Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act
Introduced May 13, 2025 · Last action February 23, 2026
Plain English Summary
This bill requires the Secretary of Commerce to create standardized, publicly accessible digital maps showing fishing restrictions, recreational boating access, and navigation information in U.S. federal ocean waters (the exclusive economic zone) within 4 years. The bill mandates that this geographic data be updated at least twice yearly and remain accessible online, while protecting sensitive tribal, archaeological, and commercial fishing information.
Who benefits
Recreational boaters, fishermen, and divers who currently lack standardized public information about where they can and cannot fish or operate vessels in federal waters; marine tourism operators and charter boat companies who can use the maps for trip planning and customer safety; technology and geospatial data companies contracted to build the mapping system; universities and nonprofit organizations hired as data partners; state and local governments seeking coordination with federal ocean management; environmental organizations seeking transparency into marine protected areas.
Who pays / loses
The Secretary of Commerce and National Marine Fisheries Service bear implementation costs for developing, publishing, and maintaining the GIS database and website over the 4-year implementation period and beyond. Commercial fishing companies face disclosure of their fishing closure information (though proprietary details remain protected). Federal agencies (Department of Interior, Defense, Energy, EPA, Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers) bear coordination costs. No identifiable group loses rights or access—the bill only requires publication of existing restriction data.
Funding & Lobbying Interests
Technology and geospatial data companies benefit financially from contracts to design and maintain the GIS mapping system and website. Universities and nonprofit organizations secure funding for data partnership roles. No congressional budget data provided in bill text. Sponsors (Reps. Fry, Levin, Panetta) represent districts with significant recreational boating and fishing constituencies—this bill serves outdoor recreation and marine tourism lobbying interests seeking clarity on federal water access rules.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
Recreational boaters and fishermen (millions annually use U.S. federal waters); charter boat and marine tourism operators; commercial fishing companies (subject to disclosure of restriction areas); tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations (data excludes their waters and fishing areas by statute); coastal communities relying on marine recreation and tourism economies; environmental advocates and marine conservation nonprofits. The bill directly impacts states with extensive exclusive economic zones: California, Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Pacific Northwest coastal states.
Political Subtext
Proponents frame this as transparency and modernization: recreational users lack standardized information about where they can legally fish and boat, leading to accidental violations and safety risks. Clearer maps reduce enforcement burden and improve user compliance. Environmental groups support it as a tool to understand and monitor marine protected areas. Critics (inferred from the bill's carve-outs) worry about commercial fishing industry exposure—the bill requires disclosure of fishing closure areas, though proprietary catch data remains protected. Some observers note that fishing restriction data already exists in scattered federal databases; this bill simply centralizes and standardizes it. Non-partisan evidence: transparency in natural resource restrictions typically reduces violations and improves compliance, though no CBO cost estimate is provided.
Real-World Stakes
If this passes: recreational boaters will have a single reliable source for legal boundaries instead of consulting multiple agency websites. Charter operators can verify safe, legal operating areas before trips, reducing liability. Marine conservation groups gain a clearer picture of marine protected area effectiveness. Commercial fishermen face clearer (but not new) disclosure of fishing closures. Federal agencies incur 4 years of development work plus ongoing maintenance. If it fails: the current fragmented system persists—users consult NOAA, state agencies, and regional fishery councils separately, leading to continued confusion and inadvertent trespassing into restricted zones. Comparable precedent: NOAA's existing digital nautical chart system (NOAA Charts) improved boating safety and compliance when centralized; this bill applies the same principle to restriction data. No analogous federal transparency mandate on this scale has been reversed after implementation.
Sponsor
Sponsor information not available.
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
No campaign finance data available yet.
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
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