US HB470

Prohibits the Secretary of Commerce from issuing any interim or final rule or Secretarial Amendment that includes area or bottom closures in the South Atlantic for species under the Snapper-Grouper Fishery Management Plan until the South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count study is complete and integrated into stock assessments

Recreational fishing in Florida alone generates $14 billion in economic output and supports 119,000 jobs, with the 6-day recreational red snapper season in 2018 adding $13 million to the South Atlantic region's GDP

$8.7 million has been invested in independent survey data over the last 3 fiscal years, including $3.3 million specifically for the South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count to estimate red snapper populations from North Carolina to Florida

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel considers the red snapper fishery recovered, citing record high abundance and strong recruitment since rebuilding efforts began in 2010

Introduced January 16, 2025 with bipartisan support from 17 cosponsors and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources