Legislative Hearing on H.R. 2406, H.R. 8401, H.R. 8542 and H.R. 8904

The House Committee on Natural Resources GOP Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on May 29, 2026, to discuss four bills related to marine resource management and coastal community support. Key procurement-related discussions included the proposed HR 8904, which seeks to amend the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to regulate fishing in marine national monuments under this act rather than the Antiquities Act, aiming to restore commercial fishing access and provide regulatory certainty. HR 8542, the Offshore Parity Act, was also discussed, proposing to extend state jurisdiction from three to nine nautical miles for Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, aligning with Texas and Florida, to enhance state management of fisheries and coastal economies. Additionally, HR 2406 addresses sexual harassment prevention improvements within NOAA, expanding protections to contractor employees and enhancing reporting mechanisms. Witnesses from NOAA and various fisheries and environmental organizations provided testimony on the ecological, economic, and regulatory impacts of these bills. The hearing included discussions on budget allocations for fishery disaster relief funds, with concerns raised about delays in fund disbursement. No direct contract awards or vendor selections were reported, but policy decisions discussed could influence future procurement and management activities related to fisheries and marine resource oversight.