H.R. 1917 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Jul 22, 2025. Received Jul 23, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryGreat Lakes Fish Marking Program Gets Federal Authority
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been marking hatchery-raised fish in the Great Lakes since 2010 to tell them apart from wild fish. This bill officially authorizes that program and allows the agency to expand it by buying more equipment and hiring more staff. The data they collect helps state, tribal, and federal agencies make better decisions about managing the Great Lakes fisheries.
How it affects you
If you fish recreationally, work in commercial or tribal fishing, or care about the Great Lakes ecosystem, this affects you indirectly. The expanded program should give fisheries managers better information to balance fish populations, restore habitats, and keep fisheries healthy—which supports the economic and cultural benefits these communities rely on.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Mar 6, 2025)
Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025
This bill provides statutory authority for a program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for the mass marking of hatchery-produced fish in the Great Lakes basin. Mass marking is the practice of tagging large numbers of hatchery-produced fish in order to distinguish them from the wild fish population. The FWS initiated the program in 2010 on a limited scale. Under the existing program, the FWS (1) tags hatchery-produced fish stocked in the Great Lakes, and (2) produces data used by state and tribal fish management agencies to make management decisions regarding Great Lakes fisheries.
This bill allows the FWS, in carrying out the program, to (1) purchase items to support and carry out tagging and tag recovery operations on a greater scale, and (2) hire additional personnel.
The FWS must make the data collected under the program available to applicable federal, state, and tribal fish management agencies to
• increase the understanding of the outcomes of management action;
• assist in meeting the restoration objectives of the Great Lakes;
• assist in balancing predators and prey;
• support and improve the economic status of tribal, recreational, and commercial fisheries; and
• assist in evaluating the effectiveness of habitat restoration efforts in the Great Lakes.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1917
AN ACT
Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6) · Introduced Mar 6, 2025 · Environmental Protection · 4 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jul 23, 2025: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended · Jul 22, 2025
Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended Passed 360–57
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 207 | 0 | 5 |
| Republicans | 153 | 57 | 8 |
57 members voted against most of their party: 57 Republicans voted No.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Numbers that changed
Dollar amounts, dates and percentages, taken word for word from the text| Section | Where | Before | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sec. 5Amount | Authorization of appropriations…to be appropriated to carry out the Program $2,700,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.…Introduced → Committee version | $5,000,000 | $2,700,000 |
Listed only when one value replaced another and the surrounding words stayed the same. Open a section to read the full wording.