American Seafood Competitiveness Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4236 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4236 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to expand eligibility of Department of Agriculture loans and grants for fishing and mariculture businesses, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 26, 2026 Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Mr. King, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Merkley, and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to expand eligibility of Department of Agriculture loans and grants for fishing and mariculture businesses, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``American Seafood Competitiveness Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS AND GRANTS FOR FISHING AND MARICULTURE BUSINESSES. (a) Definitions of Farmer and Farming.--Section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)) is amended-- (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``farming.'' and inserting ``farming, commercial fishing, or fish processing.''; (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``farming.'' and inserting ``farming, commercial fishing, and fish processing.''; and (3) by adding at the end the following: ``(14) Commercial fishing.--The term `commercial fishing' means fishing (as defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802)) in which the fish harvested, either in whole or in part, are intended to enter commerce or enter commerce through sale, barter, or trade. ``(15) Commercial fishi