To provide for the standardization, publication, and accessibility of data relating to public outdoor recreational use of Federal waterways, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · February 8, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
The Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act directs the Secretary of Commerce to create standardized, publicly accessible online maps and databases showing information about fishing and recreational access to federal waterways. Within four years of enactment, the government must publish geographic data including fishing restrictions, areas closed to boats or aircraft, speed limits, anchoring restrictions, and allowed watercraft types, along with information about marine protected areas and commercial fishery closures. The data must be regularly updated at least twice yearly for general restrictions and in real time for fishing closures, and include navigation charts and depth information for boaters. The bill gives the Secretary 30 months to establish data standards and requires coordination with state agencies, private companies, and nonprofits to ensure the information is easy to find and use, while allowing the public to submit questions and receive notifications about updates.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.