Amata-Backed Legislation to Safeguard U.S. Fishing Passes House

September 24, 2026 Press Release Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming House passage by voice vote of the Senate companion to a bill she cosponsored in the House for better science-based U.S. fishing safeguards. This amended bill includes much of the original House bill, and it has been returned to the Senate for one final vote to become law. Image Testifying in House Ways and Means Committee regarding our tuna industry Last week, the House amended and passed S. 283, the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act . This bill overlaps and incorporates policies from its companion House bill, the Amata-cosponsored Standards for Understanding Source and Habitat Identification (SUSHI) Act , H.R. 3706, voted earlier through the House Natural Resources (HNR) Committee, as well as its Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries, where Amata serves. HNR Chairman Bruce Westerman then managed House passage of S. 283 for the floor vote. Both the final bill, and its companion effort, are bipartisan and work to secure American seafood using the same method against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, which unfairly costs and competes with the American tuna industry, along with other seafood. The bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop a standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of seafood to support enforcement against IUU fishing to stop seafood fraud and the problem of U.S. imports of competing IUU product. “This is a good bipartisan effort to safeguard U.S. tuna, and protect American Samoa’s share of the market, by better identifying IUU produced tuna and preventing American imports of illegal competition that undercut our fishing,” said Congresswoman Amata. “As part of our national food security, we need a dependable U.S. fishing supply that’s not forced to compete against fraudulent IUU bad actors. I appreciate key leaders on both sides of the aisle recognizing the need for this initiative to help keep our fishing competitive. We’re at the finish line for this bill, and I expect final passage of this priority.” The Senate bill was sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) with Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), while the House bill was sponsored in February by Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) with two original cosponsors, Rep. Aumua Amata (American Samoa) and Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA). Along with Pacific fishing, the Gulf waters off the coast of Texas also include fishing for a species of red snapper and tuna. Legislation Highlights: Directs federal agencies to jointly develop a standard methodology, based on chemical analysis, to identify the country of origin of seafood and support enforcement against IUU fishing and seafood fraud. Requires the methodology to meet the needs of federal and state law enforcement, reduce processing time, and use a portable field kit that can be carried by one person. Requires pilot studies using red snapper and tuna to test the methodology across both stationary and highly migratory fish stocks. Directs agencies, to the extent practicable, to further develop a methodology capable of testing prepared seafood, including ceviche, sashimi, sushi, and poke. ### Issues : Fisheries