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.
What's Inside This Bill
Non-obvious provisions not apparent from the headline summary.
Tribal Data Sovereignty Carve-out Without Consultation Mandate
The bill allows the Secretary to withhold 'sensitive tribal' information from public maps but does not explicitly require the Secretary to consult with tribes before deciding what is sensitive or how data is protected, potentially allowing unilateral government determination of tribal information boundaries.
AffectsFederally recognized tribes and indigenous groups whose traditional knowledge, sacred sites, and resource management areas could be classified as 'sensitive' without their input, affecting their ability to control access to culturally significant ocean areas.
Undefined 'Commercial Fishing Information' Protection Standard
The bill protects unspecified 'commercial fishing information' from public disclosure but provides no definition of what qualifies, no criteria for withholding decisions, and no appeals process, creating discretionary authority without guardrails.
AffectsCommercial fishing operations competing for access to ocean resources, as some competitors' sensitive location and operational data may be protected while others' is not, depending on subjective agency interpretation.
No Enforcement or Penalty Provision for Non-Compliance
The bill mandates mapping and updates but contains no enforcement mechanism, penalties for missed deadlines, or consequences if the Secretary fails to complete the work within 4 years or maintain twice-yearly updates.
AffectsRecreational boaters, fishers, and the public who depend on these maps for safe navigation and access, as there is no guarantee the maps will actually be created or maintained if the Secretary deprioritizes the work.
Potential Preemption of State Coastal Zone Management
Federal mapping authority over the exclusive economic zone could implicitly override or conflict with state coastal zone management plans and state-level access restrictions that were previously established under the Coastal Zone Management Act.
AffectsStates with established coastal management programs and access restrictions, which may find their local regulatory authority superseded by federal mapping standards that do not account for state-specific conditions.
Sponsor
Co-sponsors (15)
DRep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]RRep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]DRep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large]DRep. Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4]DRep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]RRep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5]DRep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]RRep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1]RRep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2]DRep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]DRep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]DRep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47]DRep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49]RRep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]DRep. Tran, Derek [D-CA-45]
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
Top contributing industries
Other$148,325.31
Finance$16,400
Law$11,555.86
Agriculture$10,850
Energy$10,300
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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