I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6939 
To address data and research gaps to improve marine environmental data 
collection, particularly in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf 
of Alaska, prioritize technology that supports research, bycatch reduction, 
and marine benthic habitat in Alaska fisheries, advance and streamline 
electronic monitoring and electronic reporting in United States fisheries, 
and establish a fund to provide financial assistance for fishermen pur-
chasing gear and technology aimed at reducing bycatch and marine 
benthic habitat contact from trawl fishing gear. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2026 
Mr. BEGICH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To address data and research gaps to improve marine envi-
ronmental data collection, particularly in the Bering Sea, 
Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska, prioritize tech-
nology that supports research, bycatch reduction, and 
marine benthic habitat in Alaska fisheries, advance and 
streamline electronic monitoring and electronic reporting 
in United States fisheries, and establish a fund to pro-
vide financial assistance for fishermen purchasing gear 
and technology aimed at reducing bycatch and marine 
benthic habitat contact from trawl fishing gear. 
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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 ‘‘Bycatch Reduction and 
Research Act of 2026’’. 
SEC. 2. RESEARCH. 
(a) RECONSTITUTION OF THE ALASKA SALMON RE-
SEARCH TASK FORCE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
(referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Administrator’’) 
shall reconstitute the membership of the Alaska 
Salmon Research Task Force, as described in the 
Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Act (Public 
Law 117–328; 136 Stat. 5271). 
(2) BYCATCH REDUCTION AND RESEARCH TASK 
FORCE.—The reconstituted membership described in 
paragraph (1) shall be referred to as the ‘‘Bycatch 
Reduction and Research Task Force’’. 
(3) MEMBERS.—The Secretary of Commerce 
shall appoint an additional 2 representatives who are 
academic experts in groundfish ecology and inverte-
brate ecology to the Bycatch Reduction and Re-
search Task Force. 
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(4) DUTIES.—The Bycatch Reduction and Re-
search Task Force shall— 
(A) review all research conducted and re-
ports published by the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration under this section; 
and 
(B) in consultation with the Administrator, 
provide priority recommendations for future 
work as described in subsection (d)(2)(B). 
(5) INAPPLICABILITY
OF
FEDERAL
ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE
ACT.—Chapter 10 of title 5, United 
States Code (commonly known as the ‘‘Federal Advi-
sory Committee Act’’), shall not apply to the By-
catch Reduction and Research Task Force. 
(b) SALMON LIFE HISTORY RESEARCH.— 
(1) SALMON TAGGING.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall enter into public-private partnerships with 
State agencies, nonprofit organizations, institu-
tions of higher education (as defined in section 
101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1001(a))), Indian Tribes or Tribal 
organizations (as defined in section 4 of the In-
dian Self-Determination and Education Assist-
ance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)), and research insti-
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tutions to research the marine life history of 
Alaska origin salmon species in the Bering Sea, 
Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. 
(B) PARTNERSHIPS.—In entering into 
partnerships described in subparagraph (A), the 
Administrator— 
(i) shall involve a diverse group of 
Alaska salmon experts, including Alaska 
Natives, fishing industry representatives, 
commercial fishermen, and individuals who 
possess personal knowledge of, and direct 
experience with, subsistence uses in Alas-
ka; and 
(ii) may include cooperative research 
efforts with privately owned commercial or 
charter fishing vessel owners. 
(C) RESEARCH.—At a minimum, the re-
search required under subparagraph (A) shall 
include satellite tagging or other intelligent tag-
ging methodologies to better understand migra-
tion and distributions of Alaska origin salmon 
during their marine life history in the Bering 
Sea, Aleutian Islands, or Gulf of Alaska. 
(2) GENETIC SAMPLING GRANT PROGRAM.—The 
Administrator shall conduct a competitive grant pro-
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gram to support improving the turnaround time of 
genetic analyses of biological samples collected at-sea 
or shoreside to provide real-time, or near-real-time, 
in-season genetic stock identification and age com-
position estimates of Alaska origin salmon caught 
incidentally in commercial fisheries conducted in the 
exclusive economic zone (as defined in section 3 of 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802)). 
(3) REPORTING.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall publish a report— 
(A) on the findings of the salmon life his-
tory research conducted under paragraph (1) 
and the findings of the genetic analyses grant 
program conducted under paragraph (2) that 
details how the research and genetic analyses 
can better inform Alaska origin salmon stock 
status and distributions; and 
(B) that includes potential uses of artificial 
intelligence or machine learning technology to 
perform predictive modeling to inform potential 
Alaska salmon bycatch avoidance areas. 
(c) ECOSYSTEM ANALYSES.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall con-
duct— 
(A) research, through studies and models 
that incorporate existing data, literature, and 
ongoing research, of how contact from non-pe-
lagic trawl and pelagic trawl gear impact shal-
low shelves or other marine benthic habitats in 
the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of 
Alaska; 
(B) a review of existing data, literature, 
and ongoing research efforts on fluctuations in 
Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alas-
ka marine ecosystems that may affect the sur-
vivability or energetic condition of commercially 
or culturally important wild marine and anad-
romous species, including examining— 
(i) harmful algal blooms; 
(ii) marine heatwaves; 
(iii) in-river temperatures; 
(iv) sea ice extent and thickness; 
(v) ocean acidification; 
(vi) diseases; 
(vii) nutrient or prey availability; 
(viii) density dependence; 
(ix) shifting stock distributions; 
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(x) impacts from hatchery released 
species, with particular attention to foreign 
hatchery releases; and 
(xi) predator-prey interactions; and 
(C) new research, using the review of data, 
literature, and ongoing research efforts under 
subparagraph (B), to prioritize data collection 
that support conservation of commercially or 
culturally important wild marine and anad-
romous species. 
(2) DIVERSE GROUP INVOLVEMENT.—In con-
ducting research under paragraph (1), the Adminis-
trator shall— 
(A) enter into public-private partnerships 
with relevant entities, such as State agencies, 
nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher 
education (as defined in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001(a))), and Indian Tribes or Tribal organi-
zations (as defined in section 4 of the Indian 
Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)); and 
(B) include a framework that involves a di-
verse group of experts in commercially or cul-
turally important wild marine and anadromous 
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species, including Alaska Natives, fishing indus-
try representatives, commercial fishermen, and 
individuals who possess personal knowledge of, 
and direct experience with, subsistence uses in 
Alaska. 
(d) REPORTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator shall 
publish interim annual reports and a final report 
(not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act)— 
(A) on findings and results of the research 
and review conducted under subsection (c)(1), 
and the status of milestones reached for all re-
search initiatives under this section; 
(B) on the results from the salmon tagging 
and genetic sampling research under subsection 
(b), including modeled Alaska origin salmon mi-
gration routes and potential applications to in-
form how best to minimize Alaska salmon by-
catch; and 
(C) that includes results from the eco-
system analyses under subsection (c). 
(2) RECOMMENDATIONS; FINDINGS.—The re-
ports described under paragraph (1) shall include— 
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