,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #fjf #aahth  
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #dehg
 ,report ,no4 #aah-gag ,,in ,,the       
,,house ,,of ,,representatives  ,july   
#ab1 #bjbc,mr4 ,rutherford introduced   
the following bill2 which was referred  
to the ,committee on ,natural ,resources
  ,october #be1 #bjbd;,additional       
sponsors3 ,mr4 ,dunn of ,florida1 ,mr4  
,graves of ,louisiana1 ,mr4 ,waltz1 ,mr4
 ,carter of ,georgia1 ,mr4              
,diaz-,balart1 ,ms4 ,mace1 ,mr4 ,duncan1
 ,mr4 ,austin ,scott of ,georgia1 ,ms4  
,salazar1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,florida1 ,mr4   
,timmons1 ,mr4 ,scott ,franklin of      
,florida1 ,mr4 ,steube1 ,mr4 ,donalds1  
,mr4 ,webster of ,florida1 ,mr4         
,ferguson1 and ,mr4 ,bean of ,florida   
,october #be1 #bjbd,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
 ,july #ab1 #bjbc  ,a ,,bill  ,to       
provide that the ,administrator of the  
,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric     
,administration shall not issue an      
interim or final rule that includes an  
area closure in the ,south ,atlantic for
 species managed under the              
,snapper-,grouper ,fishery ,management  
,plan until the ,south ,atlantic ,great 
,red ,snapper ,count study is complete  
and the data related to that study is   
integrated into the stock assessment4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,red ,snapper ,act of #bjbc4    
#b4 ,conditions for rules related to    
certain area closures  7a7 ,findings    
,congress finds the following3 7#a7     
,fishing is a major economic driver in  
the ,south ,atlantic4 ,in ,florida      
alone1 recreational anglers provide     
#ad1jjj1jjj1jjj in economic output and  
support #aai1jjj jobs4  7#b7 ,red       
snapper is a highly prized and sought   
after reef fish by both recreational and

 commercial fishermen4  7#c7 ,the       
#f-;day recreational red snapper season 
in #bjah added #ac1jjj1jjj to the gross 
domestic product of the ,south ,atlantic
 region4  7#d7 ,for the last #aj years1 
fishery managers have successfully been 
working to rebuild the red snapper stock
 in the ,south ,atlantic4 ,there is     
currently record high abundance and     
strong recruitment within the stock4    
7#e7 ,this record abundance has led to  
increased out-of-season encounters and  
discards which is driving red snapper   
mortality4  7#f7 ,despite these         
increased discards1 it is the overriding
 opinion of the ,south ,atlantic        
,fishery ,management ,council's ,snapper
 ,grouper ,advisory ,panel that based on
 members' collective on-the-water       
experience1 the red snapper fishery is  
recovered4  7#g7 ,however1 options for  
future consideration to reduce          
out-of-season encounters and red snapper
 mortalities include shorter seasons and
 broad area closures for the            

snapper-grouper fishery in the ,south   
,atlantic4  7#h7 ,the ,state of ,florida
 is concerned with the economic         
implications of area closures for the   
,south ,atlantic snapper-grouper        
recreational fishery4  7#i7 #e1ajj1jjj  
has been invested in independent survey 
data over the last three fiscal years1  
including #c1cjj1jjj for the ,south     
,atlantic ,great ,red ,snapper ,count to
 estimate the number of red snapper     
7,lutjanus campechanus7 in the ,south   
,atlantic waters from ,north ,carolina  
to ,florida4  7#aj7 ,the ,national      
,marine ,fisheries ,service should      
incorporate data from this survey into  
the ,national ,marine ,fisheries        
,service stock assessments as           
expeditiously as possible to better     
inform fishery management decisions4    
7b7 ,condition on issuance of rule ,the 
,administrator of the ,national ,oceanic
 and ,atmospheric ,administration shall 
not issue an interim or final rule that 
includes an area closure in the ,south  

,atlantic for species managed under the 
,snapper-,grouper ,fishery ,management  
,plan until-- 7#a7 the ,south ,atlantic 
,great ,red ,snapper ,count study is    
complete2 and  7#b7 the data related to 
that study is integrated into the       
upcoming ,south ,atlantic red snapper   
research track and operational stock    
assessment4  ,october #be1              
#bjbd,reported with an amendment1       
committed to the ,committee of the      
,whole ,house on the ,state of the      
,union1 and ordered to be printed