FISHES Act
Key claim: The FISHES Act requires NOAA to review fishery disaster assistance spend plans for completeness within 10 days and allows concurrent OMB review without delaying the statutory 90-day fund disbursement deadline.
Abstract
(HR5103 · 118th Congress) Fishery Improvement to Streamline untimely regulatory Hurdles post Emergency Situation Act or the FISHES Act This act establishes procedures for the review of spend plans submitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by requesters seeking fishery resource disaster assistance funding. The act requires NOAA to review a spend plan within 10 days of its submission and determine whether it is complete. If such spend plan is not complete, NOAA must provide the requester (i.e., prospective grantee) with a detailed description of the information that is necessary for the spend plan to be determined complete. Further, NOAA must notify a requester when the spend plan has been determined to be complete. Under current law, fishery resource disaster assistance funds must be disbursed to approved grantees within 90 days after NOAA has received a completed spend plan. The act provides that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) may review a completed spend plan concurrently with NOAA, provided OMB’s review does not delay the 90-day timeline for providing funds to the grantee. Latest action (2025-01-04): Became Public Law No: 118-229.
Why this matters
Fishery disaster assistance is a key federal lifeline for commercial and tribal fishing communities after stock collapses, environmental events, or closures, and delays in spend-plan approval have historically postponed payments to affected fishermen by months or years. By imposing a 10-day completeness review and allowing OMB review to run concurrently within the 90-day disbursement window, the FISHES Act aims to shorten the time between disaster declaration and money reaching affected harvesters and shoreside businesses. The change is procedural rather than a funding increase, so its practical effect on consumers and seafood prices is expected to be minimal.