MARA Act of 2026

Sponsor: Mike Ezell (Republican-MS)July 14, 2026

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, 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.

New programs would help grow U.S. seafood farming and create jobs.

This bill would create new programs to study and support offshore aquaculture, which is like farming seafood in the ocean. It aims to boost U.S. seafood production, create jobs, and make it easier for businesses to get permits for these ocean farms. The bill also sets aside money for colleges to train people for jobs in this growing industry.

What Would Change

Currently, there is no unified Federal assessment program or streamlined permitting process specifically for commercial-scale offshore aquaculture demonstration projects in the ocean waters generally 200 nautical miles from the U.S. coast, nor dedicated Aquaculture Centers of Excellence at minority-serving institutions. The bill would establish a comprehensive assessment program for commercial-scale offshore aquaculture demonstration projects, streamline their permitting process, create an Office of Aquaculture within NOAA, and fund Aquaculture Centers of Excellence at covered institutions to support workforce development.

Key Provisions

An Office of Aquaculture would be created within NOAA to manage and coordinate ocean farming efforts.
NOAA would set up a program to test commercial-scale ocean farms through demonstration projects.
NOAA would issue permits for these ocean farm projects, with rules to protect wildlife and the environment.
The bill would streamline the federal permitting process for ocean farms by making NOAA the lead agency.
Grants would be available to colleges, especially minority-serving institutions, to train people for jobs in ocean farming.
The bill would provide grants for marketing, workforce training, and technical help for the ocean farming industry.

View on Congress.gov

HR 9673 · 119th Congress · July 14, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 10/10

MARA Act of 2026

What Would Change

Key Provisions

Lobbying Activity