South Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act
Latest action. Placed on Senate legislative calendarThe list of measures reported out of committee and eligible for floor action. Being on the calendar is not a promise of a vote.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) under General Orders. Calendar No. 419.
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
South Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act
This bill authorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to promulgate regulations to implement U.S. participation in the South Pacific Fisheries Convention. The convention is designed to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of fishery resources and marine ecosystems in the South Pacific Ocean.
(Sec. 3) The United States must be represented by no more than three commissioners on the Commission of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation.
In addition, a permanent advisory committee is established, which shall be comprised of seven members. Advisory committee members shall represent groups concerned with fishery resources covered by the South Pacific Fisheries Convention.
NOAA must develop a memorandum of understanding with the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council describing the role of the council with respect to:
participation of the United States in consulting with international fishery organizations in the Pacific Ocean,
providing recommendations to NOAA and the Department of State regarding domestic and foreign fishing vessels,
coordinating with the United States on presentations the council makes to international fishery organizations, and
recommending domestic fishing regulations that are consistent with the actions of the international fishery organizations.
(Sec. 4) The State Department has the authority to receive and transmit various communications concerning the South Pacific commission, and can approve or disapprove bylaws and rules adopted by the commission.
(Sec. 5) This bill details NOAA's authority in implementing this bill and measures adopted by the commission.
(Sec. 6) NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard are required to administer and enforce this bill.
(Sec. 7) This bill lists 16 fishing and shipping activities that are prohibited in the South Pacific Ocean.
(Sec. 8) NOAA may cooperate with public and private institutions in the United States and abroad to carry out this bill. Federal agencies are authorized to cooperate with NOAA in conducting research and providing facilities and personnel to assist the commission.
The summary continues for 5 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to Senate without amendment" stage on April 6, 2016. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on April 6, 2016: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 419.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 114th Congress (2015-16), 329 of the 10,233 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.2 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced it on May 13, 2015, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Republican.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on May 13, 2015, 4138 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 3809 days ago, on April 6, 2016.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 114th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2017 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers