Legislative Activity

This bill amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to restrict the President's authority to ban or regulate fishing in marine national monuments through proclamations. It effectively voids existing presidential fishing restrictions in these areas. Moving forward, fishing in marine national monuments will be managed solely under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

This bill, the American Samoa Statutory Nationality and Citizenship Act, establishes a new process for U.S. nationals who are not citizens to apply for a U.S. passport. The Secretary of State will issue a passport identifying the holder as a national, or as both a national and a citizen if the applicant resides in a U.S. state or territory and requests it. The Act also repeals prior related law.

This bill addresses the status of individuals born and residing in American Samoa, who are currently United States nationals but not citizens. It amends passport procedures to allow these nationals to receive a U.S. passport identifying them as either a non-citizen national or, upon request while residing in a U.S. state or covered territory, as both a national and a citizen of the United States. The legislation aims to protect collective self-determination while enabling elective U.S. citizenship for certain residents.

The South Pacific Tuna Treaty Act of 2025 significantly updates the existing 1988 Tuna Act by revising key definitions, clarifying prohibited fishing acts, and adjusting enforcement and penalty structures. This legislation streamlines licensing procedures, tightens rules regarding confidential data disclosure, and modifies the process for international dispute resolution through arbitration. Overall, the Act modernizes the legal framework governing U.S. tuna fishing activities in the South Pacific.

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to create a streamlined path to U.S. citizenship for lifelong residents of U.S. outlying possessions, such as American Samoa. It waives standard naturalization requirements—including English and civics testing—for these individuals and ensures that all necessary naturalization proceedings can be completed locally. Additionally, the legislation expands citizenship eligibility for children residing in these territories.

This bill makes the American Samoa economic development tax credit permanent by removing all existing expiration dates and time-based restrictions. By eliminating these deadlines, the legislation ensures ongoing tax support for qualifying corporations operating within the territory.

The Empowering Nonprofits Act reduces federal grant cost-sharing requirements by 25 percent for eligible 501(c)(3) organizations. This initiative supports nonprofits operating in areas where more than 20 percent of the population lives below the federal poverty line. The reduction will remain in effect for five years following the bill's enactment.

This bill authorizes the FEMA Administrator to waive "Buy American" requirements for Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands during federally declared emergencies. This measure aims to expedite the procurement of necessary goods and services to ensure a more efficient disaster response in these jurisdictions.