Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Whale CHARTS Act of 2026 establishes a comprehensive federal program to track, map, and protect migratory whales and other large cetaceans by requiring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create detailed distribution maps of whale populations, including migration routes and breeding grounds, while deploying advanced monitoring technologies like acoustic sensors and drone imagery. The legislation creates a $10 million competitive grant program administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects that reduce harmful interactions between whales and ocean users, with special emphasis on innovations that benefit U.S. fishing and maritime industries. Additionally, the bill authorizes $2–5 million annually through 2030 for ongoing mapping, surveying, and research activities, and establishes a specialized monitoring and mitigation subprogram for threatened or endangered cetaceans to be coordinated across relevant federal agencies. This effort aims to reduce vessel strikes and other threats to whale populations while addressing the needs of American ocean-based industries.
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