,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #dca #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #eabf ,report ,no4 #aaf-eca ,,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 ,september #bd1 #bjbj;,additional sponsors3 ,mr4 ,cunningham1 ,mr4 ,rooney of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,veasey1 and ,mr4 ,webster of ,florida ,september #bd1 #bjbj,reported with an amendment1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed,strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic,for text of introduced bill1 see copy of bill as introduced on ,november #ae1 #bjai ,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 #bjbj or the ,,descend ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that commercial and recreational fishermen 7which1 for the purpose of this ,act shall include charter fishing7 for ,gulf reef fish are expected to use a venting tool or a descending device required for possession under section #c when releasing fish that are exhibiting signs of barotrauma4 ,the ,secretary of ,commerce 7referred to in this ,act as the ,secretary71 in coordination with the ,gulf of ,mexico ,fishery ,management ,council1 should develop and disseminate to fishermen education and outreach materials related to proper use of venting tools and descending devices1 and strongly encourage their use by commercial and recreational fishermen when releasing fish that are exhibiting signs of barotrauma4 #c4 ,required possession 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 4 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 ,conforming amendment ,title ,,iii of the table of contents of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahea et seq47 is amended by striking the item relating to section #cje and all that follows through the end of the items relating to such title and inserting the following3 ,sec4 #cje4 ,other requirements and authority4 ,sec4 #cjf4 ,state jurisdiction4 ,sec4 #cjg4 ,prohibited acts4 ,sec4 #cjh4 ,civil penalties and permit sanctions4 ,sec4 #cji4 ,criminal offenses4 ,sec4 #caj4 ,civil forfeitures4 ,sec4 #caa4 ,enforcement4 ,sec4 #cab4 ,transition to sustainable fisheries4 ,sec4 #cac4 ,north ,pacific fisheries conservation4 ,sec4 #cad4 ,northwest ,atlantic ,ocean fisheries reinvestment program4 ,sec4 #cae4 ,regional ,coastal ,disaster ,assistance1 ,transition1 and ,recovery ,program4 ,sec4 #caf4 ,bycatch ,reduction ,engineering ,program4 ,sec4 #cag4 ,shark ,feeding4 ,sec4 #cah4 ,cooperative ,research and ,management ,program4 ,sec4 #cai4 ,herring ,study4 ,sec4 #cbj4 ,restoration ,study4 ,sec4 #cba4 ,required possession of descending devices4 4 7e7 ,sunset ,five years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahea et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 in the table of contents1 by striking the item relating to section #cba2 7#b7 in section #cjh7;a71 by striking or section #cba2 and 7#c7 by striking section #cba4 #d4 ,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 in the same metric as landings 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 ,september #bd1 #bjbj,reported with an amendment1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed