,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #dcf #aaith  
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #dbid
 ,report ,no4 #aai-eaj ,,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
  ,february #bc1 #bjbf;,additional      
sponsors3 ,mr4 ,ivey1 ,mrs4 ,mc,clain   
,delaney1 ,mr4 ,olszewski1 ,mr4 ,mfume1 
,mr4 ,scott of ,virginia1 ,ms4 ,maloy1  
and ,mr4 ,gosar  ,february #bc1         
#bjbf,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 #g1 #bjbe   
,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 #bjbf or
 the ,,maws ,act of #bjbf4  #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          
,secretary1 utilizing and coordinating  
with applicable programs and activities 
described in subsection 7b77#c71 shall  
carry out a pilot program to enter into 
cooperative agreements with covered     
entities for such 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 enter into a         
cooperative agreement 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 enters   
into a cooperative agreement under the  
pilot program-- 7,a7 shall use any      
amounts awarded under such cooperative  
agreement 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 enters into a     

cooperative agreement under the pilot   
program-- 7,a7 a waterman shall certify 
to such covered entity that the waterman
 caught the blue catfish within the     
,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed2 and  7,b7 a
 seafood processor shall certify to such
 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 that   
participate in the pilot program1 if    
available2 and  7,c7 differentiation of 
price points for fillet and byproduct4  
7#f7 ,abundance baseline  7,a7          
,memorandum of understanding ,not later 
than #ahj days after the date of the    

enactment of this subsection1 the       
,secretary shall seek to enter into a   
memorandum of understanding with        
eligible non-,federal partners-- 7i7 to 
compile existing non-,federal data      
necessary for the ,secretary-- 7,i7 to  
develop under subparagraph 7,b7 an      
estimate of the abundance of blue       
catfish in the ,chesapeake ,bay         
,watershed2 and  7,,ii7 to provide the  
information described in subparagraphs  
7,a7 through 7,d7 of paragraph 7#g7 in  
the report required under that          
paragraph2 and  7ii7 to adjust the      
collection by such eligible non-,federal
 partners of relevant data such that    
such data can be used as described in   
subclauses 7,i7 and 7,,ii7 of clause    
7i74  7,b7 ,abundance estimates ,not    
later than ,september #cj1 #bjbg1 and   
annually thereafter through fiscal year 
#bjcb1 the ,secretary shall develop1    
pursuant to the memorandum of           
understanding described in subparagraph 
7,a71 and make publicly available on the

 website of the ,national ,oceanic and  
,atmospheric ,administration an estimate
 of the abundance of blue catfish in the
 ,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed4  7#g7     
,report ,not later than #ahj days after 
the date on which the pilot program     
terminates in accordance with paragraph 
7#i71 the ,secretary shall submit to    
,congress a report regarding the pilot  
program1 including the following        
information3 7,a7 ,a summary of         
available information regarding 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 ,a
 summary of available data regarding 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 effects of
 the pilot program on species other than
 the blue catfish in and the environment
 of the ,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed1 to 
the extent known4  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 under the pilot    
program to covered entities that enter  
into cooperative agreements under the   
pilot program2 and  7ii7 trends in the  
types of such covered entities4  7,g7   
,with respect to the manufacturing or   
processing practices of each covered    
entity that enters into a cooperative   
agreement 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 enters into a cooperative   
agreement 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,j7 ,additional data necessary for     
,congress to shape related policy1      
including-- 7i7 data-- 7,i7 the         
,secretary was unable to collect2 or    
7,,ii7 is not collected by eligible     
non-,federal partners2 and  7ii7        
recommendations for congressional action
 to support the collection of relevant  
data sets4  7#h7 ,briefings ,not later  
than #ij days after the date of the     
enactment of this subsection and        
quarterly thereafter until the date on  
which the pilot program terminates in   
accordance with paragraph 7#i71 the     
,secretary shall provide to the         
,committee on ,natural ,resources of the

 ,house of ,representatives and the     
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation of the ,senate briefings
 on the status of the implementation of 
this subsection4  7#i7 ,duration  7,a7  
,in general ,the ,secretary shall carry 
out the pilot program during the #b-year
 period that begins on the first day of 
the fiscal year immediately following   
the later of the fiscal year in which   
the ,secretary-- 7i7 first makes        
publicly available the first abundance  
estimate under paragraph 7#f72 and  7ii7
 issues guidance under subparagraph     
7,b74  7,b7 ,criteria ,not later than #a
 year after the date of the enactment of
 this subsection1 the ,secretary1 in    
consultation with the ,chesapeake ,bay  
,program ,invasive ,catfish ,workgroup  
and the heads of relevant ,federal      
agencies with experience administering  
similar programs1 shall issue guidance  
for the pilot program4  7#aj7           
,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 ,eligible       
non-,federal partner ,the term eligible 
non-,federal partner means-- 7i7        
,maryland2  7ii7 ,virginia2 and  7iii7  
research institutions1 including        
research institutions with expertise    
in-- 7,i7 blue catfish research in the  
,chesapeake ,bay ,watershed2 or  7,,ii7 
acting in coordination with the         
,invasive ,catfish ,workgroup of the    
,chesapeake ,bay ,program4  7,g7 ,pilot 
program ,the term pilot program means   
the pilot program established under     

paragraph 7#a74  7,h7 ,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,i7          
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   
the ,secretary of ,commerce1 acting     
through the ,administrator of the       
,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric     
,administration4  4  ,february #bc1     
#bjbf,reported with an amendment1       
committed to the ,committee of the      
,whole ,house on the ,state of the      
,union1 and ordered to be printed