[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H5557-H5559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ILLEGAL RED SNAPPER AND TUNA ENFORCEMENT ACT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 283) to require the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards
and Technology and the Administrator of National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to develop a standard methodology for
identifying the country of origin of seafood to support enforcement
against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 283
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 ``Illegal Red Snapper and
Tuna Enforcement Act''.
SEC. 2. METHODOLOGY FOR IDENTIFYING COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OF
SEAFOOD.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
(2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
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(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives.
(3) Illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing; iuu
fishing.--The terms ``illegal, unreported, or unregulated
fishing'' and ``IUU fishing'' mean ``illegal, unreported, or
unregulated fishing'' as such term is defined for purposes of
section 609(e) of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826j(e)).
(4) Key agency leadership.--The term ``key agency
leadership'' means the Administrator and the Under Secretary,
in consultation with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection and the Commandant of the Coast Guard.
(5) Red snapper.--The term ``red snapper'' means the
species Lutjanus campechanus.
(6) Tuna.--The term ``tuna'' means the following species
of tuna:
(A) Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus).
(B) Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares).
(C) Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus).
(7) Under secretary.--The term ``Under Secretary'' means
the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology.
(b) Standard Methodology for Identification.--
(1) In general.--Key agency leadership shall jointly
develop a standard methodology, based on chemical analysis,
for identifying the country of origin of seafood to support
enforcement against IUU fishing and seafood fraud.
(2) Requirements.--Key agency leadership shall ensure
that the methodology developed under this subsection--
(A) is consistent with the needs of Federal and State law
enforcement agencies in combating IUU fishing and seafood
fraud;
(B) minimizes processing time;
(C) involves the use of a field kit that can be easily
carried by one individual; and
(D) to the extent practicable, can be used to test
prepared food, including raw preparations of seafood, such as
ceviche, sashimi, sushi, and poke.
(3) Initial species for identification.--In developing
the methodology under this subsection, key agency leadership
shall conduct pilot studies on red snapper, as an example of
a stationary stock, and tuna, as an example of a highly
migratory stock.
(c) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes
the following:
(1) A summary of the methodology developed under
subsection (b).
(2) A plan for operationalizing such methodology.
(3) If the Under Secretary determines any aspect of such
methodology is impractical, an explanation relating thereto,
whether additional research would make developing such a
methodology practicable, and whether a different approach
other than chemical analysis might be practicable.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
general leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on S. 283, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 283, the Illegal Red Snapper and
Tuna Enforcement Act, sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz from Texas.
This legislation would direct the Under Secretary of Commerce for
Standards and Technology and the NOAA Administrator to jointly develop
a standard methodology, based on chemical analysis, for identifying the
country of origin of seafood products to support enforcement against
illegal, unregulated, or unreported fishing, otherwise known as IUU
fishing.
IUU fishing undermines the sustainability of the seafood supply chain
and the United States' leadership as a gold standard for fisheries
management. This bill will promote innovation to help keep IUU products
out of American markets.
I thank Representative Brian Babin from Texas, a sponsor of companion
legislation, for his leadership on this issue in the House of
Representatives.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 283, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, or IUU
fishing, threatens domestic fisheries and ecosystems around the world.
In the United States, up to 32 percent of seafood imports are derived
from IUU fishing. These illegal practices harm our economy,
disadvantage fishermen, and threaten the long-term health of our oceans
and fish stocks.
Mr. Speaker, S. 283 would address one part of that challenge by
investing in science to improve the detection of illegally sourced
seafood. This bill would direct the National Institute of Standards and
Technology and NOAA to develop a chemical analysis to identify the
origin of seafood. If successful, this could assist law enforcement in
identifying products from illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
This legislation specifically focuses on red snapper and several
species of tuna, offering an opportunity to determine whether the
chemical analysis research would apply to reef fish and migratory
species. This is a practical, bipartisan piece of legislation that
would strengthen our ability to identify seafood linked to IUU fishing
and improve enforcement efforts.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting S. 283,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Babin), the lead sponsor of the House companion to this bill
and chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 283, the Illegal Red
Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, as amended.
This bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology
and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a
standard methodology using chemical analysis to identify the country of
origin of seafood.
Both commercial and recreational fishing contribute significantly to
the Texas economy. Red snapper, in particular, is highly sought after
by the recreational fishing sector. This effort is especially important
in the Gulf of America, where red snapper is a valuable resource for
American fishermen and coastal communities.
Illegally harvested seafood can make its way into U.S. markets,
undercutting the fishermen and seafood producers who play by the rules.
{time} 1530
NIST scientists have developed chemical methods to identify the
geographic origin of foods like beef, honey, fruits, and rice. This
bill would build on that expertise to give law enforcement another tool
to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and seafood
fraud.
Today's bill also incorporates edits made by the House Science,
Space, and Technology Committee during our bipartisan markup earlier
this year as part of H.R. 3706, the Standards for Understanding Source
and Habitat Identification Act, also known as the SUSHI Act, which I
sponsored.
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, again, S. 283 supports the development of
new technology that can help identify and cut off IUU fish products
entering our markets.
I greatly appreciate Senator Cruz and Representative Babin for their
leadership on this legislation. I urge the passage of S. 283 and yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 283, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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