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S 2960 116th Congress Senate Public Lands and Natural Resources Atlantic Ocean Civil actions and liability Congressional oversight Fishes Government studies and investigations Gulf of Mexico Hunting and fishing Marine and coastal resources, fisheries Marine and inland water transportation Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

DESCEND Act of 2019

Introduced: December 2, 2019 Introduced by: Cassidy, Bill Republican · Louisiana See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 2, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Dec 2, 2019
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 2019 or the DESCEND Act of 2019

This bill addresses the use of descending devices to release reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico. (A descending device is an instrument that will release fish at a depth sufficient for the fish to be able to recover from the effects of barotrauma.)

Specifically, the bill requires

  • commercial and recreational fishermen to possess a venting tool or descending device that is rigged and ready for use when fishing for reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico Exclusive Economic Zone,
  • the Department of Commerce to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study and produce a report on discard mortality in the Gulf reef fish fisheries, and
  • Commerce and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to develop guidance for reporting discards and associated mortality and develop a plan to assess the effectiveness and usage of barotrauma-reducing devices.
What's happening now December 2, 2019

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

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Republican 1