SHARKED Act of 2025 | ChamberLight

PASSED HOUSE· 119TH CONGRESS

House BillHR 207Environmental assessment, monitoring, researchMarine and coastal resources, fisheries

SHARKED Act of 2025

INTRO JAN 3· LAST ACTION JAN 22

READING

3MIN

COSPONSORS

4BIPARTISAN

READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL

NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST

One chamber only

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 4 / 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed House

Passed Senate

Conference

To President

Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

Voters should care about this bill because it addresses a growing concern for fishing communities across the U.S.: sharks taking fish directly from fishing lines or nets. This issue can lead to significant economic losses for commercial and recreational fishermen and creates dangerous situations.

If this bill becomes law, it means a focused effort will be launched to better understand why these interactions are happening and to develop practical solutions. This could lead to new techniques and tools for fishermen, improved fishing practices, and a clearer understanding of shark populations and their role in ocean health. If it doesn't pass, these issues may continue to worsen without a coordinated research and management strategy, potentially leading to continued financial strain for fishermen and a lack of data to inform conservation efforts.

KEY PROVISIONS

5AI-extracted

PROVISION 01

Establishes a Shark Depredation Task Force within the Department of Commerce.

This creates a dedicated body of experts to focus specifically on understanding and addressing the issue of sharks eating fishermen's catches.

PROVISION 02

The task force will include representatives from various regional fishery councils, marine commissions, coastal state agencies, and shark researchers.

This ensures a broad range of perspectives and expertise, from those on the water to scientific experts, are involved in developing solutions.

PROVISION 03

The task force will identify research priorities, develop management strategies, and create educational materials to reduce shark-human interactions.

These actions aim to provide practical tools, knowledge, and best practices to help fishermen and protect shark populations.

PROVISION 04

Requires the task force to submit reports to Congress every two years on its findings.

This ensures transparency and accountability, keeping Congress informed of progress and challenges in addressing shark depredation.

PROVISION 05

Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Act to include specific research projects on shark depredation.

This provides a legal basis for funding and conducting scientific studies to better understand the problem and find solutions.

SPONSORSHIP

1 + 4

COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 100%

DEM 2 REP 2 IND 0

ACTION TIMELINE

10 EVENTS

JAN 22

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

SENATE · INTROREFERRAL

JAN 21

Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

HOUSE · FLOOR

JAN 21

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H240-242)

FLOOR

JAN 21

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 207.

FLOOR

BILL INFO

TypeHouse Bill

NumberHR 207

Congress119th

StatusPassed House

IntroducedJan 3, 2025

Last actionJan 22, 2025

READER REACTIONS

OVERALL SENTIMENT

No reactions yet. Be the first to weigh in.

Discussion

Loading comments...

Call my reps

PASSED HOUSE· 119TH CONGRESS · NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED JAN 3, 2025

House BillHR 207Environmental assessment, monitoring, researchMarine and coastal resources, fisheries

SHARKED Act of 2025

INTRODUCED JAN 3, 2025· LAST ACTION JAN 22, 2025

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

3 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Moderate

Call my reps

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 4 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed House

Passed Senate

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

Establishes a Shark Depredation Task Force within the Department of Commerce.

This creates a dedicated body of experts to focus specifically on understanding and addressing the issue of sharks eating fishermen's catches.

med

The task force will include representatives from various regional fishery councils, marine commissions, coastal state agencies, and shark researchers.

This ensures a broad range of perspectives and expertise, from those on the water to scientific experts, are involved in developing solutions.

high

The task force will identify research priorities, develop management strategies, and create educational materials to reduce shark-human interactions.

These actions aim to provide practical tools, knowledge, and best practices to help fishermen and protect shark populations.

med

Requires the task force to submit reports to Congress every two years on its findings.

This ensures transparency and accountability, keeping Congress informed of progress and challenges in addressing shark depredation.

med

Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Act to include specific research projects on shark depredation.

This provides a legal basis for funding and conducting scientific studies to better understand the problem and find solutions.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment

First report from the task force to Congress

Every 2 years thereafter until termination

Subsequent reports from the task force to Congress

Not later than 7 years after the date on which the Secretary of Commerce establishes the task force

Termination of the task force

GLOSSARY

AI-written

Shark Depredation: When sharks remove or damage fish from fishing gear (like lines or nets) before they can be brought aboard a vessel.
Task Force: A temporary group of experts formed to study a particular issue and make recommendations.
Secretary of Commerce: The head of the U.S. Department of Commerce, a cabinet-level official responsible for promoting economic growth and opportunity.
Regional Fishery Management Council: One of eight councils established under federal law to manage fisheries in specific geographic regions of U.S. waters.
Marine Fisheries Commission: Interstate organizations that coordinate the management of shared marine fisheries resources among states.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS): A federal agency within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) responsible for the stewardship of the nation's ocean resources and their habitat.
Highly Migratory Species: Fish species, such as tunas, billfish, and sharks, that travel long distances across ocean basins and often through the waters of multiple countries.

ACTION TIMELINE

10 EVENTS

JAN 22, 25

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

INTROREFERRAL

JAN 21, 25

Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

FLOOR

JAN 21, 25

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H240-242)

FLOOR

JAN 21, 25

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 207.

FLOOR

READER REACTIONS

0 COMMENTS

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

What do you think?

0 votes

Discussion

Loading comments...

MORE INFORMATION

Committee Referrals

Natural Resources CommitteeReferred

Jan 3, 2025

house

Search

SHARKED Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

SPONSORSHIP

ACTION TIMELINE

BILL INFO

READER REACTIONS

Discussion

SHARKED Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

SPONSORS

READER REACTIONS

What do you think?

Discussion

MORE INFORMATION

Committee Referrals

Related Legislation