I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 531 
To amend the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 16, 2025 
Mrs. RADEWAGEN (for herself and Mr. CASE) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘South Pacific Tuna Treaty Act of 2025’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Amendment of South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
Sec. 4. Prohibited acts. 
Sec. 5. Exceptions. 
Sec. 6. Criminal offenses. 
Sec. 7. Civil penalties. 
Sec. 8. Licenses. 
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Sec. 9. Enforcement. 
Sec. 10. Findings by Secretary. 
Sec. 11. Reporting requirements; disclosure of information. 
Sec. 12. Closed Area stowage requirements. 
Sec. 13. Observers. 
Sec. 14. Technical assistance. 
Sec. 15. Arbitration. 
Sec. 16. Disposition of fees, penalties, forfeitures, and other moneys. 
Sec. 17. Additional agreements. 
Sec. 18. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT OF SOUTH PACIFIC TUNA ACT OF 1988. 
Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in 
this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 
of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provi-
sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to a 
section or other provision of the South Pacific Tuna Act 
of 1988 (16 U.S.C. 973 et seq.). 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) APPLICABLE NATIONAL LAW.—Section 2(4) (16 
U.S.C. 973(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘described in para-
graph 1(a) of Annex I of’’ and inserting ‘‘noticed and in 
effect in accordance with’’. 
(b) CLOSED AREA.—Section 2(5) (16 U.S.C. 973(5)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘of the closed areas identified in 
Schedule 2 of Annex I of’’ and inserting ‘‘area within the 
jurisdiction of a Pacific Island Party that is closed to ves-
sels pursuant to a national law of that Pacific Island Party 
and is noticed and in effect in accordance with’’. 
(c) FISHING.—Section 2(6) (16 U.S.C. 973(6)) is 
amended— 
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(1) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘for any 
purpose’’ after ‘‘harvesting of fish’’; and 
(2) by amending subparagraph (F) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(F) use of any other vessel, vehicle, air-
craft, or hovercraft, for any activity described 
in this paragraph except for emergencies involv-
ing the health or safety of the crew or the safe-
ty of a vessel.’’. 
(d) FISHING VESSEL.—Section 2(7) (16 U.S.C. 
973(7)) is amended by striking ‘‘commercial fishing’’ and 
inserting ‘‘commercial purse seine fishing for tuna’’. 
(e) LICENSING AREA.—Section 2(8) (16 U.S.C. 
973(8)) is amended by striking ‘‘in the Treaty Area’’ and 
all that follows and inserting ‘‘under the jurisdiction of 
a Pacific Island Party, except for internal waters, terri-
torial seas, archipelagic waters, and any Closed Area.’’. 
(f) LIMITED AREA; PARTY; TREATY AREA.—Section 
2 (16 U.S.C. 973) is amended— 
(1) by striking paragraphs (10), (13), and (18); 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (11) and (12) 
as paragraphs (10) and (11), respectively; 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (14) as para-
graph (12); and 
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(4) by redesignating paragraphs (15) through 
(17) as paragraphs (14) through (16), respectively. 
(g) REGIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Section 2 
(16 U.S.C. 973) is amended by inserting after paragraph 
(12), as so redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(13) The term ‘regional terms and conditions’ 
means any of the terms or conditions attached by 
the Administrator to the license issued by the Ad-
ministrator, as notified by the Secretary.’’. 
SEC. 4. PROHIBITED ACTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5(a) (16 U.S.C. 973c(a)) 
is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Except as provided in section 
6 of this Act, it’’ at the beginning and inserting 
‘‘It’’; 
(2) by striking paragraphs (3) and (4); 
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through 
(13) as paragraphs (3) through (11), respectively; 
(4) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by in-
serting ‘‘, except in accordance with an agreement 
pursuant to the Treaty’’ after ‘‘Closed Area’’; 
(5) in paragraph (10), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘or’’ at the end; 
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