I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1335 
To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
to provide flexibility for fishery managers and stability for fishermen, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 4, 2015 
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska (for himself, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, 
and Mr. BYRNE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act to provide flexibility for fishery man-
agers and stability for fishermen, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Strengthening Fishing 
Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Man-
agement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act, any term used that is defined in section 
3 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802) shall have the same 
meaning such term has under that section. 
SEC. 3. REFERENCES. 
Except as otherwise specifically provided, whenever in 
this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 
of an amendment to, or repeal of, a provision, the ref-
erence shall be considered to be made to a provision of 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage-
ment Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). 
SEC. 4. FLEXIBILITY IN REBUILDING FISH STOCKS. 
(a) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.—Section 304(e) (16 
U.S.C. 1854(e)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking 
‘‘possible’’ and inserting ‘‘practicable’’; 
(B) by amending subparagraph (A)(ii) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(ii) may not exceed the time the 
stock would be rebuilt without fishing oc-
curring plus one mean generation, except 
in a case in which— 
‘‘(I) the biology of the stock of 
fish, other environmental conditions, 
or management measures under an 
international agreement in which the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
United States participates dictate oth-
erwise; 
‘‘(II) the Secretary determines 
that the cause of the stock being de-
pleted is outside the jurisdiction of the 
Council or the rebuilding program 
cannot be effective only by limiting 
fishing activities; 
‘‘(III) the Secretary determines 
that one or more components of a 
mixed-stock fishery is depleted but 
cannot be rebuilt within that time- 
frame without significant economic 
harm to the fishery, or cannot be re-
built without causing another compo-
nent of the mixed-stock fishery to ap-
proach a depleted status; 
‘‘(IV) the Secretary determines 
that recruitment, distribution, or life 
history of, or fishing activities for, the 
stock are affected by informal trans-
boundary agreements under which 
management activities outside the ex-
clusive economic zone by another 
country may hinder conservation and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
management efforts by United States 
fishermen; and 
‘‘(V) the Secretary determines 
that the stock has been affected by 
unusual events that make rebuilding 
within the specified time period im-
probable without significant economic 
harm to fishing communities;’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon 
at the end of subparagraph (B), by redesig-
nating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as subpara-
graphs (C) and (D), and by inserting after sub-
paragraph (A) the following: 
‘‘(B) take into account environmental con-
dition including predator/prey relationships;’’; 
and 
(D) by striking the period at the end of 
subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated) and in-
serting ‘‘; and’’, and by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(E) specify a schedule for reviewing the 
rebuilding targets, evaluating environmental im-
pacts on rebuilding progress, and evaluating 
progress being made toward reaching rebuilding 
targets.’’; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) A fishery management plan, plan amend-
ment, or proposed regulations may use alternative 
rebuilding strategies, including harvest control rules 
and fishing mortality-rate targets to the extent they 
are in compliance with the requirements of this Act. 
‘‘(9) A Council may terminate the application of 
paragraph (3) to a fishery if the Council’s scientific 
and statistical committee determines and the Sec-
retary concurs that the original determination that 
the fishery was depleted was erroneous, either— 
‘‘(A) within the 2-year period beginning on 
the effective date a fishery management plan, 
plan amendment, or proposed regulation for a 
fishery under this subsection takes effect; or 
‘‘(B) within 90 days after the completion 
of the next stock assessment after such deter-
mination.’’. 
(b) EMERGENCY REGULATIONS AND INTERIM MEAS-
URES.—Section 305(c)(3)(B) (16 U.S.C. 1855(c)(3)(B)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘180 days after’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘provided’’ and inserting ‘‘1 year after the 
date of publication, and may be extended by publication 
in the Federal Register for one additional period of not 
more than 1 year, if’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 5. MODIFICATIONS TO THE ANNUAL CATCH LIMIT RE-
QUIREMENT. 
Section 302 (16 U.S.C. 1852) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(m) CONSIDERATIONS FOR MODIFICATIONS TO AN-
NUAL CATCH LIMIT REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) CONSIDERATION OF ECOSYSTEM AND ECO-
NOMIC IMPACTS.—In establishing annual catch lim-
its a Council may, consistent with section 302(h)(6), 
consider changes in an ecosystem and the economic 
needs of the fishing communities. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS
TO
ANNUAL
CATCH
LIMIT 
REQUIREMENT FOR SPECIAL FISHERIES.—Notwith-
standing subsection (h)(6), a Council is not required 
to develop an annual catch limit for— 
‘‘(A) an ecosystem component species; 
‘‘(B) a fishery for a species that has a life 
cycle of approximately 1 year, unless the Sec-
retary has determined the fishery is subject to 
overfishing; or 
‘‘(C) a stock for which— 
‘‘(i) more than half of a single-year 
class will complete their life cycle in less 
than 18 months; and 
‘‘(ii) fishing mortality will have little 
impact on the stock. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(3) RELATIONSHIP TO INTERNATIONAL FISH-
ERY EFFORTS.—Each annual catch limit may, con-
sistent with section 302(h)(6), take into account— 
‘‘(A) management measures under inter-
national agreements in which the United States 
participates; 
‘‘(B) informal transboundary agreements 
under which fishery management activities by 
another country outside the exclusive economic 
zone may hinder conservation efforts by United 
States fishermen for a fish species for which 
any of the recruitment, distribution, life history, 
or fishing activities are transboundary; and 
‘‘(C) in instances in which no transbound-
ary agreement exists, activities by another 
country outside the exclusive economic zone 
that may hinder conservation efforts by United 
States fisherman for a fish species for which 
any of the recruitment, distribution, life history, 
or fishing activities are transboundary. 
‘‘(4) AUTHORIZATION FOR MULTISPECIES COM-
PLEXES AND MULTIYEAR ANNUAL CATCH LIMITS.— 
For purposes of subsection (h)(6), a Council may es-
tablish— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) an annual catch limit for a stock 
complex; or 
‘‘(B) annual catch limits for each year in 
any continuous period that is not more than 
three years in duration. 
‘‘(5) ECOSYSTEM
COMPONENT
SPECIES
DE-
FINED.—In this subsection the term ‘ecosystem com-
ponent species’ means a stock of fish that is a non-
target, incidentally harvested stock of fish in a fish-
ery, or a nontarget, incidentally harvested stock of 
fish that a Council or the Secretary has deter-
mined— 
‘‘(A) is not subject to overfishing, ap-
proaching a depleted condition or depleted; and 
‘‘(B) is not likely to become subject to 
overfishing or depleted in the absence of con-
servation and management measures.’’. 
SEC. 6. DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN OVERFISHED AND DE-
PLETED. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3 (16 U.S.C. 1802) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (34), by striking ‘‘The terms 
‘overfishing’ and ‘overfished’ mean’’ and inserting 
‘‘The term ‘overfishing’ means’’; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(2) by inserting after paragraph (8) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(8a) The term ‘depleted’ means, with respect 
to a stock of fish or stock complex, that the stock 
or stock complex has a biomass that has declined 
below a level that jeopardizes the capacity of the 
stock or stock complex to produce maximum sustain-
able yield on a continuing basis.’’. 
(b) SUBSTITUTION OF TERM.—The Magnuson-Ste-
vens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) is amended by striking ‘‘overfished’’ 
each place it appears and inserting ‘‘depleted’’. 
(c) 
CLARITY
IN
ANNUAL
REPORT.—Section 
304(e)(1) (16 U.S.C. 1854(e)(1)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: ‘‘The report shall distinguish be-
tween fisheries that are depleted (or approaching that con-
dition) as a result of fishing and fisheries that are depleted 
(or approaching that condition) as a result of factors other 
than fishing. The report shall state, for each fishery iden-
tified as depleted or approaching that condition, whether 
the fishery is the target of directed fishing.’’. 
SEC. 7. TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC PROCESS. 
(a) ADVICE.—Section 302(g)(1)(B) (16 U.S.C. 
1852(g)(1)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘Each scientific and statistical committee shall de-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
velop such advice in a transparent manner and allow for 
public involvement in the process.’’. 
(b) MEETINGS.—Section 302(i)(2) (16 U.S.C. 
1852(i)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(G) Each Council shall make available on the 
Internet Web site of the Council— 
‘‘(i) to the extent practicable, a Webcast, 
an audio recording, or a live broadcast of each 
meeting of the Council, and of the Council Co-
ordination Committee established under sub-
section (l), that is not closed in accordance with 
paragraph (3); and 
‘‘(ii) audio, video (if the meeting was in 
person or by video conference), or a searchable 
audio or written transcript of each meeting of 
the Council and of the meetings of committees 
referred to in section 302(g)(1)(B) of the Coun-
cil by not later than 30 days after the conclu-
sion of the meeting. 
‘‘(H) The Secretary shall maintain and make 
available to the public an archive of Council and sci-
entific and statistical committee meeting audios, vid-
eos, and transcripts made available under clauses (i) 
and (ii) of subparagraph (G).’’. 
(c) FISHERY IMPACT STATEMENTS.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(1) REQUIREMENT.—Section 303 (16 U.S.C. 
1853) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking para-
graph (9) and redesignating paragraphs (10) 
through (15) as paragraphs (9) through (14), 
respectively; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) FISHERY IMPACT STATEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) Any fishery management plan (or fishery 
management plan amendment) prepared by any 
Council or by the Secretary pursuant to subsection 
(a) or (b), or proposed regulations deemed necessary 
pursuant to subsection (c), shall include a fishery 
impact statement which shall assess, specify and 
analyze the likely effects and impact of the proposed 
action on the quality of the human environment. 
‘‘(2) The fishery impact statement shall de-
scribe— 
‘‘(A) a purpose of the proposed action; 
‘‘(B) the environmental impact of the pro-
posed action; 
‘‘(C) any adverse environmental effects 
which cannot be avoided should the proposed 
action be implemented; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(D) a reasonable range of alternatives to 
the proposed action; 
‘‘(E) the relationship between short-term 
use of fishery resources and the enhancement of 
long-term productivity; 
‘‘(F) the cumulative conservation and man-
agement effects; and 
‘‘(G) economic, and social impacts of the 
proposed action on— 
‘‘(i) participants in the fisheries and 
fishing communities affected by the pro-
posed action; 
‘‘(ii) participants in the fisheries con-
ducted in adjacent areas under the author-
ity of another Council, after consultation 
with such Council and representatives of 
those participants; and 
‘‘(iii) the safety of human life at sea, 
including whether and to what extent such 
measures may affect the safety of partici-
pants in the fishery. 
‘‘(3) A substantially complete fishery impact 
statement, which may be in draft form, shall be 
available not less than 14 days before the beginning 
of the meeting at which a Council makes its final de-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
cision on the proposal (for plans, plan amendments, 
or proposed regulations prepared by a Council pur-
suant to subsection (a) or (c)). Availability of this 
fishery impact statement will be announced by the 
methods used by the council to disseminate public 
information and the public and relevant government 
agencies will be invited to comment on the fishery 
impact statement. 
‘‘(4) The completed fishery impact statement 
shall accompany the transmittal of a fishery man-
agement plan or plan amendment as specified in sec-
tion 304(a), as well as the transmittal of proposed 
regulations as specified in section 304(b). 
‘‘(5) The Councils shall, subject to approval by 
the Secretary, establish criteria to determine actions 
or classes of action of minor significance regarding 
subparagraphs (A), (B), (D), (E), and (F) of para-
graph (2), for which preparation of a fishery impact 
statement is unnecessary and categorically excluded 
from the requirements of this section, and the docu-
mentation required to establish the exclusion. 
‘‘(6) The Councils shall, subject to approval by 
the Secretary, prepare procedures for compliance 
with this section that provide for timely, clear, and 
concise analysis that is useful to decisionmakers and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
the public, reduce extraneous paperwork and effec-
tively involve the public, including— 
‘‘(A) using Council meetings to determine 
the scope of issues to be addressed and identi-
fying significant issues related to the proposed 
action; 
‘‘(B) integration of the fishery impact 
statement development process with preliminary 
and final Council decisionmaking in a manner 
that provides opportunity for comment from the 
public and relevant government agencies prior 
to these decision points; and 
‘‘(C) providing scientific, technical, and 
legal advice at an early stage of the develop-
ment of the fishery impact statement to ensure 
timely transmittal and Secretarial review of the 
proposed 
fishery 
management 
plan, 
plan 
amendment, or regulations to the Secretary.’’. 
(2) 
EVALUATION
OF
ADEQUACY.—Section 
304(a)(2) (16 U.S.C. 1854(a)(2)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end of sub-
paragraph (B), striking the period at the end of sub-
paragraph (C) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and by adding 
at the end the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:26 Mar 13, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(D) evaluate the adequacy of the accom-
panying fishery impact statement as basis for 
fully considering the environmental impacts of 
implementing the fishery management plan or 
plan amendment.’’. 
(3) REVIEW OF REGULATIONS.—Section 304(b) 
(16 U.S.C. 1854(b)) is amended by striking so much 
as precedes subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(b) REVIEW OF REGULATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) Upon transmittal by the Council to the 
Secretary of proposed regulations prepared under 
section 303(c), the Secretary shall immediately ini-
tiate an evaluation of the proposed regulations to de-
termine whether they are consistent with the fishery 
management plan, plan amendment, this Act and 
other applicable law. The Secretary shall also imme-
diately initiate an evaluation of the accompanying 
fishery impact statement as a basis for fully consid-
ering the environmental impacts of implementing the 
proposed regulations. Within 15 days of initiating 
such evaluation the Secretary shall make a deter-
mination and—’’. 
(4) EFFECT ON TIME REQUIREMENTS.—Section 
305(e) (16 U.S.C. 1855(e)) is amended by inserting 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.),’’ after ‘‘the Regulatory Flexi-
bility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)’’. 
SEC. 8. LIMITATION ON FUTURE CATCH SHARE PROGRAMS. 
(a) CATCH SHARE DEFINED.—Section 3 (16 U.S.C. 
1802) is amended by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2a) The term ‘catch share’ means any fishery 
management program that allocates a specific per-
centage of the total allowable catch for a fishery, or 
a specific fishing area, to an individual, cooperative, 
community, processor, representative of a commer-
cial sector, or regional fishery association established 
in accordance with section 303A(c)(4), or other enti-
ty.’’. 
(b) CATCH
SHARE
REFERENDUM
PILOT
PRO-
GRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 303A(c)(6)(D) (16 
U.S.C. 1853a(c)(6)(D)) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(D) CATCH SHARE REFERENDUM PILOT 
PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(i) The New England, Mid-Atlantic, 
South Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico Coun-
cils may not submit a fishery management 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
plan or amendment that creates a catch 
share program for a fishery, and the Sec-
retary may not approve or implement such 
a plan or amendment submitted by such a 
Council or a secretarial plan or amendment 
under section 304(c) that creates such a 
program, unless the final program has 
been approved, in a referendum in accord-
ance with this subparagraph, by a majority 
of the permit holders eligible to participate 
in the fishery. For multispecies permits in 
the Gulf of Mexico, any permit holder with 
landings from within the sector of the fish-
ery being considered for the catch share 
program within the 5-year period pre-
ceding the date of the referendum and still 
active in fishing in the fishery shall be eli-
gible to participate in such a referendum. 
If a catch share program is not approved 
by the requisite number of permit holders, 
it may be revised and submitted for ap-
proval in a subsequent referendum. 
‘‘(ii) The Secretary may, at the re-
quest of the New England Fishery Man-
agement Council, allow participation in 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
such a referendum for a fishery under the 
Council’s authority, by fishing vessel crew-
members who derive a significant portion 
of their livelihood from such fishing. 
‘‘(iii) The Secretary shall conduct a 
referendum under this subparagraph, in-
cluding notifying all permit holders eligible 
to participate in the referendum and mak-
ing available to them— 
‘‘(I) a copy of the proposed pro-
gram; 
‘‘(II) an estimate of the costs of 
the program, including costs to par-
ticipants; 
‘‘(III) an estimate of the amount 
of fish or percentage of quota each 
permit holder would be allocated; and 
‘‘(IV) information concerning the 
schedule, procedures, and eligibility 
requirements for the referendum proc-
ess. 
‘‘(iv) For the purposes of this sub-
paragraph, the term ‘permit holder eligible 
to participate’ only includes the holder of 
a permit for a fishery under which fishing 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
has occurred in 3 of the 5 years preceding 
a referendum for the fishery, unless sick-
ness, injury, or other unavoidable hardship 
prevented the permit holder from engaging 
in such fishing. 
‘‘(v) The Secretary may not imple-
ment any catch share program for any 
fishery managed exclusively by the Sec-
retary unless first petitioned by a majority 
of those permit holders eligible to partici-
pate in the fishery.’’. 
(2) LIMITATION ON APPLICATION.—The amend-
ment made by paragraph (1) shall not apply to a 
catch share program that is submitted to, or pro-
posed by, the Secretary of Commerce before the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
(3) REGULATIONS.—Before conducting a ref-
erendum under the amendment made by paragraph 
(1), the Secretary of Commerce shall issue regula-
tions implementing such amendment after providing 
an opportunity for submission by the public of com-
ments on the regulations. 
SEC. 9. REPORT ON FEE. 
Section 304(d)(2) (16 U.S.C. 1854(d)(2)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(D) The Secretary shall report annually on the 
amount collected under this paragraph from each 
fishery and detail how the funds were spent in the 
prior year on a fishery-by-fishery basis, to— 
‘‘(i) Congress; and 
‘‘(ii) each Council from whose fisheries the 
fee under this paragraph were collected.’’. 
SEC. 10. DATA COLLECTION AND DATA CONFIDENTIALITY. 
(a) ELECTRONIC MONITORING.— 
(1) ISSUANCE OF REGULATIONS.— 
(A) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall 
issue regulations governing the use of electronic 
monitoring for the purposes of monitoring fish-
eries that are subject to the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). 
(B) CONTENT.—The regulations shall— 
(i) distinguish between monitoring for 
data collection and research purposes and 
monitoring for compliance and enforcement 
purposes; and 
(ii) include minimum criteria, objec-
tives, or performance standards for elec-
tronic monitoring. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(C) PROCESS.—In issuing the regulations 
the Secretary shall— 
(i) consult with the Councils and fish-
ery management commissions; 
(ii) publish the proposed regulations; 
and 
(iii) provide an opportunity for the 
submission by the public of comments on 
the proposed regulations. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION OF MONITORING.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), and after the issuance of the final 
regulations, a Council, or the Secretary for fish-
eries referred to in section 302(a)(3) of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1852(a)(3)), may, 
in accordance with the regulations, on a fishery- 
by-fishery basis and consistent with the existing 
objectives and management goals of a fishery 
management plan and the Act for a fishery 
issued by the Council or the Secretary, respec-
tively, amend such plan— 
(i) to incorporate electronic moni-
toring as an alternative tool for data col-
lection and monitoring purposes or for 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00021
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
compliance and enforcement purposes (or 
both); and 
(ii) to allow for the replacement of a 
percentage of on-board observers with elec-
tronic monitoring. 
(B) COMPARABILITY.—Subparagraph (A) 
shall apply to a fishery only if the Council or 
Secretary, respectively, determines that such 
monitoring will yield comparable data collection 
and compliance results. 
(3) PILOT PROJECTS.—Before the issuance of 
final regulations, a Council, or the Secretary for 
fisheries referred to in section 302(a)(3), may, sub-
ject to the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, on a 
fishery-by-fishery basis, and consistent with the ex-
isting objectives and management goals of a fishery 
management plan for a fishery issued by the Council 
or the Secretary, respectively, conduct a pilot project 
for the use of electronic monitoring for the fishery. 
(4) DEADLINE.—The Secretary shall issue final 
regulations under this subsection by not later than 
12 months after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(b) 
VIDEO
AND
ACOUSTIC
SURVEY
TECH-
NOLOGIES.—The Secretary shall work with the Regional 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00022
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Fishery Management Councils and nongovernmental enti-
ties to develop and implement the use pursuant to the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage-
ment Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) of video survey tech-
nologies and expanded use of acoustic survey technologies. 
(c) CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 402(b) (16 U.S.C. 
1881a(b)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by amending subparagraph (B) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(B) to State or Marine Fisheries Commis-
sion employees as necessary for achievement of 
the purposes of this Act, subject to a confiden-
tiality agreement between the State or Commis-
sion, respectively, and the Secretary that pro-
hibits public disclosure of the identity of any 
person and of confidential information;’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (E), by striking 
‘‘limited access’’ and inserting ‘‘catch 
share’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (G), by striking 
‘‘limited access’’ and inserting ‘‘catch 
share’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00023
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A), by inserting ‘‘, and information 
obtained through a vessel monitoring sys-
tem or other technology used onboard a 
fishing vessel for enforcement or data col-
lection purposes,’’ after ‘‘information’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘or’’ after the semi-
colon at the end of subparagraph (B); and 
(iii) by striking subparagraph (C) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(C) as authorized by any regulations 
issued under paragraph (6) allowing the collec-
tion of observer information, pursuant to a con-
fidentiality agreement between the observers, 
observer employers, and the Secretary prohib-
iting disclosure of the information by the ob-
servers or observer employers, in order— 
‘‘(i) to allow the sharing of observer 
information among observers and between 
observers and observer employers as nec-
essary to train and prepare observers for 
deployments on specific vessels; or 
‘‘(ii) to validate the accuracy of the 
observer information collected; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(D) to other persons if the Secretary has 
obtained written authorization from the person 
who submitted such information or from the 
person on whose vessel the information was col-
lected, to release such information for reasons 
not otherwise provided for in this subsection.’’; 
(C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 
paragraph (6); and 
(D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the 
following: 
‘‘(3) Any information submitted to the Sec-
retary, a State fisheries management agency, or a 
Marine Fisheries Commission by any person in com-
pliance with the requirements of this Act, including 
confidential information, may only be used for pur-
poses of fisheries management and monitoring and 
enforcement under this Act. 
‘‘(4) The Secretary may enter into a memo-
randum of understanding with the heads of other 
Federal agencies for the sharing of confidential in-
formation to ensure safety of life at sea or for fish-
eries enforcement purposes, including information 
obtained through a vessel monitoring system or 
other electronic enforcement and monitoring sys-
tems, if— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) the Secretary determines there is a 
compelling need to do so; and 
‘‘(B) the heads of the other Federal agen-
cies agree— 
‘‘(i) to maintain the confidentiality of 
the information in accordance with the re-
quirements that apply to the Secretary 
under this section; and 
‘‘(ii) to use the information only for 
the purposes for which it was shared with 
the agencies. 
‘‘(5) The Secretary may not provide any vessel- 
specific or aggregate vessel information from a fish-
ery that is collected for monitoring and enforcement 
purposes to any person for the purposes of coastal 
and marine spatial planning under Executive Order 
13547, unless the Secretary determines that pro-
viding such information is important for maintaining 
or enhancing national security or for ensuring fish-
ermen continued access to fishing grounds.’’. 
(2) CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION DEFINED.— 
Section 3 (16 U.S.C. 1802) is further amended by 
inserting after paragraph (4) the following: 
‘‘(4a) The term ‘confidential information’ 
means— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) trade secrets; 
‘‘(B) proprietary information; 
‘‘(C) observer information; and 
‘‘(D) commercial or financial information 
the disclosure of which is likely to result in 
harm to the competitive position of the person 
that submitted the information to the Sec-
retary.’’. 
(d) INCREASED DATA COLLECTION AND ACTIONS TO 
ADDRESS
DATA-POOR
FISHERIES.—Section 404 (16 
U.S.C. 1881c) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(e) USE OF THE ASSET FORFEITURE FUND FOR 
FISHERY INDEPENDENT DATA COLLECTION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) The Secretary, subject to appropria-
tions, may obligate for data collection purposes 
in accordance with prioritizations under para-
graph (3) a portion of amounts received by the 
United States as fisheries enforcement pen-
alties. 
‘‘(B) Amounts may be obligated under this 
paragraph only in the fishery management re-
gion with respect to which they are collected. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00027
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(2) INCLUDED PURPOSES.—The purposes re-
ferred to in paragraph (1) include— 
‘‘(A) the use of State personnel and re-
sources, including fishery survey vessels owned 
and maintained by States to survey or assess 
data-poor fisheries for which fishery manage-
ment plans are in effect under this Act; and 
‘‘(B) cooperative research activities author-
ized under section 318 to improve or enhance 
the fishery independent data used in fishery 
stock assessments. 
‘‘(3) DATA-POOR FISHERIES PRIORITY LISTS.— 
Each Council shall— 
‘‘(A) identify those fisheries in its region 
considered to be data-poor fisheries; 
‘‘(B) prioritize those fisheries based on the 
need of each fishery for up-to-date information; 
and 
‘‘(C) provide those priorities to the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) The term ‘data-poor fishery’ means a 
fishery— 
‘‘(i) that has not been surveyed in the 
preceding 5-year period; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(ii) for which a fishery stock assess-
ment has not been performed within the 
preceding 5-year period; or 
‘‘(iii) for which limited information on 
the status of the fishery is available for 
management purposes. 
‘‘(B) The term ‘fisheries enforcement pen-
alties’ means any fine or penalty imposed, or 
proceeds of any property seized, for a violation 
of this Act or of any other marine resource law 
enforced by the Secretary. 
‘‘(5) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary for each fiscal year to carry out this sub-
section up to 80 percent of the fisheries enforcement 
penalties collected during the preceding fiscal year.’’. 
SEC. 11. COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT 
PROGRAM. 
Section 318 (16 U.S.C. 1867) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before 
the first sentence, and by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) Within one year after the date of enactment of 
the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing 
Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, and after con-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00029
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
sultation with the Councils, the Secretary shall publish a 
plan for implementing and conducting the program estab-
lished in paragraph (1). Such plan shall identify and de-
scribe critical regional fishery management and research 
needs, possible projects that may address those needs, and 
estimated costs for such projects. The plan shall be revised 
and updated every 5 years, and updated plans shall in-
clude a brief description of projects that were funded in 
the prior 5-year period and the research and management 
needs that were addressed by those projects.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘FUNDING’’ 
and inserting ‘‘PRIORITIES’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking all after 
‘‘including’’ and inserting an em dash, followed 
on the next line by the following: 
‘‘(A) the use of fishing vessels or acoustic 
or other marine technology; 
‘‘(B) expanding the use of electronic catch 
reporting programs and technology; and 
‘‘(C) improving monitoring and observer 
coverage through the expanded use of electronic 
monitoring devices.’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00030
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 12. COUNCIL JURISDICTION FOR OVERLAPPING FISH-
ERIES. 
Section 302(a)(1) (16 U.S.C. 1852(a)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), in the second sen-
tence— 
(A) by striking ‘‘18’’ and inserting ‘‘19’’; 
and 
(B) by inserting before the period at the 
end ‘‘and a liaison who is a member of the Mid- 
Atlantic Fishery Management Council to rep-
resent the interests of fisheries under the juris-
diction of such Council’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (B), in the second sen-
tence— 
(A) by striking ‘‘21’’ and inserting ‘‘22’’; 
and 
(B) by inserting before the period at the 
end ‘‘and a liaison who is a member of the New 
England Fishery Management Council to rep-
resent the interests of fisheries under the juris-
diction of such Council’’. 
SEC. 13. GULF OF MEXICO FISHERIES COOPERATIVE RE-
SEARCH AND RED SNAPPER MANAGEMENT. 
(a) REPEAL.—Section 407 (16 U.S.C. 1883), and the 
item relating to such section in the table of contents in 
the first section, are repealed. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00031
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(b) REPORTING
AND
DATA
COLLECTION
PRO-
GRAM.—The Secretary of Commerce shall— 
(1) in conjunction with the States, the Gulf of 
Mexico Fishery Management Council, and the rec-
reational fishing sectors, develop and implement a 
real-time reporting and data collection program for 
the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery using avail-
able technology; and 
(2) make implementation of this subsection a 
priority for funds received by the Secretary and allo-
cated to this region under section 2 of the Act of 
August 
11, 
1939 
(commonly 
known 
as 
the 
‘‘Saltonstall-Kennedy Act’’) (15 U.S.C. 713c–3). 
(c) FISHERIES
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PRO-
GRAM.—The Secretary of Commerce— 
(1) shall, in conjunction with the States, the 
Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission and the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the 
Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Manage-
ment Councils, and the commercial, charter, and 
recreational fishing sectors, develop and implement a 
cooperative research program authorized under sec-
tion 318 for the fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and 
South Atlantic regions, giving priority to those fish-
eries that are considered data-poor; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(2) may, subject to the availability of appropria-
tions, use funds received by the Secretary under sec-
tion 2 of the Act of August 11, 1939 (commonly 
known as the ‘‘Saltonstall-Kennedy Act’’) (15 U.S.C. 
713c–3) to implement this subsection. 
(d) STOCK SURVEYS AND STOCK ASSESSMENTS.— 
The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National 
Marine Fisheries Service Regional Administrator of the 
Southeast Regional Office, shall for purposes of the Mag-
nuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.)— 
(1) develop a schedule of stock surveys and 
stock assessments for the Gulf of Mexico Region and 
the South Atlantic Region for the 5-year period be-
ginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and 
for every 5-year period thereafter; 
(2) direct the Southeast Science Center Direc-
tor to implement such schedule; and 
(3) in such development and implementation— 
(A) give priority to those stocks that are 
commercially or recreationally important; and 
(B) ensure that each such important stock 
is surveyed at least every 5 years. 
(e) USE OF FISHERIES INFORMATION IN STOCK AS-
SESSMENTS.—The Southeast Science Center Director 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
shall ensure that fisheries information made available 
through fisheries programs funded under Public Law 
112–141 is incorporated as soon as possible into any fish-
eries stock assessments conducted after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
(f) STATE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT IN THE GULF 
OF MEXICO WITH RESPECT TO RED SNAPPER.—Section 
306(b) (16 U.S.C. 1856(b)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(4) Notwithstanding section 3(11), for the purposes 
of managing the recreational sector of the Gulf of Mexico 
red snapper fishery, the seaward boundary of a coastal 
State in the Gulf of Mexico is a line 9 miles seaward from 
the baseline from which the territorial sea of the United 
States is measured.’’. 
(g) FUNDING OF STOCK ASSESSMENTS.—The Sec-
retary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior, act-
ing through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 
shall enter into a cooperative agreement for the funding 
of stock assessments that are necessitated by any action 
by the Bureau with respect to offshore oil rigs in the Gulf 
of Mexico that adversely impacts red snapper. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00034
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 14. NORTH PACIFIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT CLARI-
FICATION. 
Section 306(a)(3)(C) (16 U.S.C. 1856(a)(3)(C)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘was no’’ and inserting ‘‘is no’’; 
and 
(2) by striking ‘‘on August 1, 1996’’. 
SEC. 15. ENSURING CONSISTENT MANAGEMENT FOR FISH-
ERIES THROUGHOUT THEIR RANGE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et 
seq.) is amended by inserting after section 4 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 5. ENSURING CONSISTENT FISHERIES MANAGEMENT 
UNDER CERTAIN OTHER FEDERAL LAWS. 
‘‘(a) NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES ACT AND AN-
TIQUITIES ACT OF 1906.—In any case of a conflict be-
tween this Act and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) or the Antiquities Act of 1906 
(16 U.S.C. 431 et seq.), this Act shall control. 
‘‘(b) FISHERIES
RESTRICTIONS
UNDER
ENDAN-
GERED SPECIES ACT OF 1973.—To ensure transparency 
and consistent management of fisheries throughout their 
range, any restriction on the management of fish in the 
exclusive economic zone that is necessary to implement a 
recovery plan under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) shall be implemented— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(1) using authority under this Act; and 
‘‘(2) in accordance with processes and time 
schedules required under this Act.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in the first section is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 4 the following: 
‘‘Sec. 5. Ensuring consistent fisheries management under certain other Federal 
laws.’’. 
SEC. 16. LIMITATION ON HARVEST IN NORTH PACIFIC DI-
RECTED POLLOCK FISHERY. 
Section 210(e)(1) of the American Fisheries Act (title 
II of division C of Public Law 105–277; 16 U.S.C. 1851 
note) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) HARVESTING.— 
‘‘(A) LIMITATION.—No particular indi-
vidual, corporation, or other entity may harvest, 
through a fishery cooperative or otherwise, a 
percentage of the pollock available to be har-
vested in the directed pollock fishery that ex-
ceeds the percentage established for purposes of 
this paragraph by the North Pacific Council. 
‘‘(B) MAXIMUM
PERCENTAGE.—The per-
centage established by the North Pacific Coun-
cil shall not exceed 24 percent of the pollock 
available to be harvested in the directed pollock 
fishery.’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 17. RECREATIONAL FISHING DATA. 
(a) RECREATIONAL
DATA
COLLECTION.—Section 
401(g) (16 U.S.C. 1881(g)) is amended by redesignating 
paragraph (4) as paragraph (5), and by inserting after 
paragraph (3) the following: 
‘‘(4) FEDERAL-STATE PARTNERSHIPS.— 
‘‘(A) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—The 
Secretary 
shall establish partnerships with States to de-
velop best practices for implementation of State 
programs established pursuant to paragraph 
(2). 
‘‘(B) GUIDANCE.—The Secretary shall de-
velop guidance, in cooperation with the States, 
that details best practices for administering 
State programs pursuant to paragraph (2), and 
provide such guidance to the States. 
‘‘(C) BIENNIAL
REPORT.—The Secretary 
shall submit to the Congress and publish bien-
nial reports that include— 
‘‘(i) the estimated accuracy of the reg-
istry program established under paragraph 
(1) and of State programs that are ex-
empted under paragraph (2); 
‘‘(ii) priorities for improving rec-
reational fishing data collection; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(iii) an explanation of any use of in-
formation collected by such State programs 
and by the Secretary, including a descrip-
tion of any consideration given to the in-
formation by the Secretary. 
‘‘(D) STATES GRANT PROGRAM.—The Sec-
retary shall make grants to States to improve 
implementation of State programs consistent 
with this subsection. The Secretary shall 
prioritize such grants based on the ability of the 
grant to improve the quality and accuracy of 
such programs.’’. 
(b) STUDY ON RECREATIONAL FISHERIES DATA.— 
Section 401(g) (16 U.S.C. 1881(g)) is further amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) STUDY ON PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 60 
days after the enactment of this paragraph, the 
Secretary shall enter into an agreement with 
the National Research Council of the National 
Academy of Sciences to study the implementa-
tion of the programs described in this section. 
The study shall— 
‘‘(i) provide an updated assessment of 
recreational survey methods established or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00038
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 24. INTER-SECTOR TRADING OF COMMERCIAL CATCH 
SHARE ALLOCATIONS IN THE GULF OF MEX-
ICO. 
Section 301 (16 U.S.C. 1851) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) INTER-SECTOR
TRADING
OF
COMMERCIAL 
CATCH SHARE ALLOCATIONS IN THE GULF OF MEX-
ICO.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, 
any commercial fishing catch share allocation in a fishery 
in the Gulf of Mexico may only be traded by sale or lease 
within the same commercial fishing sector.’’. 
SEC. 25. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 4 (16 U.S.C. 1803) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘this Act’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘(7)’’ and inserting ‘‘this Act’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2013’’ and inserting 
‘‘each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:57 Mar 16, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00045
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H1335.IH
H1335
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS