5 Bills Congress Can Pass to Support Sportfishing During the Lame-Duck Session

Lame-duck is here – what can we still get done before the end of the 118th Congress?

Election day is behind us and we have a clearer picture of what to expect from 2025 and beyond. On January 20th, President Trump will move back into the White House, Republicans will control the U.S. Senate, and while the House of Representatives is yet to be decided, it appears that the majority will be slim regardless of which party holds the gavel.  

We still have a couple of months until Inauguration Day, though, and with Congress returning to D.C. today we are officially entering a lame-duck session, or the period between election day and the newly elected officially taking office. The productivity of these sessions has varied, but the 118th Congress has the chance to enact a swath of bipartisan, pro-sportfishing legislation before the end of the year.   

Farm Bill Reauthorization: The Farm Bill’s Conservation Title is the federal government’s single largest investment in conservation, supporting incentives for farmers to conserve their lands, open private lands for access to hunters and anglers and restore fish and wildlife habitat. The 2018 Farm Bill, last extended in 2023, expired at the end of September, as Congress failed to pass new legislation. ASA and our fisheries partners continue to call on Congress to pass a Farm Bill that would benefit fish and aquatic habitat, expand public access, and support Conservation Title programs to improve water quality. 

Current Status: Both Chambers of Congress have proposed a framework for the Farm Bill but remain at odds over several issues.  

EXPLORE ACT / American Outdoor Recreation Act: The Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act (HR 6492), introduced by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) improves collection of recreation visitation data, streamlines the permitting process for guides and outfitters, supports aquatic invasive species management, and improves access to fishing for active duty and retired members of the military and youth anglers. Its Senate companion, the American Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA) was introduced in March 2023 by Senators Manchin (WV) and Barrasso (WY).  

Current Status: Passed out of the House of Representatives; AORA passed Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; awaiting full vote in Senate.  

SHARKED ACT: The SHARKED Act aims to address the issue of shark depredation in saltwater recreational fisheries. These interactions, becoming more common for saltwater anglers, are causing significant frustration for anglers and could create conservation challenges. The SHARKED Act would bring scientists and fisheries managers at all levels together to identify options to mitigate this complex challenge. 

Current Status: Passed out of the House of Representatives in February 2024; referred to Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.  

America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act: The bipartisan, bicameral America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act (H.R. 8811), led by Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Jen Kiggans (R-VA), and Mike Thompson (D-CA), will reauthorize vital conservation programs such as the National Fish Habitat Partnership, continue funding the Chesapeake Bay Program to reduce pollution in our nation’s largest estuary, improve invasive species management, and protect the use of traditional tackle on America’s public lands and waters. The Senate bill is led by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), chairman and ranking member (respectively) of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. 

Current Status: Passed out of the Senate; passed House Natural Resource Committee; waiting on full House of Representatives vote. 

Youth Coastal Fishing Program Act: Introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Maria Salazar (R-FL) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) and the Senate by Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) on June 7, 2023, the Youth Coastal Fishing Program Act would create a $2 million grant program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for projects that take children fishing in the ocean or Great Lakes, with priority given to projects that serve underserved communities. This bill would bring NOAA in line with other federal management agencies and ensure that equal access to nature can be enjoyed by all children. 

Current Status: Introduced in both Chambers; received a hearing in the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries in January 2024.  

At the end of each Congress, any legislation that has not been signed into law by the President goes back to the starting line. Each bill must be reintroduced, moved through subcommittees and committees, debated, and passed again by both chambers.  

The lame-duck session could prove prosperous for popular outdoor recreation legislation given its widely bipartisan nature. ASA and our recreational fishing community partners also released a list of policy recommendations for the new President and the next Congress. THE FUTURE OF SPORTFISHING: Policy Recommendations from the Recreational Fishing Community provides a framework that legislators and the Executive Branch can follow to best support the needs of America’s 57 million anglers and the $148 billion sportfishing industry.