S 759 · 119th Congress · Transportation and Public Works

Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act

Introduced February 26, 2025 Latest action September 11, 2025 1 cosponsor

Sponsor

Latest action

Held at the desk.

Action timeline

Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.

Sep 11, 2025

floor Message on Senate action sent to the House.

Sep 11, 2025

floor Received in the House.

Sep 11, 2025

floor Held at the desk.

Sep 10, 2025

passed Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

Sep 10, 2025

passed Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6556; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S6556)

Text versions

Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.

Sep 10, 2025 Engrossed in Senate

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Jul 16, 2025 Reported to Senate

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Feb 26, 2025 Introduced in Senate

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Changelog

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How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.

`ih` / `is` — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.

`rfh` / `rfs` — Referred to a committee for review.

`rh` / `rs` — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).

`pcs` / `pch` — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.

`eh` / `es` — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.

`rdh` / `rds` — Received by the other chamber.

`eah` / `eas` — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.

`ath` / `ats` — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.

`enr` — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.

`pl` — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.

`pp` — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.

Most bills die before `eh`/`es`. Going from `pcs` → `enr` is the full path through both chambers.

Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.

+11 −214 33 unchanged

--- Reported (Senate)

+++ Engrossed (Senate)

@@ -1,221 +1,22 @@

[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

-[S. 759 Reported in Senate (RS)]

+[S. 759 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

<DOC>

-Calendar No. 117

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 759

-[Report No. 119-40]

+_______________________________________________________________________

+AN ACT

To provide for the standardization, publication, and accessibility of

data relating to public outdoor recreational use of Federal waterways,

and for other purposes.

-_______________________________________________________________________

-IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

-February 26, 2025

-Mr. Cruz (for himself and Mr. King) introduced the following bill;

-which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,

-Science, and Transportation

-July 16, 2025

-Reported by Mr. Cruz, with an amendment

-[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed

-in italic]

-_______________________________________________________________________

-A BILL

-To provide for the standardization, publication, and accessibility of

-data relating to public outdoor recreational use of Federal waterways,

-and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the

United States of America in Congress assembled,

-<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Modernizing Access to Our

-Public Oceans Act''.</DELETED>

-<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> In this Act:</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (1) Federal fishing restriction area.--The term

-``Federal fishing restriction area'' means a defined area in

-which all or certain fishing activities are temporarily or

-permanently banned or restricted by the National Oceanic and

-Atmospheric Administration.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (2) Federal waterway.--The term ``Federal

-waterway'' means any portion of a body of water managed in part

-or in entirety by the Secretary.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (3) Federal waterway restriction.--The term

-``Federal waterway restriction'' means a restriction on access

-to or use of a Federal waterway applied under applicable law by

-the Secretary.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the

-Secretary of Commerce.</DELETED>

-<DELETED>SEC. 3. DATA STANDARDIZATION.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> Not later than 31 months after the date of the enactment

-of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with relevant stakeholders,

-shall develop and adopt standards with respect to the collection and

-dissemination of geospatial data relating to public outdoor

-recreational use of Federal waterways and Federal fishing restriction

-areas, including such data made available under section 4.</DELETED>

-<DELETED>SEC. 4. DATA PUBLICATION AND ACCESSIBILITY.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (a) Federal Waterway Fishing Access Data.--Not later than

-4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, to

-the maximum extent practicable, shall make available on a publicly

-accessible website geographic information system data that--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (1) includes, with respect to Federal waterway

-restrictions--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (A) information with respect to the

-conditions under which Federal waterways are open or

-closed to entry, watercraft, low-elevation aircraft, or

-diving;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (B) the areas of Federal waterways with

-restrictions on motorized propulsion, horsepower, or

-gasoline fuel;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (C) the areas of Federal waterways with

-anchoring restrictions, no-wake zones, or vessel speed

-restrictions; and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (D) the types of watercraft that are

-restricted on each area of a Federal waterway,

-including the permissibility of--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (i) motorboats;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (ii) non-motorized

-watercraft;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (iii) personal

-watercraft;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (iv) airboats;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (v) amphibious aircraft;

-and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (vi) oceangoing ships;

-and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (2) describes--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (A) the location and geographic boundaries

-of Federal fishing restriction areas, including--

-</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (i) any zones where, and periods

-when, fishing is limited under paragraphs (2),

-(3), and (4) of section 303(b) of the Magnuson-

-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act

-(16 U.S.C. 1853(b));</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (ii) full and partial closures, in

-terms of both area and duration, as well as

-seasonal closures;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (iii) no-catch zones;

-and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (iv) Federal fishing restrictions

-within or surrounding marine protected areas,

-including National Marine Sanctuaries;

-and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (B) to the maximum extent practicable,

-restrictions imposed by the National Oceanic and

-Atmospheric Administration on method of catch, such as

-requirements relating to the use of circle hooks,

-descending devices, and trolling.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (b) Federal Waterway Access and Navigation Information.--

-</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (1) In general.--The Secretary shall, to the

-maximum extent practicable, continue to make available

-digitized geographic information system data that includes,

-with respect to access to Federal waterways--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (A) navigation information;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (B) bathymetric information; and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (C) depth charts.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (2) Website.--The Secretary shall make the data

-described in paragraph (1) available on the website on which

-the Secretary makes the data described in subsection (a)

-available.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (c) Data Accessibility.--The Secretary shall ensure that

-the website on which the Secretary makes the data described in

-subsections (a) and (b) available--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (1) organizes that data so that the data is

-findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable;

-and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (2) includes a mechanism by which users can be

-easily updated when new data becomes available.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (d) Public Comment.--The Secretary shall develop a process

-to allow members of the public to submit questions or comments

-regarding the data described in subsections (a) and (b) and the

-accessibility of that data under subsection (c).</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (e) Updates.--The Secretary, to the maximum extent

-practicable, shall update--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (1) the data described in subsections (a)(1) and

-(b) not less frequently than 2 times each year; and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (2) the data described in subsection (a)(2) in

-real time as changes to Federal fishing restriction areas take

-effect.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (f) Nondisclosure of Certain Information.--The Secretary

-may not disclose, in any geographic information system data made

-publicly available under this section, information regarding the

-nature, location, character, or ownership of historic, paleontological,

-cultural, or archaeological resources, consistent with applicable

-law.</DELETED>

-<DELETED>SEC. 5. COOPERATION AND COORDINATION.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (a) Community Partners and Third-Party Providers.--For

-purposes of carrying out this Act, the Secretary may--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (1) coordinate and partner with non-Federal

-entities, including--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (A) State agencies;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (B) interstate marine fisheries

-commissions;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (C) Regional Ocean Partnerships;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (D) experts in data science, analytics,

-and operations research;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (E) the private sector, including

-technology or geospatial data industries; and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (F) nonprofit organizations; and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (2) enter into agreements with experts described

-in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1), or experts within

-entities described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (E), or (F)

-of that paragraph, to carry out any of the provisions of this

-Act.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (b) Interagency Coordination.--The Secretary shall, to the

-maximum extent practicable, work with the relevant offices of the

-Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the Coast

-Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Interagency Working Group

-on Ocean and Coastal Mapping codified by section 12203 of the Ocean and

-Coastal Mapping Integration Act (33 U.S.C. 3502) to ensure

-compatibility and interoperability among applicable Federal databases

-with respect to the collection and dissemination of geospatial data

-relating to public outdoor recreational use of Federal waterways and

-Federal fishing restriction areas.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (c) Applicability of Federal, State, and Tribal

-Regulations.--The Secretary, in developing and distributing geospatial

-data under this Act, shall make clear that the data are subject to--

-</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (1) applicable Federal regulations; and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (2) applicable State and Tribal

-regulations.</DELETED>

-<DELETED>SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> Nothing in this Act may be construed--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (1) to modify or alter the definition of the term

-``navigable waters'' under any provision of Federal

-law;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (2) to affect the jurisdiction or authority of

-Federal or State agencies to regulate navigable waters;

-or</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (3) to increase or diminish the responsibility or

-authority of Federal or State agencies to manage

-fisheries.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

@@ -403,26 +204,22 @@

organizations; or

(5) to affect or modify any treaty or other right of any

Indian Tribe.

-Calendar No. 117

+Passed the Senate September 10, 2025.

+Attest:

+Secretary.

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 759

-[Report No. 119-40]

_______________________________________________________________________

-A BILL

+AN ACT

To provide for the standardization, publication, and accessibility of

data relating to public outdoor recreational use of Federal waterways,

and for other purposes.

-_______________________________________________________________________

-July 16, 2025

-Reported with an amendment

Lobbying activity

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THEODORE ROOSEVELT CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP

MAR

filings · 2026 Q3

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Cosponsors (1)

Members who signed on to support this bill.

King I