Skip to content
Govbase
Govbase
Congress·In Committee·H.R. 8450

Save Willy Act of 2026

San Francisco Bay Whale Protection Pilot Program

22 days ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

The Save Willy Act of 2026 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced and sent to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for review. The bill is actively moving forward as it waits for the committee to discuss its next steps.

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law
Unlikely to pass

While the bill has support from several California representatives, it focuses on a specific region and has not yet moved forward in the House committee process.

Key Points

  • The bill creates a Cetacean Desk within the San Francisco Vessel Traffic Service to track large whales like humpbacks and orcas. This desk will help ships avoid hitting whales in the busy San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate areas.
  • For four years, the program will use new technology, including artificial intelligence, to spot whales in real time. This information will be shared directly with ship captains so they can slow down or change course to prevent accidents.
  • The Coast Guard and NOAA will work together with the State of California and local ports to run the program. They will also provide training to maritime workers on how to spot whale behavior and follow safety rules in protected areas.
  • The program aims to reduce the number of whales killed or injured by large ships. Every year, the government will have to report on how well the program is working and if it is actually saving whales from vessel strikes.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Apr 22, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Apr 22, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.

Related Bills

No related bills have been identified yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Save Willy Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 8450
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(9)
D: 9

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.