,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dbid  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #g1 #bjbe,ms4  
,elfreth 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,wittman1   
,mrs4 ,kiggans of ,virginia1 and ,mr4   
,hoyer7 introduced the following bill2  
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
direct the ,secretary of ,commerce to   
establish a pilot program with respect  
to the sale of blue catfish caught      
within the ,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,mitigation ,action and         
,watermen ,support ,act of #bjbe or the 
,,maws ,act of #bjbe4  #b4 ,blue catfish
 pilot program ,section #cjg of the     
,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric     
,administration ,authorization ,act of  
#aiib 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #aeaa;d7 is        
amended--  7#a7 by redesignating        
subsection 7e7 as subsection 7f72 and   
7#b7 by inserting after subsection 7d7  
the following3  7e7 ,blue catfish pilot 
program  7#a7 ,in general ,the          

,secretary shall establish a pilot      
program to award amounts to covered     
entities to purchase1 in accordance with
 paragraph 7#c7-- 7,a7 from watermen1   
blue catfish caught within the          
,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed by such     
watermen2 and  7,b7 from seafood        
processors1 such blue catfish purchased 
by seafood processors from such         
watermen4  7#b7 ,applications ,to be    
eligible to be awarded amounts under the
 pilot program1 a covered entity shall  
submit to the ,secretary an application 
in such form1 at such time1 and         
containing such information as the      
,secretary determines appropriate4  7#c7
 ,use of amounts ,a covered entity that 
is awarded amounts under the pilot      
program-- 7,a7 shall use such amounts to
 purchase blue catfish from watermen or 
seafood processors for at least the     
amount determined by the ,secretary     
under paragraph 7#e72 and  7,b7 may use 
not more than #ae percent of such       
amounts to offset the cost to transport 

such blue catfish to manufacturing or   
processing facilities4  7#d7 ,waterman  
and seafood processor eligibility ,to be
 eligible to sell a blue catfish under  
the pilot program to a covered entity   
that is awarded amounts under the pilot 
program--  7,a7 a waterman shall certify
 to such a covered entity that the      
waterman caught the blue catfish within 
the ,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed2 and    
7,b7 a seafood processor shall certify  
to such a covered entity that the       
seafood processor purchased the blue    
catfish from a waterman who caught the  
blue catfish within the ,chesapeake ,bay
 ,watershed4  7#e7 ,determination of    
minimum purchase amount ,with respect to
 blue catfish sold by watermen or       
seafood processors under the pilot      
program1 the ,secretary shall determine 
the minimum price per pound1 taking into
 consideration-- 7,a7 market factors2   
7,b7 feedback from watermen1 seafood    
processors1 and covered entities who    
participate in the pilot program1 if    

available2 and  7,c7 differentiation of 
price points for fillet and byproduct4  
7#f7 ,report ,not later than #ahj days  
after the date on which the pilot       
program terminates in accordance with   
paragraph 7#g71 the ,secretary shall    
submit to ,congress a report regarding  
the pilot program1 including the        
following information3 7,a7 ,an estimate
 of the size and spawning stock biomass 
of the blue catfish population in the   
,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed prior to and
 at the conclusion of the pilot program1
 using the most recent data available4  
7,b7 ,the size distribution and diet of 
the blue catfish population in the      
,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed during and  
at the conclusion of the pilot program4 
7,c7 ,the number of blue catfish and the
 amount of blue catfish 7measured in    
pounds7 caught by watermen who          
participate in the pilot program during 
the pilot program4  7,d7 ,the effect of 
the pilot program on species other than 
the blue catfish in and the environment 

of the ,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed4     
7,e7 ,the economic effect of the pilot  
program on watermen who participate in  
the pilot program1 including--  7i7 the 
revenue generated by each such waterman 
by selling blue catfish under the pilot 
program2 and  7ii7 catch data with      
respect to and revenue generated from   
other species fished by such watermen   
during the pilot program4  7,f7 ,the    
market response to the pilot program1   
including-- 7i7 the total amount awarded
 to covered entities under the pilot    
program2 and  7ii7 trends in the types  
of covered entities awarded amounts     
under the pilot program4  7,g7 ,with    
respect to the manufacturing or         
processing practices of each covered    
entity that is awarded amounts under the
 pilot program1 information regarding   
whether each such covered entity--  7i7 
uses internal or third-party            
manufacturers or processors2  7ii7 uses1
 for each type of food product produced 
by the covered entity1 whole fish1      

fillet1 or byproduct2 and  7iii7 if the 
covered entity uses only part of the    
fish1 sells the remainder to third      
parties4  7,h7 ,how each covered entity 
that is awarded amounts under the pilot 
program transports blue catfish         
purchased by the covered entity1        
including--  7i7 whether the covered    
entity freezes such blue catfish2  7ii7 
how often the covered entity picks up   
such blue catfish2 and  7iii7 whether   
the covered entity uses a seafood       
transport company that is local to the  
,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed4  7,i7      
,policy recommendations regarding--  7i7
 the continuation of the pilot program  
in the ,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed2 and 
7ii7 the expansion of the pilot program 
to other watersheds1 including--  7,i7  
best practices2  7,,ii7 specific        
recommendations regarding invasive      
species of carp in the ,mississippi     
rivershed2  7,,iii7 with respect to     
other invasive aquatic species and      
watersheds that may benefit from the    

pilot program2 and  7,,iv7 other        
strategies with respect to the          
mitigation of aquatic invasive species  
for ,congress to consider piloting4     
7#g7 ,duration ,the ,secretary shall    
carry out the pilot program from        
,january #a1 #bjbg through ,december    
#ca1 #bjbi4  7#h7 ,authorization of     
appropriations ,there are authorized to 
be appropriated to the ,secretary to    
carry out the pilot program #b1jjj1jjj  
for each fiscal year for the duration of
 the pilot program in accordance with   
paragraph 7#g74  7#i7 ,definitions ,in  
this subsection3 7,a7 ,animal feed ,the 
term animal feed--  7i7 means an article
 that is intended for use-- 7,i7 for    
food for an animal other than man2 and  
7,,ii7 as a substantial source of       
nutrients in the diet of such an animal2
 and  7ii7 is not limited to a mixture  
intended to be the sole ration of such  
an animal4  7,b7 ,aquaculture feed ,the 
term aquaculture feed-- 7i7 means an    
article that is intended for use--  7,i7

 for food for an aquacultural species1  
including any species of finfish1       
mollusk1 crustacean 7or other aquatic   
invertebrate71 amphibian1 reptile1      
ornamental fish1 or aquatic plant that  
is propagated and reared in a controlled
 or selected environment2 and  7,,ii7 as
 a substantial source of nutrients in   
the diet of such an aquacultural        
species2 and  7ii7 is not limited to a  
mixture intended to be the sole ration  
of such an aquacultural species4  7,c7  
,blue catfish ,the term blue catfish    
means the species ,ictalurus furcatus4  
7,d7 ,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed ,the   
term ,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed means  
the region that covers-- 7i7 the        
,chesapeake ,bay2  7ii7 the portions of 
the ,states of ,delaware1 ,maryland1    
,new ,york1 ,pennsylvania1 ,virginia1   
and ,west ,virginia that drain into the 
,chesapeake ,bay2 and  7iii7 the        
,district of ,columbia4  7,e7 ,covered  
entity ,the term covered entity means a 
person engaged in the business of       

manufacturing or processing-- 7i7 pet   
food2  7ii7 animal feed2 or  7iii7      
aquaculture feed4  7,f7 ,pilot program  
,the term pilot program means the pilot 
program established under paragraph     
7#a74  7,g7 ,seafood processor ,the term
 seafood processor means a person       
engaged in the business of preparing or 
packaging fish or fish products         
7including fish harvested by the        
processor7 for sale4  7,h7 ,secretary   
,the term ,secretary means the          
,secretary of ,commerce1 acting through 
the ,administrator of the ,national     
,oceans and ,atmospheric                
,administration4  4