[House Report 119-658]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 119-658
=======================================================================
FLORIDA SAFE SEAS ACT OF 2025
----------------
May 20, 2026.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
----------------
Mr. Westerman, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 3831]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 3831) to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act to prohibit feeding sharks in
the exclusive economic zone off the State of Florida, having
considered the same, reports favorably thereon without
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
Purpose of the Legislation
The purpose of H.R. 3831 is to amend the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act to prohibit feeding
sharks in the exclusive economic zone off the State of Florida.
Background and Need for Legislation
In recent years, shark populations have risen in Florida
and much of the United States.\1\ This increase is in part due
to the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-263),
which prohibits the buying, selling, or transportation of any
product containing shark fins.\2\ While not imposing an
outright ban, this statute creates significant difficulties for
commercial fishermen, as the fins are often the most
commercially valuable part of a shark.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Laurie Mermet, ``Hooked and stolen: How rebounding shark
populations are changing Florida's fishing,'' University Press, Florida
Atlantic University, April 25, 2025, https://www.upressonline.com/2025/
04/hooked-and-stolen-how-rebounding-shark-populations-are-
changing-floridas-fishing/.
\2\P.L. 117-263, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-
117publ263/html/PLAW-117publ263.htm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
H.R. 3831 amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act to prohibit shark feeding in the exclusive
economic zone off the State of Florida. This legislation aligns
federal law with Florida's state regulations, which provide
that ``feeding fish, sharks, or other marine species while
diving or snorkeling is prohibited.''\3\ Florida developed
these regulations to protect divers, surfers, and swimmers; to
prevent the feeding of marine species in multiple-use areas;
and to avoid training sharks to associate human activities with
food.\4\ H.R. 3831 would enable safer recreational use of our
coastal resources and provide needed relief to Florida's
commercial and recreational fishermen, who have seen an
increase in shark depredation in recent years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\``Feeding sharks and other fish,'' Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission, https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/
recreational/fish-feeding/.
\4\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee Action
H.R. 3831 was introduced on June 6, 2025, by Representative
Daniel Webster (R-FL-11). The bill was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries. On July 22,
2025, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a
hearing on the bill. On March 5, 2026, the Committee on Natural
Resources met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on Water,
Wildlife and Fisheries was discharged from further
consideration of H.R. 3831 by unanimous consent. The bill was
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by
unanimous consent.
Hearings
For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure:
hearing by the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries
held on July 22, 2025.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 names the bill the ``Florida Safe Seas Act of
2025''.
Section 2. Prohibition on feeding sharks in exclusive economic zone
off state of Florida
Section 2 amends Section 317 of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act to prohibit shark
feeding in the exclusive economic zone off the state of
Florida.
Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
Compliance With House Rule XIII and Congressional Budget Act
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of House rule XIII and section
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and pursuant to
clause 3(c)(3) of House rule XIII and section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested
but not received from the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office a budgetary analysis and a cost estimate of this bill.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of Rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act to prohibit feeding sharks in
the exclusive economic zone off the State of Florida.
Earmark Statement
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act Statement
An estimate of federal mandates prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee, if such
estimate is not publicly available on the Congressional Budget
Office website.
Existing Programs
Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any
directed rule makings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.
Applicability to Legislative Branch
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
Preemption of State, Local or Tribal Law
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no
change is proposed is shown in roman):
MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT
* * * * * * *
TITLE III--NATIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
* * * * * * *
SEC. 317. SHARK FEEDING.
Except to the extent determined by the Secretary, or under
State law, as presenting no public health hazard or safety
risk, or when conducted as part of a research program funded in
whole or in part by appropriated funds, it is unlawful to
introduce, or attempt to introduce, food or any other substance
into the water to attract sharks for any purpose other than to
harvest sharks within the Exclusive Economic Zone seaward of
[the State] the States of Hawaii and Florida and of the
Commonwealths, territories, and possessions of the United
States in the Pacific Ocean Area.
* * * * * * *
[all]