Seth Magaziner (D-RI)
American Seafood Competitiveness Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is called the American Seafood Competitiveness Act of 2026. It updates federal laws to expand the eligibility of Department of Agriculture loans and grants to include commercial fishing and fish processing businesses. The bill allows individuals and entities in the commercial fishing industry to qualify for farm ownership and farm operating loans. It also includes wild-caught fish and shellfish in certain local agriculture market programs and allows the Secretary of Agriculture to waive matching fund requirements for these groups. Additionally, the legislation extends credit and financial services from Farm Credit Banks and production credit associations to businesses that provide services directly related to the operating needs of producers or harvesters of aquatic products. Finally, it requires the Secretary of Agriculture to implement these changes, provide technical assistance, and coordinate with other federal and state agencies within one year.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +5
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill directly supports small businesses in the commercial fishing and fish processing industries by making them eligible for USDA loans, grants, and Farm Credit services.
- Scored +4
Is this likely to create jobs?
The bill expands access to loans and credit for commercial fishing and fish processing businesses, which can help these enterprises grow and hire more workers.
- Scored +4
Would business owners be better off under this?
Commercial fishing and fish processing business owners benefit directly from expanded eligibility for USDA loans, grants, and Farm Credit services.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 2: Expands farm ownership and farm operating loans to include commercial fishing and fish processing businesses. This is a positive step because it gives fishing and seafood processing workers access to direct and guaranteed loans to buy permits, vessels, and facilities, or to cover operating and maintenance costs.
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Section 2: Includes wild-caught fish and shellfish in the Farmers' Markets and Local Food Promotion Program and allows the Secretary of Agriculture to waive or reduce matching fund requirements for commercial fishing and fish processing grant recipients. This is beneficial because it helps seafood workers market domestic seafood locally and relieves them of the burden of coming up with matching funds to get grant money.
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Section 2: Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide outreach, technical assistance, guidance, and training to agency personnel and the commercial fishing industry, and to coordinate with NOAA. This helps ensure that the people we vote for hold agencies accountable to properly deliver these new services and make sure the fishing community knows how to access them.
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Section 3: Extends credit and financial services from Farm Credit Banks and production credit associations to people who furnish services directly related to the operating needs of aquatic product producers or harvesters. This is positive because support businesses that serve the fishing industry will have better access to the credit they need to keep running.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 2: Gives the Secretary of Agriculture the discretion to waive matching funds for grant recipients, but does not guarantee a waiver for everyone. This could create unfair situations where some commercial fishing or fish processing applicants receive financial breaks while others do not.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill directly supports small businesses in the commercial fishing and fish processing industries by making them eligible for USDA loans, grants, and Farm Credit services. Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill expands access to loans and credit for commercial fishing and fish processing businesses, which can help these enterprises grow and hire more workers. Is this likely to grow the economy? — By expanding financial services and loan eligibility to the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries, the legislation promotes investment and economic activity in the seafood sector.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Commercial fishing and fish processing business owners benefit directly from expanded eligibility for USDA loans, grants, and Farm Credit services. Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill treats commercial fishermen and fish processors similarly to farmers and ranchers regarding loan and grant eligibility, integrating them into agricultural support systems.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The legislation invests in rural and coastal communities by providing commercial fishing and fish processing businesses with better access to credit, loans, and local food promotion programs.
- 9/10/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.