H.R. 4294 · Passed House · Public Lands and Natural Resources

MAWS Act of 2026

What it does

Requires NOAA to establish a pilot program facilitating the purchase of invasive blue catfish caught in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Directs NOAA to enter cooperative agreements with pet food, animal feed, or aquaculture feed makers to buy blue catfish from watermen and seafood processors.
Requires NOAA to set a minimum price per pound after weighing market factors, participant feedback, and separate price points for fillet and byproduct.
Requires a memorandum of understanding with nonfederal partners to estimate blue catfish abundance, with the first estimate published before the pilot begins.

Official summary

Mitigation Action and Watermen Support Act of 2026 or the MAWS Act of 2026 This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a pilot program to facilitate the purchase of blue catfish caught within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. (Blue catfish are considered an invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay.) Under the program, NOAA must enter into cooperative agreements with manufacturers or processors of pet food, animal feed, or aquaculture feed for the purchase of blue catfish from watermen and seafood processors. NOAA must determine the minimum price per pound after considering market factors; feedback from watermen, seafood processors, and participants in the program; and differentiation of price points for fillet and byproduct. The bill also requires NOAA to enter into a memorandum of understanding with nonfederal partners to develop abundance estimates of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. NOAA must make the first abundance estimate publicly available before beginning the pilot program.

Latest action

Mar 18, 2026: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Committee: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation