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H.R. 3951 118th Congress House

Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems, Livelihoods, and Local Seafood Act

Official title: To establish in the Department of Agriculture an Office of Aquaculture, and for other purposes.

Introduced: June 9, 2023 Introduced by: Suzanne Bonamici Democratic · Oregon See on congress.gov
Agriculture and Food Advisory bodiesAquacultureCongressional oversightDepartment of Agriculture
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Executive agency funding and structureHigher educationPublic-private cooperationSeafoodState and local government operations
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This bill died when the 118th Congress ended
It never became law before the 118th Congress (2023–2024) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 28, 2023
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
Jun 9, 2023
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Jun 9, 2023
Introduced in House
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 Latest action July 28, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems, Livelihoods, and Local Seafood Act or the SHELLS Act

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish an Office of Aquaculture and an Aquaculture Advisory Committee. The term aquaculture means the propagation and rearing of aquatic species in controlled or selected environments, including ocean ranching (with exclusions).

Specifically, the Office of Aquaculture must encourage and promote aquaculture operations that promote U.S. food security and limit adverse environmental effects.

USDA must also establish a 14-member Aquaculture Advisory Committee to advise USDA on (1) developing and advancing aquaculture best practices; (2) the history, use, and preservation of indigenous and traditional aquaculture practices and ecological knowledge; and (3) providing technical assistance to aquaculture farmers and businesses.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • S 2211 Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems, Livelihoods, and Local Seafood Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Lobbying activity 2

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

Bodies those filers lobbied

A filing lists the bills it worked on and the parts of government it contacted in separate sections, so these are the bodies those filers named anywhere in the filing, not a per-bill breakdown.

 Cosponsors 10
All 10 Democratic 6 Republican 3
R
LaLota, Nick
New York · Apr 23, 2024
 D
Magaziner, Seth
Rhode Island · Apr 10, 2024
Kilmer, Derek
· Mar 19, 2024
 D
Larson, John B.
Connecticut · Mar 7, 2024
 D
Tokuda, Jill N.
Hawaii · Oct 3, 2023
 R
Kiggans, Jennifer A.
Virginia · Jul 6, 2023
 D
Case, Ed
Hawaii · Jun 9, 2023
 D
Pallone, Frank
New Jersey · Jun 9, 2023
 D
Pingree, Chellie
Maine · Jun 9, 2023
 R
Wittman, Robert J.
Virginia · Jun 9, 2023
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3951: Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems, Livelihoods, and Local Seafood Act. 118th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-3951/
MLA
"H.R. 3951: Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems, Livelihoods, and Local Seafood Act." 118th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-3951/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 3951, 118th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-3951/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 3951: Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems, Livelihoods, and Local Seafood Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-3951/)
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