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Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018

Public Law 115-405 · S. 1520 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 31, 2018 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)

Cosponsors (18): Sen. Bill Nelson,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 350 yea, 11 nay350–11
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018

(Sec. 3) This bill defines "mixed-use fishery" to mean a federal fishery in which two or more of the following occur: (1) recreational fishing, (2) charter fishing, or (3) commercial fishing.

TITLE I--CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

(Sec. 101) The Government Accountability Office must conduct a study and submit to Congress a report on mixed-use fisheries in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.

(Sec. 102) The bill authorizes a regional fishery management council to use management measures in developing a plan or proposed regulations for a recreational fishery or the recreational component of a mixed-use fishery.

(Sec. 103) The Ocean Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine must complete a study on the use of limited access privilege programs to harvest fish in mixed-use fisheries, including an assessment of the social, economic, and ecological effects of the program on businesses, coastal communities, and the environment.

TITLE II--RECREATION FISHERY INFORMATION, RESEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT

(Sec. 201) The Department of Commerce must develop a report on facilitating greater incorporation of data, analysis, stock assessments, and surveys from state agencies and nongovernmental sources into fisheries management decisions.

(Sec.202)Commerce must also establish partnerships with states and make grants to improve recreational fisheries data collection.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 350 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

350 yea11 nay71 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(161)

Republicans who voted yea(189)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1151 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 200Related bill

    Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act

  • H.R. 2023Related bill

    Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2017

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Dec 31, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-405.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 27, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 19, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by recorded vote (2/3 required): 350 - 11 (Roll no. 444).House roll call 444
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Graves (LA) objected to the Yea - Nay vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was considered as wit…
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1520.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Graves (LA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  12. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. Dec 18, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. Dec 17, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  15. FloorFloor · The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
  16. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  17. Jun 5, 2018CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 441.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-264.
  19. Feb 28, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  20. Jul 10, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 4115SenateSen. Roger WickerR-MS· offered Dec 17, 2018Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Dec 17, 2018: Amendment SA 4115 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.