Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act
Ocean Recreation: New Digital Maps for Fishing and Boating
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
↔Companion bill: Public Oceans: Digital Maps for Boating and FishingLegislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill requires the Commerce Department to create a public website with digital maps of federal waters. These maps will show exactly where people can fish, boat, or dive, and where certain activities are restricted or banned.
- People who use the ocean for fun—like fishers, boaters, and divers—will benefit from having all the rules in one place. Instead of guessing where a "no-fishing" zone starts, they will be able to check a map on their phone or computer to see the exact boundaries.
- Right now, ocean rules can be confusing and hard to find across different government agencies. This policy aims to fix that by making the data easy to read and updated regularly, including alerts for things like dangerous algae blooms that might make an area unsafe.
- The government has about 31 months to set the standards for the data and four years to launch the full website. Once it is live, the maps for fishing rules must be updated in real-time, while other navigation info must be updated at least twice a year.
- To protect sensitive areas, the maps will not show the locations of shipwrecks or cultural sites. The policy also protects private information from commercial fishing businesses and does not change any existing laws about who controls the water.
Impact Analysis
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Milestones
Held at the desk.
Received in the House.
The House has received the Senate-passed bill and will decide whether to take it up.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6556; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S6556)
The Senate voted to approve this bill. If the House already passed it, it goes to the President.
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
The Senate voted to approve this bill. If the House already passed it, it goes to the President.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
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Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.