This bill would prevent the President from using the Antiquities Act to prohibit or restrict fishing in marine national monuments. Instead, fishing in these protected ocean areas would be regulated exclusively under the existing Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which governs commercial and recreational fishing nationwide. The change affects fishing industry participants, conservationists, and anyone involved in ocean management, as it shifts decision-making authority over marine monument fishing rules from presidential proclamations to the standard fishery management process. The bill contains no funding provisions or specific timeline for implementation. By making this change, the legislation would limit executive branch authority to restrict fishing access to marine monuments and require that any new fishing regulations in these areas go through the established Magnuson-Stevens regulatory framework instead.

The American Samoa Statutory Nationality and Citizenship Act would change how people born in American Samoa obtain U.S. citizenship status. Currently, individuals born in American Samoa are automatically granted U.S. national status but not citizenship; this bill would allow them to voluntarily apply for U.S. citizenship if they reside in a U.S. state or certain territories. The legislation amends federal immigration law to enable American Samoans to request citizenship through an elective process when applying for a U.S. passport, rather than being required to go through naturalization proceedings. The bill protects what it calls "collective self-determination" by preserving the option for American Samoans to remain nationals without citizenship if they choose, while giving individuals the right to elect citizenship status. No specific funding or implementation timeline is specified in the legislation.

H.R. 5976 addresses the citizenship status of people born in American Samoa, who are currently classified as U.S. nationals but not automatic U.S. citizens. The bill allows these individuals to apply for U.S. citizenship if they reside in a U.S. state or qualifying territory, while also protecting their right to maintain U.S. national status if they choose. Specifically, it amends federal law to let American Samoans obtain a U.S. passport that identifies them as citizens upon their written request, rather than forcing them into automatic citizenship or requiring lengthy naturalization processes. The legislation does not include specific funding allocations or implementation timelines, focusing instead on updating immigration law procedures. This change balances American Samoa's collective self-determination as a territory with individual rights for its residents to choose whether to become U.S. citizens.

South Pacific Tuna Treaty Act of 2025This bill revises federal requirements for U.S. commercial fishing vessels operating in the South Pacific. The changes reflect amendments to the South Pacific Tuna Treaty that were agreed to at Nadi, Fiji, on December 3, 2016. The treaty details mutual obligations of the United States and 16 Pacific Island countries when U.S. fishing vessels operate in the region.

This bill waives certain requirements for U.S. nationals applying for citizenship. Currently, individuals born in an outlying possession (i.e., American Samoa or Swains Island) are U.S. nationals but do not automatically acquire citizenship through birth in an outlying possession. Under this bill, a U.S. national who otherwise qualifies may become a citizen upon establishing residence and physical presence in a U.S. outlying possession. Currently, U.S. nationals must become a resident of a state to qualify for naturalization. The bill also waives certain naturalization requirements, including those related to English language proficiency and participation in a public ceremony, for individuals who have continuously resided in an outlying possession or state from birth to the approval of a naturalization application. Furthermore, upon meeting other requirements, this bill allows a child born abroad of a U.S. citizen parent to acquire citizenship by establishing presence and residency in an outlying possession, where currently such a child must be lawfully present in the United States to acquire citizenship through this method.

This bill permanently extends the American Samoa economic development tax credit, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2021.Under current law, certain qualified domestic corporations may be entitled to a tax credit for a percentage of qualified American Samoa wages, allocable employee fringe benefits, and depreciation allowances related to qualified American Samoa tangible property. However, under current law, the tax credit is only available for such corporations for tax years beginning on or before December 31, 2021.

Empowering Nonprofits ActThis bill reduces cost-sharing requirements for grants directly awarded to certain nonprofit organizations for the five years following the bill's enactment. Eligible nonprofit organizations are those located in a U.S. state (including the District of Columbia or a U.S. commonwealth, territory, or possession) or federally recognized Indian tribe that has more than 20% of individuals living below the poverty line.Specifically, the bill requires an executive agency, during that time frame, to reduce any cost-sharing requirement by 25% for grants made directly to an eligible nonprofit.

This bill prohibits the Federal Emergency Management Agency from requiring the application of the Buy American requirements (requirements for the use of goods mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States) with respect to purchases made or contracts issued by Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, or the U.S. Virgin Islands in the case of an emergency declaration.