Austin Scott (R-GA)
South Atlantic Red Snapper Fair Access Act of 2026
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
The South Atlantic Red Snapper Fair Access Act of 2026 aims to prohibit certain commercial activities regarding South Atlantic red snapper. Specifically, it makes it unlawful to harvest, sell, purchase, trade, barter, or offer for sale any South Atlantic red snapper harvested from Federal waters during a "covered period." A "covered period" is defined as a time when recreational harvest of the fish in Federal waters is prohibited. The Secretary of Commerce is tasked with issuing necessary regulations within 90 days of enactment. Violations of this act will be treated and enforced similarly to violations of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
Yes
- Scored +2
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill aims to create fairer conservation burdens between recreational and commercial sectors.
The opposite
- Scored -4
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill imposes prohibitions on the commercial harvesting, selling, and trading of red snapper during covered periods.
- Scored -3
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill restricts commercial activities for businesses that rely on harvesting or selling red snapper during certain periods.
- Scored -2
Would farmers be better off under this?
The bill limits the commercial fishing activities of those involved in the red snapper trade.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Fairness in conservation burdens: The bill aims to ensure that conservation burdens and access restrictions are shared more fairly across different sectors, specifically targeting the gap between short recreational seasons and longer commercial seasons (Section 2).
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Protection of commercial prohibitions: The act creates a legal prohibition on harvesting or trading South Atlantic red snapper for commercial purposes during periods when recreational harvest is prohibited (Section 3(a)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Restrictions on commercial activities: The bill prohibits any person from harvesting, selling, purchasing, trading, or bartering South Atlantic red snapper for commercial purposes during a covered period (Section 3(a)).
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Legal and financial penalties: Engaging in the prohibited commercial activities will result in penalties, as the act will be treated as a violation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Section 3(b)).
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.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill imposes prohibitions on the commercial harvesting, selling, and trading of red snapper during covered periods. Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill limits the commercial fishing activities of those involved in the red snapper trade.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill restricts commercial activities for businesses that rely on harvesting or selling red snapper during certain periods.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill aims to create fairer conservation burdens between recreational and commercial sectors.
- 7/23/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- Introduced in House