The record

LegislationLegislation· Sep 2026
S 759 Signed into law

Sponsored by Ted Cruz (R)

Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act

Directs NOAA to publish online maps of fishing restrictions and recreational vessel rules in U.S. ocean waters.

Tradeoff

Costs about $5 million over five years to consolidate existing regulatory data into a public website. No new fishing or boating rules; only improves access to restrictions already enforced by federal agencies.

What's in it

See official bill text

Requires $5 million in spending over 2025-2030 to publish ocean regulatory data.

The $5 million is NOAA's federal cost to consolidate and publish existing regulatory data in an accessible online format — the policy itself imposes no new restrictions on the public, only improves transparency about existing rules already maintained by the agency.

S. 759, Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act · Jul 2025

The Senate passed this by on September 10, 2025. The House passed it by on September 14, 2026, and it was signed into law on September 25, 2026.

  1. Senate

    Introduced

    (Feb 26, 2025)

  2. Senate

    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation(Feb 26, 2025)

  3. Senate

    The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation voted to send it to the floor

    Reported(Mar 12, 2025)

    Committee report S. Rept. 119-40.

  4. Senate

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Sep 10, 2025)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  5. House

    Received from the Senate

    Received(Sep 11, 2025)

  6. House

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Sep 14, 2026)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  7. House

    Sent to the President

    (Sep 22, 2026)

  8. White House · Signature

    Signed

    Donald Trump (R)

  9. Enacted

    Became law(Sep 25, 2026)