To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce from authorizing commercial octopus aquaculture operations in the United States, the exclusive economic zone, and the waters of the United States, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · July 25, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
The OCTOPUS Act of 2024 prohibits the federal government from authorizing commercial octopus farming operations in U.S. waters and the exclusive economic zone. The bill also bans the importation and reexport of commercially farmed octopus into the United States, with a one-year grace period after the law's enactment before the import ban takes effect. Violations of the import restrictions carry civil penalties of up to $100,000 or the fair market value of the octopus, whichever is greater. The legislation includes exceptions for octopus used by accredited aquariums and zoos for public display, breeding programs, or research purposes, and requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to track the harvest methods for imported octopus. The bill was introduced by Senators Whitehouse and Murkowski and referred to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
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.