[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 7, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H3486-H3487]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             EEZ TRANSIT ZONE CLARIFICATION AND ACCESS ACT

  Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 3070) to clarify that for purposes of all Federal laws governing 
marine fisheries management, the landward boundary of the exclusive 
economic zone between areas south of Montauk, New York, and Point 
Judith, Rhode Island, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3070

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``EEZ Transit Zone 
     Clarification and Access Act''.

     SEC. 2. RECREATIONAL FISHING IN BLOCK ISLAND SOUND TRANSIT 
                   ZONE.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation 
     with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, may 
     issue regulations to permit and regulate recreational 
     Atlantic striped bass fishing in the Block Island Sound 
     Transit Zone.
       (b) Block Island Sound Transit Zone Defined.--In this 
     section the term ``Block Island Sound transit zone'' means 
     the area of the exclusive economic zone north of a line 
     connecting Montauk Light, Montauk Point, New York, and Block 
     Island Southeast Light, Block Island, Rhode Island; and west 
     of a line connecting Point Judith Light, Point Judith, Rhode 
     Island, and Block Island Southeast Light, Block Island, Rhode 
     Island.
       (c) Savings Clause.--Nothing in this section or the 
     regulations issued under this section shall affect--
       (1) any permit that--
       (A) is issued under any other provision of law by the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including a 
     permit issued before the date of the enactment of this Act; 
     and
       (B) authorizes fishing in the Block Island Sound Transit 
     Zone; or
       (2) any activity authorized by such a permit.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Hardy) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include 
extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nevada?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 3070, which was introduced by my colleague, Congressman Lee 
Zeldin of New York, aims to eliminate Federal regulatory confusion 
around the Block Island Sound. His bill authorizes the Secretary of 
Commerce to permit striped bass fishing in the Block Island Transit 
Zone between Montauk, New York, and Point Judith, Rhode Island.
  The bill before us today is the result of extensive input from area 
stakeholders and congressional deliberation. Following a Natural 
Resources Committee's oversight field hearing and a subsequent 
legislative hearing, the bill has been amended to resolve any concerns 
about the unintended impacts of other federally permitted activities. 
As such, the Natural Resources Committee passed this bill earlier this 
year by unanimous consent.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I commend Mr. Zeldin 
for his leadership on this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  As introduced, H.R. 3070 would have had sweeping negative impacts. It 
would have redrawn the boundary of the exclusive economic zone in an 
area between Montauk Point, New York,

[[Page H3487]]

and Block Island, Rhode Island, allowing for the State management of 
fishery resources that are currently managed by the Federal Government. 
It would have barred Connecticut fishermen from using the area at all, 
and it would have eliminated a key sanctuary for striped bass at the 
very time the species needs stronger conservation measures.
  Fortunately, the Natural Resources Committee was able to address 
those flaws at markup and is able to bring forward a bill today that 
does not have any unintended consequences. The current version of H.R. 
3070 simply clarifies that the Secretary of Commerce has the authority 
to issue regulations that govern recreational fishing for striped bass 
in the Block Island Transit Zone. This area is currently closed to 
striped bass fishing, and I join the vast majority of recreational 
anglers in the region in urging fisheries' managers to keep it that 
way.
  That said, we do support the bill before us today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Zeldin).
  Mr. ZELDIN. I thank Mr. Hardy and Mr. Clay for their comments and for 
their support of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 3070, the EEZ Transit 
Zone Clarification and Access Act, which would clarify the Federal laws 
that govern the management of the striped bass fishery in the exclusive 
economic zone, or the EEZ, between Montauk, New York, and Block Island, 
Rhode Island.
  One of the most pressing issues that is faced by Long Island 
fishermen is the urgent need to clarify the Federal regulations 
regarding striped bass fishing in the small area of federally 
controlled waters between Montauk Point and Block Island.
  Between New York State waters, which end 3 miles off of Montauk 
Point, and the Rhode Island boundary, which begins 3 miles off of Block 
Island, there is a small area of federally controlled water that is 
considered part of the EEZ. The EEZ, which extends up to 200 miles from 
the coast, are waters that are patrolled by the Coast Guard, where the 
United States has exclusive jurisdiction over fisheries and other 
natural resources. Since 1990, striped bass fishing has been banned in 
the EEZ even though fishermen can currently fish for striped bass in 
adjacent State waters.

                              {time}  1745

  Fishing is an industry in and around my district. It is getting more 
and more difficult to survive in this industry if you are a 
businessowner. Fishermen are desperately pleading for commonsense 
relief, and this is one way Congress can help.
  To my colleagues in this Chamber, I ask you to vote in favor of this 
bill, passing this legislation on behalf of the amazing fishermen on 
the east end of Long Island.
  Long Island striped bass fisherman have lost 60 percent of their 
traditional fishing grounds due to Federal restrictions that my bill 
intends to reform. Additionally, the geography of our region means that 
making the 15-mile journey by boat from Montauk Point to Block Island 
requires passing through a small strip of waters considered to be part 
of the EEZ. The shift in jurisdiction can mean the difference between a 
nice day on the water and committing a Federal offense.
  My bill, H.R. 3070, clarifies the Federal laws currently governing 
the management of the striped bass fishery between Montauk and Block 
Island, permitting striped bass fishing in these waters and allowing 
for local regulations to manage this important fishery.
  This legislation is a commonsense reform that offers a simple 
solution to a unique local issue, providing regulatory relief and more 
certainty to our region's fishermen, while restoring local control to a 
critical fishery that must be properly managed and preserved for future 
generations.
  Late last year, on December 7, 2015, I cohosted a House Natural 
Resources Committee field hearing within my district in Riverhead, New 
York, with Chairman Rob Bishop of Utah. The hearing was held to discuss 
important local fishing issues, including this legislation. Chairman 
Bishop and members of the committee were able to hear firsthand the 
concerns of those on Long Island who rely upon fishing as an occupation 
and way of life. A few months later, on March 17, 2016, working closely 
with the committee, my bill passed this committee with unanimous 
bipartisan support.
  I thank House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy for having the bill 
placed on today's agenda on the House floor. A big thank you to House 
Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop; Subcommittee on Water, 
Power and Oceans Chairman John Fleming; and Subcommittee on Water, 
Power and Oceans Vice Chairman Paul Gosar for recognizing the urgency 
in passing this bill. I also thank Congressman Joe Courtney, my 
colleague across Long Island Sound, who worked with us to make this a 
bipartisan bill.
  I also commend the steadfast commitment and activism of Long Island's 
fishing community, which championed this issue for nearly two decades 
and is standing up for Long Island's coastal way of life. The dedicated 
men and women who fish in these local waters and the tens of thousands 
of Long Islanders who depend upon the coastal economy of the east end 
deserve no less than this commonsense reform promoted by this proposal.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in support of this critical 
bill.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I urge the 
body to adopt H.R. 3070.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Hardy) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 3070, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to 
authorize the Secretary of Commerce to permit striped bass fishing in 
the Exclusive Economic Zone transit zone between Montauk, New York, and 
Point Judith, Rhode Island, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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