Federal government creates maps showing where people can fish and boat.

What it does

The bill requires the federal government to make maps and databases. These maps show where people can fish, boat, and have fun in U.S. ocean waters. The Secretary of Commerce must put this information on a website within 4 years. The maps must be updated regularly and easy to use. The government will keep some information private, like archaeological sites and fishing business data.

Who it affects

People who fish and boat in ocean waters will know where they can go. The bill protects information about Native American tribes, archaeological sites, and fishing businesses.

One thing to notice

The bill says the government must work with private companies that make maps. The government may depend on outside companies to keep the maps working.

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

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Independents.

• Feb 26, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Feb 26, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation”
• Mar 12, 2025 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of…”
• Sep 10, 2025 — Passed the Senate · Congress.gov: “Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6556; text of amendment in the…”
• Sep 14, 2026 — Passed both chambers · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote”
• Sep 14, 2026 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill”

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 $50,000 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 35 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

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

Ted Cruz, who sponsored the bill, received $525,365 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership — $50,000 in 1 report

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

Words to know

• Secretary of Commerce — The federal official who leads the department that handles business and ocean matters.
• archaeological sites — Places where old human objects and buildings are buried or hidden.
• database — A collection of information organized so people can find and use it.
• 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.