Mike Ezell (R-MS)
To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to change certain requirements regarding certain allowed take of marine mammals, and for other purposes.
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
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 amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to change requirements regarding the allowed take of marine mammals. It updates definitions related to the harassment of marine mammals and adds a definition for negligible impact. The legislation modifies the rules surrounding the moratorium on taking and importing marine mammals and marine mammal products. It removes certain limits on consecutive years and references to small numbers of marine mammals. Finally, the bill requires decisions and determinations to be made based strictly on the best scientific and commercial data available without precautionary bias.
Yes
- Scored +3
Would business owners be better off under this?
Business owners engaged in activities near marine environments may benefit from more streamlined and predictable regulatory conditions.
- Scored +3
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill eases certain regulatory requirements and definitions for activities impacting marine mammals, which may benefit businesses subject to these rules.
The opposite
- Scored -5
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The legislation removes precautionary bias requirements and alters definitions related to the harassment and taking of marine mammals, potentially reducing conservation protections.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Section 1(a): This section updates definitions like "negligible impact" to mean an impact not reasonably likely to significantly affect the annual survival rate of a species or stock, which provides clearer standards.
-
Section 1(b): This provision adjusts rules for allowed takes by ensuring that conditions imposed on activities do not alter the basic design, location, scope, duration, or timing of the activity, which may benefit entities engaging in those activities.
-
Section 1(c): This adds a new section requiring that decisions and determinations be made solely upon the objective application of the best scientific and commercial data available without precautionary factors or biased assumptions.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Section 1(a): By changing terms from "has the potential to injure" to "injures" and removing references to the potential to injure or disturb, this change could alter how marine mammal protections are enforced.
-
Section 1(b): This section removes the previous restriction limiting certain permits to periods of not more than five consecutive years each, and strikes references to taking "small numbers" of marine mammals.
-
Section 1(c): The requirement to exclude precautionary factors or assumptions when evaluating scientific and commercial data could reduce caution when making decisions regarding marine mammal populations and human impacts.
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.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The legislation removes precautionary bias requirements and alters definitions related to the harassment and taking of marine mammals, potentially reducing conservation protections.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Business owners engaged in activities near marine environments may benefit from more streamlined and predictable regulatory conditions.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill eases certain regulatory requirements and definitions for activities impacting marine mammals, which may benefit businesses subject to these rules.
- 10/9/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- Introduced in House