S. 759 · 119th Congress

Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act

Introduced on Feb 26, 2025 by Ted Cruz (R-TX). One cosponsor. Became Public Law 119-116.

Stage
Became law
Public Law 119-116
Introduced
Feb 26, 2025
Cosponsors
1
0 from the other party
Policy area
Transportation and Public Works
Open in the Congress explorerCongress.govAlert me

Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Sent to the President
  6. Became law

Official title

A bill to provide for standardization, publication, and accessibility of data relating to public outdoor recreational use of Federal waterways, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Data collection, sharing, protection
  • Geography and mapping
  • Government information and archives
  • Hunting and fishing
  • Internet, web applications, social media
  • Navigation, waterways, harbors
  • Outdoor recreation

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Passed Senate, Sep 10, 2025). Public domain.

Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act

This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to publish geospatial data related to public recreational use of federal waterways (e.g., boating and fishing).

Under the bill, NOAA must consult with relevant stakeholders (including state and local governments, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations) to develop and adopt standards for the coordination and dissemination of geospatial data relating to fishing restrictions and recreational vessels' use of federal waterways, including the exclusive economic zone of the United States (EEZ). (The EEZ generally includes waters between 3 and 200 miles seaward from the U.S. coastline.)

Within four years after the bill is enacted, NOAA must provide geographic information system data on a public website that identifies and describes the locations where and conditions under which certain recreational activities are restricted in federal waterways. Specifically, the website must identify (1) locations where fishing restrictions are imposed, (2) areas in the EEZ with restrictions on specified recreational vessel types, and (3) federally protected areas (e.g., National Marine Sanctuaries). NOAA must also continue to provide digitized navigation information related to the EEZ and make the information available on the website to the extent practicable.

The bill allows NOAA to coordinate and partner with nonfederal entities to carry out this bill. It also directs NOAA to work with other federal agencies to ensure compatibility and interoperability among federal databases with respect to collecting and disseminating geospatial data related to the public outdoor recreational use of the EEZ.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Ted CruzR-TXSponsor

Independents · 1

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

No recorded roll call on this measure: it moved by voice vote or unanimous consent, or has not reached the floor.

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Feb 26, 2025Introduced in Senate
  2. Feb 26, 2025 · SenateRead twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  3. Mar 12, 2025 · SenateCommittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  4. Jul 16, 2025Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-40.
  5. Jul 16, 2025 · SenateCommittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-40.
  6. Jul 16, 2025 · SenatePlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 117.
  7. Sep 10, 2025Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  8. Sep 10, 2025 · SenatePassed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6556; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S6556)
  9. Sep 11, 2025 · SenateMessage on Senate action sent to the House.
  10. Sep 11, 2025 · HouseReceived in the House.
  11. Sep 11, 2025 · HouseHeld at the desk.
  12. Sep 14, 2026 · HouseMr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  13. Sep 14, 2026 · HouseConsidered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5559-5560)
  14. Sep 14, 2026 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 759.
  15. Sep 14, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5559)
  16. Sep 14, 2026 · HouseOn motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5559)
  17. Sep 14, 2026 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  18. Sep 22, 2026Presented to President.
  19. Sep 22, 2026 · HousePresented to President.
  20. Sep 25, 2026Signed by President.
  21. Sep 25, 2026Signed by President.
  22. Sep 25, 2026Became Public Law No: 119-116.
  23. Sep 25, 2026Became Public Law No: 119-116.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Who lobbied on it

Organizations whose lobbying reports (LD-2) name this measure. Spending is what they reported for those quarters on all issues, not on this measure alone.

  1. Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership6 reports
    $312K reported (all issues)
  2. AMERICAN SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION5 reports
    $300K reported (all issues)

Reports filed in 2025, 2026.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 5, 2026 · loaded Oct 5, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.
  • Money and votes are shown side by side; neither explains the other.