Bill strips presidents of power to ban fishing in marine monuments
In committeeH.R. 8904Latest action
Sponsor: Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen · Delegate · AS
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to provide for the regulation of fishing in marine national monuments.
119th Congress
Topics: Environment & energy
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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HR 8904 would end presidential authority to restrict fishing in marine monuments, shifting all regulation to federal fishery councils.
45-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
HR 8904 removes the president's ability to restrict or ban fishing inside marine national monuments using the Antiquities Act. Instead, all fishing in these protected ocean areas would be governed exclusively by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Existing presidential proclamations limiting fishing inside monuments would no longer apply to fishing activities.
Who does it affect?
Commercial and recreational fishermen near marine monuments, especially those around Hawaii, American Samoa, and the Pacific Islands, are the most directly affected. Environmental and conservation groups that have supported fishing bans inside monuments, and federal agencies whose authority over these areas would shift, are also affected.
Why does it matter?
Regulatory authority over fishing in marine monuments would move from the executive branch to regional fishery management councils and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Future presidents would be unable to use monument designations as a mechanism to restrict fishing in federal waters.
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Where does it stand?
- IntroducedMay 19, 2026
- House committeeYou are here · Jun 3, 2026
- House vote
- Senate
- The president's desk
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Subcommittee Hearings Held