Senate Bill 2960
116th Congress(2019-2020)
DESCEND Act of 2019
Introduced
Introduced in Senate on Dec 2, 2019
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill
The primary form of legislative measure used to propose law. Depending on the chamber of origin, bills begin with a designation of either H.R. or S. Joint resolution is another form of legislative measure used to propose law.
Bill Number
2960
Congress
116
Policy Area
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Primary focus of measure is natural areas (including wilderness); lands under government jurisdiction; land use practices and policies; parks, monuments, and historic sites; fisheries and marine resources; mining and minerals. Measures concerning energy supplies and production may fall under Energy policy area.
No Senate votes have been held for this bill.
Summary
Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 2019 or the DESCEND Act of 2019
This bill addresses the use of descending devices to release reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico. (A descending device is an instrument that will release fish at a depth sufficient for the fish to be able to recover from the effects of barotrauma.)
Specifically, the bill requires
- commercial and recreational fishermen to possess a venting tool or descending device that is rigged and ready for use when fishing for reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico Exclusive Economic Zone,
- the Department of Commerce to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study and produce a report on discard mortality in the Gulf reef fish fisheries, and
- Commerce and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to develop guidance for reporting discards and associated mortality and develop a plan to assess the effectiveness and usage of barotrauma-reducing devices.
December 2, 2019
12/02/2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
12/02/2019
Introduced in Senate
Public Record
Record Updated
Oct 28, 2022 1:46:09 AM