Your Support Needed for Aquaculture Legislation

Focused on the 2023 Farm Bill!

The fireworks in the House does not mean members aren’t working or it is OK to slack off in contacting your House member and Senators to support companion legislation that moves US aquaculture forward in the 2023 Farm Bill.  Because of your outreach, additional House and Senate members have joined as co-sponsors!

More horsepower is needed for each set of bills.

HR 3951 Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems, Livelihoods, and Local Seafood Act (SHELLS) Act

Sponsor: Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1)

Co-sponsors: Ed Case (D-HI-1), Jennifer Kiggans (R-VA-2), Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6), Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Jill Tokuda (D-H-2) and Robert Wittman (R-VA-1).

S 2211 Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems, Livelihoods, and Local Seafood Act (SHELLS) Act

Sponsors: Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Co-sponsors: Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE), Angus King (I-ME), Roger Wicker (R-MS)

What does the Bill do?

The bills focus on creating an Office of Aquaculture and associated advisory committee in the US Department of Agriculture.

What needs to be done?

Both bills would greatly benefit from additional sponsors.  Reach out to your Senators and House member and ask for co-sponsorship. Senator Whitehouse’s lead staffer is Zoe Wong (Zoe_Wong@whitehouse.senate.gov) and Congresswoman Bonamici’s lead staffer is Morgan McCue (Morgan.McCue@mail.house.gov).

HR 4127 Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act

Sponsor: Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19)

Co-sponsors: Scott Austin (R-GA-8), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Kat Cammack (R-FL-3), Yadira Caraveo (D-CO-08), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Andre Carson (D-IN-7), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-05), John Duarte (R-CA-13), Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), Scott Franklin (R-FL-8), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5), Josh Harder (D-CA-9), Jennifer Kiggans (R-VA-02), Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23), Michael Lawler (R-NY-17), Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18), Marcus Molinaro (R-NY-19), David Rouzer (R-NC-7), Andrea Salinas (D-OR-6), Austin Scott (R-GA-08), Franklin Scott (R-FL-18), Darren Soto (D-FL-9), Kim Schrier (D-WA-08), Mike Thompson (D-CA-4), Robert Wittman (R-VA-1)

S 2704 Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act

Sponsor: Alex Padilla (D-CA)

            Co-sponsor: John Cornyn (R-TX), Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Thomas Tillis (R-NC)

What does the Bill do?

The bills focus on exempting farms with 75% or more in farm income from an adjusted gross income limitation of $900,000 that prevents aquaculture farms from benefiting from USDA disaster assistance programs (e.g., ELAP, NAP).

What needs to be done?

Additional House and Senate co-sponsors are needed.  Reach out to your House member to contact Congressman Panetta’s lead staff person Trey Elizondo (Trey.Elizondo@mail.house.gov) or Congresswoman Cammack’s lead staff person Christina Lassiter (Christina.Lassiter@mail.house.gov) to become a co-sponsor. In the Senate, ask your Senators to contact Angela Ebiner (Angela_Ebiner@padilla.senate.gov) in Senator Padilla’s Office.

HR 3542 Promoting American Competition in Aquaculture Research Act

Sponsor: Jill Tokuda (D-HI-2)

Co-sponsors: Ed Case (D-HI-1), Robert Wittman (R-VA-1)

S 2619 Promoting American Competition in Aquaculture Research Act

Sponsor: Mazie Hirono (D-HI)

            Co-sponsor: Roger Wicker (R-MS)

What does the Bill do?

The bills focus on increasing the funding authorization for the five USDA Regional Aquaculture Centers that fund farmer directed applied research. Current authorization is $5 million, or $990,000 per Center per year, to $15 million.

What needs to be done:

Reach out to their House member and Senators to cosponsor. Congresswoman Tokuda’s lead staff person is Mitch Heidenreich (Heidenreich@mail.house.gov) and Senator Hirono’s lead staff person is Laakea Stone (Laakea_Stone@hirono.senate.gov).

To find your House member, click here, and to find your Senators, click here. If you have questions or need additional information, contact the NAA Office at naa@nationalaquaculture.org.