Florida Safe Seas Act of 2025
Shark Feeding: Ban in Florida Federal Waters
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would make it illegal to feed sharks in federal waters off the coast of Florida. It updates a major fishing law to include Florida in a ban that already exists for Hawaii.
- This affects tour boat operators, divers, and fishers who use food to attract sharks for tourism or photography. People caught feeding sharks in these areas could face federal penalties or fines.
- Supporters of these bans usually argue that feeding sharks changes their natural behavior and makes them associate humans with food. This can lead to more dangerous encounters between sharks and people in popular swimming or diving areas.
- The ban applies to the "exclusive economic zone," which generally starts several miles offshore and extends out to 200 miles. Florida already has state laws against shark feeding closer to shore, so this would close the gap in federal waters.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3751)
The House fast-tracked this bill — limited debate, no amendments allowed, but needs two-thirds support to pass.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
The House fast-tracked this bill — limited debate, no amendments allowed, but needs two-thirds support to pass.
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3831.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
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Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Florida Safe Seas Act of 2025
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(5)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.