WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott announced the Senate passage of his Fishery Improvement to Streamline Untimely Regulatory Hurdles post Emergency Situation Act (FISHES Act), which he led with Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). The FISHES Act will improve the federal regulatory process associated with the allocation of fishery disaster relief and expedite the distribution of federal relief following official fishery disaster declarations—which the State of Florida has requested seven times since 2012. This legislation now heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

The FISHES Act passed in the House of Representatives earlier this year where it was led by Congressman Byron Donalds (R-Fla.). Representative Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) co-led the bill in the House, which had bipartisan cosponsors, including Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Troy Nehls (R-Texas), James Moylan (R-Guam), John Rutherford (R-Fla.), Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-America Samoa), Clay Higgins (R-La.) and Brian Mast (R-Fla.).

Senator Rick Scott said, “Floridians know better than anyone that when disaster strikes, families and small businesses can’t be left wondering whether the federal government is going to show up. I’m proud that the FISHES Act has passed the Senate and finally heads to the president’s desk so we can ensure our fishing industry in Florida and across the country has a reliable partner in Washington.”

Congressman Byron Donalds said, “For years, fishery disaster determinations across our nation have been left pending due to bureaucratic inaction. This includes the catastrophic devastation caused by Hurricane Ian in our Southwest Florida community. This is a national problem; this is wrong; this must change; and this is why I introduced ‘The FISHES Act’ alongside Senator Rick Scott to expedite fishery disaster relief to communities in need. Thank you to my colleagues in the United States Senate for advancing this critical legislation to the President’s desk. Government must put the American people first and I am proud to stand-up for coastal communities across our nation.”

Specifically, the FISHES Act:

• Seeks to improve the federal regulatory processes associated with fishery disaster relief funding within the National Oceanic and  Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB); and
• Cuts red tape by enacting a 90-day decision requirement for NOAA, in coordination with OMB, to deny/approve the State’s spending plan, which will ultimately expedite the federal fishery disaster relief funding process overall.

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