[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3069]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 5915. Mr. MERKLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1094. PROTECTING U.S. FISHERS FROM ILLEGAL FOREIGN 
                   FLAGS.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 
     2026''.
       (b) Amendments to the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium 
     Protection Act.--Section 609 of the High Seas Driftnet 
     Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826j) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(2), by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(E) Any nation that allows vessels to be operated under 
     the laws of the nation without confirming a genuine link (as 
     described in Article 5(1) of the United Nations Convention on 
     the High Seas, done at Geneva on April 29, 1958 and entered 
     into force September 30, 1962) between the nation and the 
     persons or entities with beneficial ownership and control of 
     the vessel, and that, as a result, fails to effectively 
     exercise flag state responsibilities as described in 
     subparagraphs (A) through (C).''; and
       (2) in subsection (e), by striking paragraph (2) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(2) Secretary to amend term within legislative 
     guidelines.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     enactment of the Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign 
     Flags Act of 2026, the Secretary shall amend the definition 
     of the term `illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing' 
     published at part 300.201 of title 50, Code of Federal 
     Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of such 
     Act) to be consistent with section 3532(6) of the Maritime 
     SAFE Act (16 U.S.C. 8001(6)).''.
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