PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2] · D–RI
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Sep 22, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-10 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed American Seafood Competitiveness Act of 2026 would expand access to federal farm loans for commercial fishing and fish-processing businesses. It would also include wild-caught seafood and domestic seafood marketing in a local food promotion program. Businesses providing services directly related to aquatic producers’ or harvesters’ operating needs would become eligible for additional credit through Farm Credit institutions.
This Act may be cited as the American Seafood Competitiveness Act of 2026.
for purposes of direct and guaranteed farm loans under this subtitle— (A) the terms farmer and rancher shall include an individual or entity engaged in commercial fishing or fish processing;
(i) an agricultural commodity or product described in subsection (a)(12) shall include fish (as defined in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code) that is caught, taken, or harvested from the wild; and (ii) the eligible activities described in paragraph (2) shall include domestic seafood marketing.
3. Extension of credit to businesses providing services to producers or harvesters of aquatic products
persons furnishing to producers or harvesters of aquatic products services directly related to their operating needs
Section 2 would add commercial fishing and fish processing to existing statutory language about farming. Commercial fishing would include fishing whose catch is intended for commerce or enters commerce through sale, barter, or trade. Fish processing would mean processing fish for commercial use or consumption.
(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.;
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.
The term fish processing means the processing of fish for commercial use or consumption.
The proposed definitions would cover both fishing vessels and fish-processing vessels. A fish-processing facility could be a facility or a vessel or other craft used or equipped to process fish. The definitions of fish and the vessel categories rely on existing law that is not reproduced here.
The term commercial fishing vessel means a fishing vessel and a fish processing vessel (as those terms are defined in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code).
The term fish has the meaning given the term in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code.
The term fish processing facility means a facility or vessel, boat, ship, or other craft used or equipped for fish processing.
For both farm ownership and farm operating loans, the proposal would treat commercial fishing and fish-processing individuals or businesses as farmers or ranchers, and their vessels or processing facilities as farms or ranches. This would apply to direct loans and guaranteed loans—loans backed by a government guarantee—and would override conflicting provisions of the amended Act for these definitions.
(b) Farm ownership loans (1) Eligibility Section 302(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1922(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(c) Farm operating loans (1) Eligibility Section 311(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1941(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, for purposes of direct and guaranteed farm loans under this subtitle— (A) the terms farmer and rancher shall include an individual or entity engaged in commercial fishing or fish processing; and (B) the terms farm and ranch shall include— (i) a commercial fishing vessel; and (ii) a fish processing facility.
Commercial fishing borrowers could use farm ownership loans only to acquire a commercial fishing permit or vessel, or to make capital improvements to a vessel. Fish processors could use those loans to acquire or make capital improvements to a processing facility. Capital improvements are investments in the vessel or facility, distinct from routine operating costs.
An individual or entity engaged in commercial fishing may only use a direct or guaranteed loan under this subtitle for— (i) acquiring a commercial fishing permit; (ii) acquiring a commercial fishing vessel; and (iii) making capital improvements to a commercial fishing vessel.
An individual or entity engaged in fish processing may use a direct or guaranteed loan under this subtitle for acquiring or making capital improvements to a fish processing facility.
Commercial fishing borrowers could use farm operating loans only for operating and maintaining a commercial fishing vessel. Fish processors could use those loans for operating and maintaining a processing facility.
An individual or entity engaged in commercial fishing may only use a direct or guaranteed loan under this subtitle for the costs associated with operating and maintaining a commercial fishing vessel.
An individual or entity engaged in fish processing may use a direct or guaranteed loan under this subtitle for the costs associated with operating and maintaining a fish processing facility.
For the specified farmers’ markets and local food promotion provision, wild-caught fish would count as agricultural commodities or products, and domestic seafood marketing would count as an eligible activity.
(d) Local agriculture market program (1) Farmers’ markets and local food promotion program Section 210A(d)(6) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1627c(d)(6)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
For purposes of this paragraph— (i) an agricultural commodity or product described in subsection (a)(12) shall include fish (as defined in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code) that is caught, taken, or harvested from the wild; and (ii) the eligible activities described in paragraph (2) shall include domestic seafood marketing.
The Secretary of Agriculture could reduce or waive matching funds for Local Agriculture Market Program grant recipients engaged in commercial fishing or fish processing. Matching funds are the recipient’s required contribution alongside the grant. This relief would be discretionary, rather than automatic.
The Secretary may waive a requirement for a recipient of a grant under this section to provide matching funds, or reduce the amount of matching funds required to be provided, if the recipient is engaged in commercial fishing or fish processing (as those terms are defined in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a))).
Within one year after enactment, the Secretary of Agriculture would have to take the actions necessary to integrate commercial fishing businesses and participants into the Agriculture Department programs for which section 2 makes them eligible.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall take such actions as are necessary to ensure the successful and effective integration of individuals and entities in the commercial fishing industry, including those engaged in commercial fishing or fish processing (as those terms are defined in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a))), into each program of the Department of Agriculture for which those individuals and entities are made eligible under the amendments made by this section.
Implementation would require outreach and technical assistance for the fishing industry, guidance and training for Agriculture Department staff, and coordination as appropriate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other relevant federal and state agencies. Outreach and staff training would include cooperative agreements and partnerships.
the Secretary of Agriculture shall— (A) provide outreach and technical assistance to participants in the commercial fishing industry, including through cooperative agreements and public-private and other partnerships, to promote awareness of and access to relevant programs;
(B) provide guidance and training to relevant agency personnel of the Department of Agriculture, including through cooperative agreements and public-private and other partnerships, to ensure program services are effectively delivered to the commercial fishing industry; and (C) coordinate, as appropriate, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other relevant Federal and State agencies to implement the amendments made by this section.
Section 3 would expand Farm Credit Bank eligibility for credit and financial services to service providers whose work directly relates to the operating needs of aquatic producers or harvesters. It would also add those providers to the statutory purposes for extending credit.
(a) Farm credit banks (1) Eligibility for credit and financial services Section 1.9 of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. 2017) is amended—
(C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: (3) persons furnishing to producers or harvesters of aquatic products services directly related to their operating needs; or
(2) Purposes for extensions of credit Section 1.11(c)(1) of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. 2019(c)(1)) is amended by inserting and to persons furnishing services directly related to the operating needs of producers or harvesters of aquatic products after needs.
The proposal would also add service providers directly serving aquatic producers’ or harvesters’ operating needs to the eligibility provision for production credit associations, another type of Farm Credit lender.
(b) Production credit associations Section 2.4(a) of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. 2075(a)) is amended—
(3) by adding at the end the following: (4) persons furnishing to producers or harvesters of aquatic products services directly related to their operating needs.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated September 22, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Agriculture on September 10, 2026. It does not establish the bill’s status after that snapshot.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-22T15:16:40Z. 2026-09-10: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. 2026-09-10: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-10. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish the absence of riders in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the absence of earmarks in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied introduced text includes a discretionary, industry-specific exception to a grant contribution requirement.
Commercial fishing and fish-processing grant recipients could receive a reduction or waiver of required matching funds under the Local Agriculture Market Program. This is a targeted exception to the recipient contribution requirement, beyond the bill’s broader expansion of seafood businesses’ program eligibility. The Secretary could grant this relief but would not be required to do so.
(2) Waiver of matching funds requirements Section 210A(i) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1627c(i)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
The Secretary may waive a requirement for a recipient of a grant under this section to provide matching funds, or reduce the amount of matching funds required to be provided, if the recipient is engaged in commercial fishing or fish processing (as those terms are defined in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a))).
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 22, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI