,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eabf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #ae1       
#bjai,mr4 ,graves of ,louisiana 7for    
himself1 ,mr4 ,huffman1 and ,mr4        
,palazzo7 introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to    
require individuals fishing for ,gulf   
reef fish to use certain descending     
devices1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,direct ,enhancement of ,snapper    
,conservation and the ,economy through  
,novel ,devices ,act of #bjai or the    
,,descend ,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,required 
use of descending devices  7a7 ,required
 gear in the ,gulf reef fish fishery    
,title ,,iii of the ,magnuson-,stevens  
,fishery ,conservation and ,management  
,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahea et seq47 is   
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  #cba4 ,required possession  
of descending devices  7a7 ,require gear
 in the ,gulf reef fish fishery ,it     

shall be unlawful for a person on board 
a commercial or recreational vessel to  
fish for ,gulf reef fish in the ,gulf of
 ,mexico ,exclusive ,economic ,zone     
without possessing on board the vessel a
 venting tool or a descending device    
that is rigged and ready for use while  
fishing is occurring4  7b7 ,savings     
clause ,no provision of this section    
shall be interpreted to affect any      
program or activity carried out by the  
,gulf ,coast ,ecosystem ,restoration    
,council established by the ,resources  
and ,ecosystems ,sustainability1        
,tourist ,opportunities1 and ,revived   
,economies of the ,gulf ,coast ,states  
,act of #bjab 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acba      
note71 or any project contained in an   
approved ,restoration ,plan developed by
 any ,natural ,resources ,damage        
,assessment ,trustee ,implementation    
,group to reduce post-release mortality 
from barotrauma in ,gulf of ,mexico     
,reef ,fish ,recreational ,fisheries4   
7c7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 

,descending device ,the term descending 
device means an instrument that--  7,a7 
will release fish at a depth sufficient 
for the fish to be able to recover from 
the effects of barotrauma2  7,b7 is a   
weighted hook1 lip clamp1 or box that   
will hold the fish while it is lowered  
to depth1 or another device determined  
to be appropriate by the ,secretary2 and
  7,c7 is capable of-- 7i7 releasing the
 fish automatically2  7ii7 releasing the
 fish by actions of the operator of the 
device2 or  7iii7 allowing the fish to  
escape on its own4  7#b7 ,venting tool  
,the term venting tool has the meaning  
given to it by the ,gulf of ,mexico     
,fishery ,management ,council4  7#c7    
,gulf reef fish ,the term ,gulf reef    
fish means any fish chosen by the ,gulf 
of ,mexico ,fishery ,management ,council
 that is in the reef ,fishery           
,management ,plan for the purposes of   
this ,act4  2  7b7 ,civil penalties     
,section #cjh7;a7 of the                
,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery             

,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af 
,u4,s4,c4 #aheh7;a77 is amended by      
inserting or section #cba after section 
#cjg4  7c7 ,effective date ,the         
amendments made by this ,act shall take 
effect #a year after the date of        
enactment of this ,act4  7d7 ,sunset    
,five years after the date of enactment 
of this ,act1 the ,magnuson-,stevens    
,fishery ,conservation and ,management  
,act is amended--  7#a7 in section      
#cjh7;a71 by striking or section #cba2  
and  7#b7 by striking title #cba4  #c4  
,improving discard mortality data  7a7  
,agreement ,within #fj days of the date 
of enactment of this ,act1 the          
,secretary shall enter into an agreement
 with the ,national ,academy of         
,sciences to conduct a study and produce
 a report on discard mortality in the   
,gulf of ,mexico reef fish fisheries4   
,such study shall include--  7#a7       
assessment of gaps and biases in        
reporting of discards and associated    
discard mortality2  7#b7 assessment of  

uncertainty and likely impacts of such  
uncertainty in discard mortality2  7#c7 
assessment of the effectiveness and     
usage rates of barotrauma-reducing      
devices2  7#d7 recommendations for      
future research priorities2 and  7#e7   
recommendations for standardized        
reporting and quantification of discards
 for fisheries under the ,gulf of       
,mexico ,reef ,fish ,fishery ,management
 ,plan4  7b7 ,deadline ,the ,national   
,academy of ,sciences shall complete the
 study described in subsection 7a7 and  
transmit the final report to the        
,secretary within #b years of the date  
of enactment of this ,act4 ,the         
,secretary shall1 within #c months of   
receiving such study and report1 submit 
such study and report in 7a7 to the     
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation of the ,senate and the  
,committee on ,natural ,resources of the
 ,house of ,representatives4  7c7 ,plan 
,within #a year of receiving the study  
and report in described in subsection   

7a71 the ,gulf of ,mexico ,fishery      
,management ,council and the ,secretary 
shall--  7#a7 develop guidance for      
minimum standards for quantifying and   
reporting discards and associated       
mortality in the ,gulf of ,mexico ,reef 
,fish ,fishery ,management ,plan2 and   
7#b7 develop a plan to assess and       
monitor the effectiveness and usage of  
barotrauma-reducing devices and the     
impact on discard mortality rates in    
,gulf of ,mexico reef fish fisheries4   
7d7 ,follow-,up report ,within #c years 
of developing minimum standards and     
developing the assessment and monitoring
 plan in subsection 7c71 the ,secretary 
shall provide a detailed report on      
implementation to the ,committee on     
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate and the ,committee on   
,natural ,resources of the ,house of    
,representatives4