Fishing data would get a major update, letting states collect their own information.
This bill would update how the government collects recreational fishing data, allowing states to take a bigger role in gathering information. It aims to make fish population counts more accurate and government decisions about fishing more open to the public. This could lead to better management of fish stocks and more stable fishing seasons for anglers.
Today, the federal government's MRIP program collects recreational fishing data, and states have a limited role in providing data for federal management. Fish population counts (stock assessments) are done without a clear, mandated schedule. After this bill, the federal MRIP program would be reformed, and states could run their own approved data collection programs that would replace federal data for their waters. The government would also be required to follow a specific plan for regularly counting fish populations, generally every 5 years, and make its decision-making processes more transparent to the public.
HR 5699 · 119th Congress · October 6, 2025 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 6/10
Sign in to see your representatives' phone numbers
3 filings mentioned this bill
Amounts reflect total quarterly lobbying spend reported to the Senate, not bill-specific spending. Source: Senate LDA filings.