I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5239 
To prohibit the issuance of an interim or final rule that establishes a vessel 
slowdown zone in the Gulf of Mexico until the Secretary of Commerce 
completes a study demonstrating that proposed mitigation efforts would 
have no negative impact on supply chains, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 18, 2023 
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana (for himself, Mr. DUNN of Florida, Mrs. LUNA, Mr. 
C. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida, and Mr. WEBSTER of Florida) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To prohibit the issuance of an interim or final rule that 
establishes a vessel slowdown zone in the Gulf of Mexico 
until the Secretary of Commerce completes a study dem-
onstrating that proposed mitigation efforts would have 
no negative impact on supply chains, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘The Gulf of Mexico 
Commerce Protection Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON ISSUANCE OF RULE RELATING TO 
VESSEL SLOWDOWN ZONE IN GULF OF MEX-
ICO. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall not 
issue an interim or final rule that establishes a vessel slow-
down zone in the Gulf of Mexico until the Secretary of 
Commerce— 
(1) completes a study demonstrating that miti-
gation protocols developed under subsection (b) 
would have no net negative impact on supply chains 
or maritime commerce; and 
(2) not later than 60 days after completing 
such study, submits to the Committees on Energy 
and Commerce and Natural Resources of the House 
of Representatives and the Committees on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation and Natural Re-
sources of the Senate a report containing the find-
ings of such study. 
(b) MITIGATION PROTOCOLS REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of 
Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, in consulta-
tion with the Secretary of the department in which 
the Coast Guard is operating, the Secretary of De-
fense, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Sec-
retary of the Interior, and with input from affected 
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stakeholders, shall develop mitigation protocols that 
make use of any monitoring system designed under 
section 11303 of the Don Young Coast Guard Au-
thorization Act of 2022 (16 U.S.C. 1391) to direct 
sector-specific mitigation measures that reduce risk 
of serious injury and mortality to Rice’s whales in 
the Gulf of Mexico. 
(2) PROHIBITIONS.—The mitigation protocols 
developed under paragraph (1) may not include any 
prohibitions on transit at night or implementation of 
a static vessel slowdown zone. 
Æ 
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