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
Make the Chesapeake's invasive catfish worth catching
Why it matters
Blue catfish have spread across the Chesapeake, preying on blue crabs and native fish, and watermen can pull them out of the water faster than buyers will take them. H.R. 4294 — which passed the House 320-66 in March 2026 — sets up a 2-year NOAA program that pays pet food and feed companies to buy the catch, guarantees watermen a minimum price per pound, and publishes annual population counts through 2032 to test whether a paying market can actually shrink the population.
H.R. 4294, the MAWS Act, tells NOAA to run a 2-year pilot that connects Chesapeake watermen with companies that can use what they catch. Those companies — makers of pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed — would sign cooperative agreements with the government to buy blue catfish from watermen and seafood processors.
The twist that makes this more than a study: the Commerce Secretary has to set a minimum price per pound, so a waterman knows the catch is worth something before the boat leaves the dock. Prices can differ for fillets versus byproducts.
The money is steered toward the fish, not the freight. A company can spend no more than 15% of its award on transporting catfish to its facilities, which means at least 85% goes to actually buying the fish.
To keep it honest, watermen have to certify the fish came from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and processors have to certify they bought from watermen who did. The watershed reaches across the Bay itself, D.C., and the parts of six states that drain into it.
The whole thing is wired with deadlines. NOAA owes Congress a first briefing within 90 days and quarterly updates after that, an agreement with Maryland, Virginia, and research partners within 180 days, and program guidance within a year. The first public count of blue catfish is due by September 30, 2027, with updates every year through 2032.
The real question underneath all of it: can the government create enough demand for an invasive fish that pulling it out of the water becomes a business instead of a chore?
H.R. 4294 Bill Summary
What H.R. 4294 actually does.
Blue catfish get a guaranteed buyer
NOAA would run a pilot that pays pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed companies to buy blue catfish caught in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed from watermen or seafood processors.
Watermen get a price floor
The Commerce Secretary must set a minimum price per pound for fish bought through the pilot, weighing market conditions, feedback from participants, and separate values for fillets versus byproducts.
Most of the money has to buy fish, not move it
Companies in the pilot can spend no more than 15% of their award on transporting catfish to their facilities, so at least 85% goes toward the catch itself.
Every fish has to be traced to the Chesapeake
Watermen must certify they caught the blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and processors must certify they bought those fish from watermen who did.
NOAA has to count the fish in public
NOAA must publish its first blue catfish population estimate by September 30, 2027, then update it every year through 2032 so Congress can see whether harvesting more changes the population.
Congress gets updates every quarter, not just at the end
NOAA owes the first briefing within 90 days of enactment and quarterly updates after that, followed by a full report to Congress 180 days after the pilot ends.
Who benefits from H.R. 4294?
Chesapeake watermen
If you catch blue catfish in the watershed, the bill aims to give you a steadier buyer and a minimum price per pound instead of leaving every sale to whatever a processor will pay that day.
Seafood processors working with invasive catfish
Processors get a clearer path to move blue catfish into feed and pet food markets, as long as they can document where each fish came from.
Pet food and feed manufacturers
Makers of pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed could win cooperative agreements to buy Chesapeake catfish and turn an invasive species into a cheap raw material.
Native Chesapeake species like blue crabs
Blue catfish prey on blue crabs and native fish. If the program pulls enough of them out, the bill's bet is that it eases the pressure on the species the Bay is known for.
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 a year, publish population counts through 2032, and brief Congress every quarter.
Maryland, Virginia, and blue catfish researchers
The Secretary must seek an agreement with these non-federal partners within 180 days to pull together the data behind the population estimates and the final report.
Companies that want federal support
To join the pilot, a company has to apply, spend most of its award on buying fish, and stay under the 15% transportation cap.
Other Chesapeake species
The final report has to measure effects on species beyond blue catfish, so the bill treats the broader ecosystem as a 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.
NOAA's species profile for the blue catfish the pilot targets, covering its biology and invasive spread through the Chesapeake.
Lays out NOAA's strategy of building a commercial fishery to control the population — the same market-driven approach H.R. 4294 funds.
NOAA feature explaining how blue catfish overran the Chesapeake and why turning the catch into product is seen as a control tool.
The bill directs NOAA to consult this workgroup when issuing program guidance; it coordinates the science behind invasive catfish management.
The bill targets aquaculture feed uses for blue catfish, making NOAA's aquaculture program page relevant to the end-use market described.
The official U.S. Code text of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office statute (Section 307 of the 1992 Authorization Act) that H.R. 4294 amends.
H.R. 4294 Common Questions
What does H.R. 4294 actually do?
It tells NOAA to run a 2-year pilot that pays pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed companies to buy blue catfish caught in the Chesapeake, with the goal of harvesting enough to shrink the invasive population.
Why are blue catfish a problem in the Chesapeake?
They are an invasive species that preys on blue crabs and native fish and spreads fast. Watermen can catch a lot of them, but there has not been a reliable market to make removing them worthwhile.
Who can sell blue catfish under H.R. 4294?
Chesapeake watermen can sell directly, and seafood processors can sell fish they bought from those watermen. Both have to certify the catch came from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Does the bill guarantee watermen a minimum price?
Yes. The Commerce Secretary has to set a minimum price per pound, weighing market conditions, feedback from participants, and separate values for fillets versus byproducts.
Can pet food and fish-feed companies get federal money to buy the fish?
Yes. Makers of pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed can apply for cooperative agreements to buy Chesapeake blue catfish through the pilot.
How much of the funding can go to transportation?
No more than 15% of an award can pay to move catfish to a company's facilities. The other 85% or more has to support actually buying the fish.
When will we know if the program is working?
NOAA has to publish its first blue catfish population estimate by September 30, 2027, then update it every year through 2032 so Congress can track whether the population is shrinking.
Has H.R. 4294 passed yet?
It passed the House 320-66 in March 2026 and is now in the Senate Commerce Committee. It still needs Senate approval and the President's signature to become law.
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
Get notified when H.R. 4294 moves
Committee votes, floor action, cosponsor changes — straight to your inbox.
Bill alerts + Legisletter's monthly briefing. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public Lands and Natural Resources Bills
9 related bills we're tracking
Arctic Refuge Protection Act
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Apr 29, 2025
Save Our Forests Act of 2025
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
May 21, 2025
Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025
Became Public Law No: 119-58.
Dec 18, 2025
Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 438.
Feb 23, 2026
Captain Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo Young Fishermen’s Development Act
Received in the Senate.
Mar 4, 2026
Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mar 4, 2026
National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Extension Act
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mar 17, 2026
Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Oct 14, 2025
SHARKED Act of 2025
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Jan 22, 2025
Trending Right Now
Bills gaining momentum across Congress
AADAPT Act
Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 48 - 0.
May 21, 2026
Buying American Cotton Act of 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Jan 22, 2026
West Bank Violence Prevention Act of 2025
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Apr 28, 2025
Tracking Public Lands and Natural Resources in Congress? Monitor bills, track cosponsor momentum, and launch advocacy campaigns — all from one advocacy platform.