H.R. 3340 · Where this bill is now
Waiting for a House vote
Approved by committee Feb 23, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryMakes ocean recreation rules easier to find online
This bill asks NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to create a public website that shows where you can and cannot fish, boat, and use the ocean for recreation in federal waters. The website will display fishing restrictions, limits on certain types of boats in some areas, and protected marine zones. NOAA will develop standards with states, local governments, tribes, and Hawaiian organizations to make sure all this information is organized and shared consistently.
How it affects you
If you fish, boat, or recreate in federal ocean waters, this affects you directly. Instead of hunting through multiple sources to find where restrictions apply, you'd have one website showing what's off-limits and why. Recreational boaters and fishers would know the rules for the ocean areas beyond three miles from shore, all the way out to 200 miles offshore.
Read the official summary (Reported to House, Feb 23, 2026)
Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act
This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to publish geospatial data related to public recreational use of federal waterways (e.g., boating and fishing).
Under the bill, NOAA must consult with relevant stakeholders (including state and local governments, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations) to develop and adopt standards for the coordination and dissemination of geospatial data relating to fishing restrictions and recreational vessels' use of federal waterways, including the exclusive economic zone of the United States (EEZ). (The EEZ generally includes waters between 3 and 200 miles seaward from the U.S. coastline.)
Within four years after the bill is enacted, NOAA must provide geographic information system data on a public website that identifies and describes the locations where and conditions under which certain recreational activities are restricted in federal waterways. Specifically, the website must identify (1) locations where fishing restrictions are imposed, (2) areas in the EEZ with restrictions on specified recreational vessel types, and (3) federally protected areas (e.g., National Marine Sanctuaries). NOAA must also continue to provide digitized navigation information related to the EEZ and make the information available on the website to the extent practicable.
The bill allows NOAA to coordinate and partner with nonfederal entities to carry out this bill. It also directs NOAA to work with other federal agencies to ensure compatibility and interoperability among federal databases with respect to collecting and disseminating geospatial data related to the public outdoor recreational use of the EEZ.
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. 3340
A BILL
Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act
Sponsor: Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC-7) · Introduced May 13, 2025 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Feb 23, 2026: “Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 438.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 2 official versions.