Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act
Public Law 119-123 · S. 283 · 119th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Oct 15, 2026 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Cosponsors (4): Sen. Brian Schatz, Sen. Katie Britt,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- 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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to jointly develop a standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of seafood to support enforcement against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing). It also authorizes technical assistance to other countries to help combat IUU fishing and transnational organized crime.
NOAA and NIST must consult with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Coast Guard in developing the methodology, which must use chemical analysis to identify the country of origin of seafood. The methodology must be consistent with the needs of federal and state law enforcement agencies in combating IUU fishing. The methodology must also include a portable field kit and, to the extent practicable, be appropriate for testing prepared food (including raw preparations of seafood such as sushi). The agencies must conduct pilot studies of the methodology on red snapper and tuna.
Within two years after the bill's enactment, NIST must report to Congress regarding the methodology and a plan for operationalizing it. The report must explain any aspects of its methodology that are impracticable, whether additional research would make the methodology practicable, and whether an alternate approach might be practicable.
The bill also authorizes the Department of Defense to use operation and maintenance funds to provide technical assistance to maritime forces of other countries to help combat IUU fishing and transnational organized crime (e.g., by providing observers or data analysis).
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.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.
- Oct 15, 2026Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 119-123.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 5, 2026FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 28, 2026FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 24, 2026Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 283 by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 283 by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 15, 2026FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
- Sep 14, 2026FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 283.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 15, 2025FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jul 14, 2025FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- May 21, 2025CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 86.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-24.
- Feb 5, 2025CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jan 28, 2025CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 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.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
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.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 15, 2026.