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S 759 Became law

Requires the Commerce Department to publish public online maps and data on where fishing restrictions, recreational boating limits, and marine protected areas apply within the U.S. exclusive economic zone.

Official title: Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act

Outcome Public Law 119-116
Timeline each lane is a chamber; dates pull from congress.gov actions
House
Received 11-SEP-2025
Passed 14-SEP-2026
Senate
Introduced 26-FEB-2025
Referred 26-FEB-2025
Approved by committee 12-MAR-2025
Reported 16-JUL-2025
On the calendar 16-JUL-2025
Passed 10-SEP-2025
President
Presented 22-SEP-2026
Signed 25-SEP-2026
Became law 25-SEP-2026
Key points
  • Requires the National Marine Fisheries Service to post geographic data on fishing restrictions and recreational vessel limits in the exclusive economic zone on a public website within 4 years, updated at least twice a year.
  • Requires the Secretary of Commerce to adopt standards for geospatial data on fishing restrictions and recreational vessel access within 31 months.
  • Directs the Secretary to keep navigation, depth, and bathymetric data available, and to let the public submit questions and comments on the data.
  • Bars disclosure of protected historic and cultural resource locations and proprietary commercial fishing information, and does not apply to tribal waters or usual and accustomed fishing areas.
AI-generated from the Public Law text of 26-SEP-2026 · verify · report an error
Official CRS summary

Current. The Congressional Research Service's summary covers the bill's latest wording (Passed Senate, 10-SEP-2025).

CRS is the Library of Congress's nonpartisan research office. Read it on congress.gov
Committee referrals (1) Policy area

Transportation and Public Works

Sponsor Ted Cruz (R-TX) Cosponsors · 1
■ 1 I
1 Independent