HR 4294 United States House · 119th Congress

MAWS Act of 2026

The MAWS Act of 2026 establishes a 3-year pilot program (2027-2029) to purchase invasive blue catfish from watermen and seafood processors within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. It authorizes $2 million annually to fund covered entities - manufacturers of pet food, animal feed, or aquaculture feed - to buy blue catfish caught in the watershed, requiring certification of origin and setting minimum prices based on market factors. The program mandates detailed reporting on environmental impacts, economic effects on watermen, and market responses to inform future policy. This directly supports watermen and processors by creating a market for invasive blue catfish while collecting data for potential expansion to other watersheds.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jul 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

President

Introduced Jul 7, 2025 Last action Mar 18, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House → Engrossed in House · 9 edits · Mar 17, 2026

MAJOR

The Engrossed version of HR 4294 substantially restructures the blue catfish pilot program from a fixed-date grant model to a data-driven cooperative agreement model with contingent start dates. It adds new requirements for abundance estimates, interagency coordination, quarterly congressional briefings, and a memorandum of understanding with state and research partners before the program can begin. The authorization of appropriations ($2 million per fiscal year) present in the introduced version is absent from this section in the engrossed version.

SCOPE

The pilot program shifts from a grant/award model to a cooperative agreement model, and the Secretary must now coordinate with existing programs described in subsection (b)(3).

REQUIREMENT

New paragraph (6) requires the Secretary to enter into a memorandum of understanding with eligible non-Federal partners (Maryland, Virginia, and research institutions) within 180 days of enactment to compile data and develop annual blue catfish abundance estimates, first due by September 30, 2027, published on NOAA's website annually through FY2032.

New paragraph (8) requires quarterly briefings to the House Natural Resources Committee and Senate Commerce Committee starting within 90 days of enactment and continuing until program termination.

The Secretary must issue pilot program guidance within 1 year of enactment, in consultation with the Chesapeake Bay Program Invasive Catfish Workgroup and heads of relevant Federal agencies with experience administering similar programs.

TIMELINE

The program duration changes from fixed dates (January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2029) to a 2-year period beginning the first day of the fiscal year after both the first abundance estimate is published and program guidance is issued. This makes the start date contingent on data readiness.

ENFORCEMENT

Report requirements are softened: 'estimate' becomes 'summary of available information,' direct data reporting becomes 'summary of available data,' and effects on other species are now qualified with 'to the extent known.' A new subsection (J) requires reporting on data gaps and recommendations for congressional action to support data collection.

FISCAL

The authorization of appropriations ($2,000,000 per fiscal year for the duration of the pilot program) present in paragraph (8) of the introduced version is not present in the engrossed version's corresponding section.

DEFINITION

New definition of 'eligible non-Federal partner' covering Maryland, Virginia, and research institutions with blue catfish expertise or coordination with the Invasive Catfish Workgroup.

TECHNICAL

Short title year changed from 2025 to 2026. Typo corrected in Secretary definition: 'National Oceans and Atmospheric Administration' to 'National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.'

Floor votes · House Mar 17, 2026

How they voted

320–66

Passed · 45 other

Total votes 431

Mar 17, 2026

D Democratic214

192 Yea 1 Nay 21

89% Yea

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican216

127 Yea 65 Nay 24

58% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 18, 2026

Committee

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

upper

Mar 17, 2026

Introduced

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 320 - 66 (Roll no. 88).

lower

Mar 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 320 - 66 (Roll no. 88).

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Introduced

Mr. Wittman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

lower

Feb 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-510.

lower

Jan 22, 2026

Introduced

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.

lower

Jan 22, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

Jan 22, 2026

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Discharged

lower

Jul 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee Hearings Held

lower

Jul 16, 2025

Committee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.

lower

Jul 7, 2025

Committee

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

lower

Jul 7, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 10 co-sponsors