the execution of bilateral 

agreements concerning illicit transnational maritime activity and to authorize the President to impose sanctions 

with respect to illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing 

and the sale, supply, purchase, or transfer of endangered 

species, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Global 

5 Fisheries Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) ADMISSION; ADMITTED; ALIEN; LAWFULLY

4 ADMITTED FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE.—The 

5 terms ‘‘admission’’, ‘‘admitted’’, ‘‘alien’’, and ‘‘law6 fully admitted for permanent residence’’ have the 

7 meanings given those terms in section 101 of the 

8 Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101). 

9 (2) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT10 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com11 mittees’’ means— 

12 (A) the Committee on Armed Services and 

13 the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Sen14 ate; and 

15 (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 

16 the Committee on Armed Services of the House 

17 of Representatives. 

18 (3) FOREIGN PERSON.—The term ‘‘foreign per19 son’’ means an individual or entity that is not a 

20 United States person. 

21 (4) ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED, OR UNREGULATED

22 FISHING.—The term ‘‘illegal, unreported, or unregu23 lated fishing’’ has the meaning given that term in 

24 the implementing regulations or any subsequent reg25 ulations issued pursuant to section 609(e) of the 


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1 High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection 

2 Act (16 U.S.C. 1826j(e)). 

3 (5) UNITED STATES PERSON.—The term 

4 ‘‘United States person’’ means— 

5 (A) a United States citizen or an alien law6 fully admitted for permanent residence to the 

7 United States; 

8 (B) an entity organized under the laws of 

9 the United States or any jurisdiction within the 

10 United States, including a foreign branch of 

11 such an entity; or 

12 (C) any person located in the United 

13 States. 

14 SEC. 3. INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION RELATED TO 

15 COUNTERING ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED, OR 

16 UNREGULATED FISHING. 

17 (a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 

18 United States to prioritize collaboration with friendly 

19 countries, and through appropriate international institu20 tions, to combat illegal, unreported, or unregulated fish21 ing. 

22 (b) ACTIONS BY SECRETARY OF STATE.—The Sec23 retary of State shall take such actions as may be necessary 

24 to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States 


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1 in all appropriate international fora and with appropriate 

2 countries that are allies or partners of the United States— 

3 (1) to ensure that cutting edge technology is de4 ployed in accordance to existing or future maritime 

5 law enforcement agreements the United States may 

6 enter or has entered into; and 

7 (2) to hold accountable those individuals or en8 tities that are responsible or complicit in illegal, un9 reported, or unregulated fishing, with a particular 

10 focus on the harmful actions of the People’s Repub11 lic of China. 

12 (c) ADVOCACY AT UNITED NATIONS.—The President 

13 may direct the United States Permanent Representative 

14 to the United Nations to use the voice, vote, and influence 

15 of the United States to urge the United Nations to take 

16 greater action with respect to collaborative global efforts 

17 to counter illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing. 

18 SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF SUPPORT FOR EXECUTION OF 

19 BILATERAL AGREEMENTS CONCERNING IL20 LICIT TRANSNATIONAL MARITIME ACTIVITY. 

21 Section 1808 of the National Defense Authorization 

22 Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 137 Stat. 

23 668; 10 U.S.C. 331 note) is amended— 

24 (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘IN AF25 RICA’’; and 


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1 (2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘African’’. 

2 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS 

3 WITH RESPECT TO ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED, 

4 OR UNREGULATED FISHING AND TRADE IN 

5 ENDANGERED SPECIES. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President may impose the 

7 sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect to any 

8 foreign person or foreign vessel (regardless of ownership) 

9 that the President determines— 

10 (1) is responsible for or complicit in— 

11 (A) illegal, unreported, or unregulated fish12 ing; or 

13 (B) except as part of a conservation effort, 

14 the sale, supply, purchase, or transfer (includ15 ing transportation) of endangered species, as 

16 defined in section 3(6) of the Endangered Spe17 cies Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1532(6)); 

18 (2) is a leader or official of an entity, including 

19 a government entity, that has engaged in, or the 

20 members of which have engaged in, any of the ac21 tivities described in paragraph (1) during the tenure 

22 of the leader or official; 

23 (3) has ever owned, operated, chartered, or con24 trolled a vessel during which time the personnel of 


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1 the vessel engaged in any of the activities described 

2 in paragraph (1); or 

3 (4) has materially assisted, sponsored, or pro4 vided financial, material, or technological support 

5 for, or goods or services in support of— 

6 (A) any of the activities described in para7 graph (1); or 

8 (B) any foreign person engaged in any 

9 such activity. 

10 (b) SANCTIONS DESCRIBED.—The sanctions that 

11 may be imposed under subsection (a) with respect to a 

12 foreign person or foreign vessel are the following: 

13 (1) BLOCKING OF PROPERTY.—Notwith14 standing section 202 of the International Emergency 

15 Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701), the exercise 

16 of all powers granted to the President by the Inter17 national Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 

18 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to block 

19 and prohibit all transactions in all property and in20 terests in property of a foreign person described in 

21 subsection (a), if such property and interests in 

22 property are in the United States, come within the 

23 United States, or are or come within the possession 

24 or control of a United States person. 


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1 (2) INADMISSIBILITY TO THE UNITED

2 STATES.—In the case of an alien described in sub3 section (a), or any alien that the President deter4 mines is a corporate officer or principal of, or a 

5 shareholder with a controlling interest in, a foreign 

6 person described in subsection (a) that is an enti7 ty— 

8 (A) ineligibility for a visa and inadmis9 sibility to the United States; and 

10 (B) revocation of any valid visa or travel 

11 documentation in accordance with section 

12 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 

13 (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)). 

14 (3) PROHIBITION ON ACCESS TO THE UNITED

15 STATES.—In the case of a foreign vessel described in 

16 subsection (a), denial of access to United States 

17 ports. 

18 (4) LOANS FROM UNITED STATES FINANCIAL

19 INSTITUTIONS.—The President may prohibit any 

20 United States financial institution from making 

21 loans or providing credits to a foreign person de22 scribed in subsection (a). 

23 (5) FOREIGN EXCHANGE.—The President may, 

24 pursuant to such regulations as the President may 

25 prescribe, prohibit any transactions in foreign exVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:19 Jan 20, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5552.IS S5552

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1 change that are subject to the jurisdiction of the 

2 United States and in which a foreign person or for3 eign vessel described in subsection (a) has any inter4 est. 

5 (c) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after 

6 the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually there7 after, the President shall submit a report on the imposi8 tion of sanctions under this section to— 

9 (1) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 

10 Urban Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Rela11 tions of the Senate; and 

12 (2) the Committee on Financial Services and 

13 the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 

14 Representatives. 

15 (d) NATIONAL INTEREST WAIVER.—The President 

16 may waive the imposition of sanctions under subsection 

17 (a) with respect to a foreign person or foreign vessel if 

18 the President determines that such a waiver is in the na19 tional interests of the United States. 

20 (e) EXCEPTIONS.— 

21 (1) EXCEPTIONS FOR AUTHORIZED INTEL22 LIGENCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES.— 

23 Sanctions under this section shall not apply with re24 spect to activities subject to the reporting require25 ments under title V of the National Security Act of 


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1 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq.) or any authorized in2 telligence, law enforcement, or national security ac3 tivities of the United States. 

4 (2) EXCEPTION TO COMPLY WITH INTER5 NATIONAL AGREEMENTS.—Sanctions under sub6 section (b)(2) shall not apply with respect to the ad7 mission of an alien to the United States if such ad8 mission is necessary to comply with the obligations 

9 of the United States under the Agreement regarding 

10 the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at 

11 Lake Success on June 26, 1947, and entered into 

12 force on November 21, 1947, between the United 

13 Nations and the United States, or the Convention on 

14 Consular Relations, done at Vienna on April 24, 

15 1963, and entered into force on March 19, 1967, or 

16 other international obligations. 

17 (3) EXCEPTION FOR SAFETY OF VESSELS AND

18 CREW.—Sanctions under this section shall not apply 

19 with respect to a person providing provisions to a 

20 vessel if such provisions are intended for the safety 

21 and care of the crew aboard the vessel or the main22 tenance of the vessel to avoid any environmental or 

23 other significant damage. 

24 (4) HUMANITARIAN EXCEPTION.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

2 subparagraph (B), the President may not im3 pose sanctions under this section with respect 

4 to any person for conducting or facilitating a 

5 transaction for the sale of agricultural commod6 ities, food, medicine, or medical devices or for 

7 the provision of humanitarian assistance. 

8 (B) EXCLUSION.—The exception under 

9 subparagraph (A) does not include transactions 

10 for the sale of food or agricultural commodities 

11 obtained through illegal, unreported, or unregu12 lated fishing. 

13 (f) IMPLEMENTATION; PENALTIES.— 

14 (1) IMPLEMENTATION.—The President may ex15 ercise all authorities provided under sections 203 

16 and 205 of the International Emergency Economic 

17 Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out 

18 this section. 

19 (2) PENALTIES.—A person that violates, at20 tempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a 

21 violation of this section or any regulation, license, or 

22 order issued to carry out this section shall be subject 

23 to the penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c) 

24 of section 206 of the International Emergency Eco25 nomic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same exVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:19 Jan 20, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5552.IS S5552

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1 tent as a person that commits an unlawful act de2 scribed in subsection (a) of that section. 

3 (g) RULEMAKING.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The head of any Federal 

5 agency responsible for the implementation of this 

6 section may promulgate such rules and regulations 

7 as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of 

8 this section (which may include regulatory excep9 tions), including under section 205 of the Inter10 national Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 

11 U.S.C. 1704). 

12 (2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 

13 section may be construed to limit the authority of 

14 the President pursuant to the International Emer15 gency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et 

16 seq.). 

17 SEC. 6. BRIEFING AND REPORT ON GLOBAL ILLEGAL, UN18 REPORTED, OR UNREGULATED FISHING. 

19 (a) BRIEFING.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

20 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in 

21 consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall brief the 

22 appropriate congressional committees on— 

23 (1) efforts to work with United States partners 

24 and allies to counter illegal, unreported, or unregu25 lated fishing via bilateral engagements; 


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1 (2) efforts to counter, and challenges faced in 

2 countering, illegal, unreported, or unregulated fish3 ing through existing international agreements, insti4 tutions, and mechanisms; and 

5 (3) efforts by the Department of State and the 

6 Department of Defense to engage and collaborate 

7 with non-governmental organizations and State and 

8 local agencies to spread awareness and coordinate 

9 responses to global illegal, unreported, or unregu10 lated fishing concerns. 

11 (b) REPORT.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

13 the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 

14 thereafter for 4 years, the Secretary of State, in con15 sultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit 

16 to the appropriate congressional committees a report 

17 that includes— 

18 (A) recommendations to bolster maritime 

19 law enforcement agreements with United States 

20 allies and partners; 

21 (B) an assessment of the global illegal, un22 reported, or unregulated fishing patterns, stra23 tegic goals, and regional priorities of the Peo24 ple’s Republic of China, and government and 

25 non-government resourcing vectors of the PeoVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:27 Jan 21, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5552.IS S5552

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1 ple’s Republic of China for illegal, unreported, 

2 or unregulated fleets; and 

3 (C) an assessment of the efficacy of global 

4 forums to respond to illegal, unreported, or un5 regulated fishing, and a strategy for United 

6 States engagement in such forums. 

7 (2) FORM.—The report required by paragraph 

8 (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may 

9 include a classified annex. 

Æ 


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