S. 5032 — Introduced in Senate

II 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5032 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 29, 2022 Mr. Wicker (for himself and Mr. Cardin) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To provide for the reestablishment of the National Fish and Seafood Promotional Council, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Seafood Marketing Act of 2022. 2. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) The public health benefits of eating seafood for brain health, heart health, mental health, and overall wellness are well researched and established. (2) Prominent organizations have consistently recommended eating at least 2 servings of seafood per week, including— (A) the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 2010, 2015, and 2020; (B) the Food and Drug Administration since 2004; and (C) the American Heart Association. (3) Only 1 in 5 people in the United States follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to eat at least 2 servings of seafood per week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (4) Eating seafood at least twice per week can reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by 36 percent. (5) More than 877,500 people in the United States die of heart disease or stroke each year, and the economic toll is approximately $363,000,000,000 in healthcare costs and lost productivity. (6) Close to 55,000 deaths per year are associated with insufficient seafood consumption in the United States. (7) Pregnant people in the United States eat on average 1.8 ounces of seafood per week compared to the dietary recommendation of 8 to 12 ounces of seafood per week. (8) Strong medical evidence shows that nutrients specific to seafood reduce the risk of preterm birth by more than 40 percent. In the United States, 1 in 10 infants are born prematurely, which can negatively impact brain development, vision, and hearing. (9) Public education campaigns have effectively communicated the health and nutritional benefits of other dietary recommendations. (10) A previous effort to promote the public health benefits of eating seafood was conducted by the National Fish and Seafood Promotional Council, which was Federally funded from 1987 to 1991. (11) The Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published a report in July 2020 recommending establishing a National Seafood Council to elevate the narrative of the nutritional value of seafood, which the report states could directly improve the health of the people of the United States. (12) Increasing the awareness and perception of edible invasive non-native species of seafood can help control aquatic invasive species populations and sustain native stocks. 3. Reestablishment of National Fish and Seafood Promotional Council (a) First meeting Section 205(g) of the Fish and Seafood Promotion Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 4004(g)) is amended by striking first meet and all that follows and inserting first meet not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Seafood Marketing Act of 2022.. (b) Initial appointments Section 207(a)(5) of the Fish and Seafood Promotion Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 4006(a)(5)) is amended by striking within ninety and all that follows and inserting not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Seafood Marketing Act of 2022.. (c) Termination Section 206(g) of the Fish and Seafood Promotion Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 4005(g)) is amended by striking December 31, 1991 and inserting December 31, 2027. 4. Modifications to qualifications for voting members of National Fish and Seafood Promotional Council Section 205(d) of the Fish and Seafood Promotion Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 4004(d))— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs (E) and (F) and inserting the following: (E) one member-at-large with demonstrated expertise in fresh-water and inland commercial fisheries who is not a resident of the States of the Alaska, Pacific, Southeast, and Northeast regions; (F) one member-at-large who is a person professionally engaged in consumer marketing and the dissemination of information pertaining to the nutritional benefits and preparation of seafood and seafood products; and (G) one member-at-large with demonstrated expertise in scientific research on the nutrition and public health benefits of seafood consumption. ; and (2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows: (2) Of the members appointed pursuant to each of subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (1), one shall be a harvester, one shall be a processor or a receiver, and at least one shall have demonstrated marketing expertise. . 5. Funding for Fisheries Promotion Fund Section 209 of the Fish and Seafood Promotion Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 4008) is amended— (1) in subsection (b), by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: (1) amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under subsection (e) of this section; ; (2) in subsection (d), by striking fiscal year 1987 through fiscal year 1991 and inserting fiscal year 2023 through fiscal year 2027; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (e) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated for the Fund $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. . 6. Definition of seafood in Fish and Seafood Promotion Act of 1986 (a) In general Section 204 of the Fish and Seafood Promotion Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 4003) is amended— (1) by striking paragraph (3); (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (14) as paragraphs (3) through (13), respectively; and (3) by inserting after paragraph (13), as redesignated, the following: (14) seafood means finfish, mollusks, crustaceans, seaweed, and all other forms of aquatic life used for human consumption; the term does not include marine mammals and seabirds; . (b) Conforming amendments The Fish and Seafood Promotion Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.) is amended— (1) in section 202 (16 U.S.C. 4001)— (A) in paragraph (1), by striking fish resources and inserting seafood resources; (B) in paragraph (3), by striking fish contribute and inserting seafood contributes; and (C) in paragraph (6), by striking fish species and inserting seafood species; (2) in section 203 (16 U.S.C. 4002)— (A) in paragraph (2), by striking species of fish and inserting species of seafood; (B) in paragraph (3), by striking domestically-produced fish and inserting domestically produced seafood; (C) in paragraph (5), by striking fish and inserting seafood; and (D) in paragraph (7), by striking fish and inserting seafood; (3) in section 204 (16 U.S.C. 4003)— (A) in paragraph (4), as redesignated by subsection (a)(2), by striking fish and inserting seafood; (B) in paragraph (11), as so redesignated, by striking fish or fish products (including fish and inserting seafood or seafood products (including seafood; (C) in paragraph (12), as so redesignated, by striking fish each place it appears and inserting seafood; (D) by striking fish and fish products each place it appears and inserting seafood and seafood products; and (E) by striking fish or fish products each place it appears and inserting seafood or seafood products; (4) in section 206 (16 U.S.C. 4005)— (A) in subsection (c)— (i) in the first sentence, by striking fish or fish products and inserting seafood or seafood products; and (ii) in the second sentence, by striking fish species each place it appears and inserting seafood species; and (B) by striking fish and fish products each place it appears and inserting seafood and seafood products; (5) in section 210 (16 U.S.C. 4009)— (A) by striking fish and fish products each place it appears and inserting seafood and seafood products; (B) by striking fish or fish products each place it appears and inserting seafood or seafood products; and (C) by striking fish or fish product each place it appears and inserting seafood or seafood product; (6) in section 213 (16 U.S.C. 4012), by striking fish each place it appears and inserting seafood; and (7) in section 216(a) (16 U.S.C. 4015(a))— (A) in paragraph (2), by striking fish or fish products and inserting seafood or seafood products; and (B) in paragraph (4), by striking fish and fish products and inserting seafood and seafood products.