Rhode Island Fishermen's Fairness Act

Bill: 113-s-713
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2013-04-11
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Atlantic Ocean

Marine and coastal resources, fisheries

Rhode Island
Latest action: action_date: 2013-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-04-11
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Rhode Island Fishermen's Fairness Act - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to add Rhode Island to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and increase Council membership from 21 to 23 members, including: (1) the principal Rhode Island official with marine fishery management responsibility, and (2) a member appointed by the Secretary of Commerce from a list of individuals submitted by the governor of Rhode Island.</p>

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 713 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 11, 2013 Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to add Rhode Island to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rhode Island Fishermen's Fairness Act . 2. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Rhode Island fishermen participate in fisheries managed by the New England Fishery Management Council (hereinafter referred to as the NEFMC ) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (hereinafter referred to as the MAFMC ). (2) Rhode Island currently has voting membership on the NEFMC under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act but does not have voting membership on the MAFMC. (3) Rhode Island lands more MAFMC-managed stocks than any other MAFMC member except the State of New Jersey. (4) A higher percentage of Rhode Island’s commercial landings (by weight or value) traditionally have come from species that are managed by the MAFMC as compared to species managed by NEFMC. (5) MAFMC has found that Rhode Island’s circumstance parallels that of Florida and North Carolina, which each have voting membership on two different fishery management councils. 3. Addition of Rhode Island to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Section 302(a)(1)(B) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1852(a)(1)(B) ) is amended— (1) by inserting Rhode Island, after States of ; (2) by inserting Rhode Island, after except North Carolina, ; (3) by striking 21 and inserting 23 ; and (4) by striking 13 and inserting 14 .