H.R. 4294: MAWS Act of 2026
Sponsor
Sarah Elfreth
Democrat · MD-3
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Mar 18, 2026
Passed the House, received in Senate
Turn invasive blue catfish into a Chesapeake market
Why it matters
Blue catfish are eating their way through the Chesapeake, and H.R. 4294 tries to make more of them worth catching. The bill creates a 2-year NOAA pilot with a guaranteed minimum price per pound, a 15% cap on transportation spending, and public abundance estimates through 2032 to test whether a real buyer market can shrink the population.
H.R. 4294 tells NOAA to run a pilot program for blue catfish caught in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The idea is to connect watermen and seafood processors with companies that can turn those fish into pet food, animal feed, or aquaculture feed.
The federal government would not just study the problem. It would sign cooperative agreements with those companies, require a minimum price per pound for the fish they buy, and limit transportation spending to 15% of awarded funds so most of the money goes toward actual purchases.
The bill is built around deadlines and measurement. Congress would get its first briefing within 90 days, NOAA would have 180 days to seek an agreement with Maryland, Virginia, and qualified research partners for data collection, and program guidance would be due within 1 year.
NOAA would also have to publish the first public estimate of blue catfish abundance by September 30, 2027, then update it every year through fiscal year 2032. The 2-year pilot starts after the first abundance estimate or the guidance is issued, whichever comes later.
To keep the supply chain honest, watermen would have to certify the fish were caught in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and processors would have to certify they bought those fish from eligible watermen. At the end, NOAA must report how many pounds were caught, what watermen earned, how companies used the fish, and what effects the pilot had on other species and the Bay environment.
So this is really a test: can Congress create enough demand for an invasive fish that removing it becomes a business, not just a cleanup effort?
H.R. 4294 Bill Summary
What H.R. 4294 actually does.
Blue catfish get a guaranteed buyer program
NOAA would run a pilot program that helps pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed companies buy blue catfish caught in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed from watermen or seafood processors.
Fish sellers get a minimum price floor
The Secretary of Commerce must set a minimum price per pound for blue catfish bought through the pilot, using market factors, participant feedback, and different values for fillets versus byproducts.
Most federal support has to go to fish purchases
Companies in the pilot could use no more than 15% of awarded funds for transportation to manufacturing or processing facilities, pushing the rest toward buying the fish itself.
The Chesapeake supply chain has to be documented
Watermen must certify they caught the blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and seafood processors must certify they bought those fish from eligible watermen.
NOAA has to show whether the fish population changes
NOAA must publish the first blue catfish abundance estimate by September 30, 2027, then release annual estimates through fiscal year 2032 so Congress can track whether higher harvest levels change the population.
Congress gets frequent oversight instead of a long wait
The first briefing is due within 90 days of enactment, with quarterly updates after that until the pilot ends, followed by a final report 180 days after termination.
Who benefits from H.R. 4294?
Chesapeake Bay watermen trying to sell more catch
If you catch blue catfish in the watershed, the bill tries to create steadier demand for your harvest and adds a minimum price per pound instead of leaving every sale entirely to spot-market negotiations.
Seafood processors handling invasive catfish
Processors could get a clearer route to sell blue catfish into feed and pet food markets, as long as they can document where the fish came from.
Pet food, feed, and aquaculture companies looking for inputs
Manufacturers and processors in those industries could receive cooperative agreements to buy Chesapeake blue catfish and turn an invasive species into a usable ingredient.
Communities tied to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem
If the pilot works, Bay communities could benefit from both more fishing income and lower pressure from an invasive predator on native species.
Who is affected by H.R. 4294?
NOAA and the Commerce Department
They would have to design the pilot, set the minimum price, issue guidance within 1 year, publish abundance estimates through 2032, and brief Congress every quarter.
Maryland, Virginia, and blue-catfish research partners
The bill says the Secretary must seek an agreement with eligible non-federal partners within 180 days to compile and adjust data needed for abundance estimates and the final report.
Companies that want federal support
If they join the pilot, they would have to follow application rules, spend funds mainly on fish purchases, and stay under the 15% transportation cap.
Other species in the Chesapeake Bay
The final report must examine effects on species beyond blue catfish, so the bill treats ecosystem impact as a core test of whether the pilot worked.
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 4294 has come up 19 times in the Congressional Record so far.
H.R. 4294 also appeared in 3 more House floor references and 8 routine cosponsor filings.
HR4294 Legislative Journey
Committee Action
Mar 18, 2026
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
House: Vote: 320-66
Mar 17, 2026
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 320 - 66 (Roll no. 88).
House: Vote Held
Mar 16, 2026
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
House: Committee Action
Feb 23, 2026
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-510.
House: Passed Committee
Jan 22, 2026
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
+2 more actions this day
House: Committee Action
Jul 22, 2025
Subcommittee Hearings Held
House: Committee Action
Jul 16, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
House: Committee Action
Jul 7, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
About the Sponsor
Sarah Elfreth
Democrat, Maryland's 3rd congressional district · 1 years in Congress
Committees: Natural Resources, Armed Services
View full profile →
Cosponsors (10)
This bill has 10 cosponsors: 6 Democrats, 4 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 4 states: Arizona, Maryland, Utah, and 1 more.
Committee Sponsors
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
0 of 28 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
Natural Resources Committee
4 of 45 committee members cosponsored
33 Democrats across these committees haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 4294 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Introduced
- Jul 7, 2025
Passed the House, received in Senate
Mar 18, 2026
Official Sources
Official legislative status page for the MAWS Act of 2026, including actions, text, and cosponsors.
The bill targets aquaculture feed uses for blue catfish, making NOAA’s aquaculture program page directly relevant to the end-use market described.
This House Office of the Law Revision Counsel page is the official U.S. Code reference for 15 U.S.C. 1511d, the statute H.R. 4294 amends.
H.R. 4294 Common Questions
What does H.R. 4294 actually do?
It tells NOAA to test whether blue catfish caught in the Chesapeake can be sold at scale to pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed companies through a 2-year pilot program.
Who could sell blue catfish under H.R. 4294?
Chesapeake Bay watermen could sell directly, and seafood processors could sell fish they bought from those watermen. Both have to certify the fish came from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Does the bill guarantee a minimum price for blue catfish?
Yes. The Commerce Secretary would have to set a minimum price per pound, using market factors, feedback from participants, and the different value of fillets versus byproducts.
Can pet food and fish feed companies get federal agreements?
Yes. The bill lets pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed manufacturers or processors apply for cooperative agreements to buy Chesapeake blue catfish.
How much of the funding can go to transportation?
No more than 15% of an award could be used to transport blue catfish to manufacturing or processing facilities. That means most of the funding has to support fish purchases.
When would NOAA have to start reporting results?
Fast. Congress would get a first briefing within 90 days of enactment, then quarterly updates until the pilot ends.
When is the first blue catfish population estimate due?
By September 30, 2027. NOAA would then have to publish updated abundance estimates every year through fiscal year 2032.
Has H.R. 4294 passed yet?
Not yet. According to the latest action provided, H.R. 4294 was received in the Senate and referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.
Based on H.R. 4294 bill text
H.R. 4294 Bill Text
“To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a pilot program with respect to the sale of blue catfish caught within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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