NOAA must improve sexual harassment protections for at-sea workers

What it does

The bill requires NOAA to create new reporting ways. Workers can report sexual harassment and assault safely and in secret. NOAA must report each year on cases handled. NOAA must report on punishments it gave. The Coast Guard must also report cases involving mariners.

Who it affects

Fisheries observers, at-sea monitors, and mariners gain new reporting options. Other NOAA workers and contractors gain new reporting options. The public can see how NOAA handles these cases.

One thing to notice

The bill lets victims report without automatic investigation. This may reduce formal case counts while giving victims more control.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

3 cosponsors: 2 Republicans, 1 Democrats.

• Mar 27, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Mar 27, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”
• Jun 3, 2026 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Hearings Held”
• Jul 15, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Jul 15, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent”
• Sep 14, 2026 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote”
• Sep 14, 2026 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 groups reported lobbying about this bill. They filed 1 reports from Jun 2026 to Jun 2026.

Those reports show $180,000 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 43 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

More groups named this bill than 0% of bills with any report.

Suzanne Bonamici, who sponsored the bill, received $443,650 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• American College of Rheumatology — $180,000 in 1 report

Lobbying is legal. These reports show who lobbied about this bill, not what changed.

Words to know

• fisheries observers — Workers who monitor fishing activity and catch on boats at sea
• contractors — Workers hired for a specific job who are not full-time employees
• mariners — People who work on ships or boats at sea
• lobbying — Trying to influence lawmakers about a bill. Companies and groups pay people to do this.
• PACs — Groups that collect money and give it to candidates for office.
• sponsored — To sponsor a bill is to introduce it in Congress and put your name on it.