H.R. 4294 explained · 119th Congress · Pending in Congress
MAWS Act of 2026
Cosponsors: 10 (6 D, 4 R) · per Congress.gov, 2026-10-09
Introduced: 2025-07-07
Latest action (2026-03-18): Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
What H.R. 4294 does, in plain terms
Mitigation Action and Watermen Support Act of 2026 or the MAWS Act of 2026 This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a pilot program to facilitate the purchase of blue catfish caught within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. (Blue catfish are considered an invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay.) Under the program, NOAA must enter into cooperative agreements with manufacturers or processors of pet food, animal feed, or aquaculture feed for the purchase of blue catfish from watermen and seafood processors. NOAA must determine the minimum price per pound after considering market factors; feedback from watermen, seafood processors, and participants in the program; and differentiation of price points for fillet and byproduct. The bill also requires NOAA to enter into a memorandum of understanding with nonfederal partners to develop abundance estimates of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. NOAA must make the first abundance estimate publicly available before beginning the pilot program.
Official summary by the Congressional Research Service, via Congress.gov.
Constitution Index
“VFA Constitution grade”
Constitutionally sound
Graded 2026-10-09
SI-generated grade · five published checks · not individually reviewed by a person · methodology
The MAWS Act of 2026 is a straightforward, voluntary federal program that operates within Congress's enumerated powers under the Commerce Clause and Property Clause, does not infringe any constitutional rights, and respects individual sovereignty and decentralization principles.
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✓ Passes · Enumerated powers
Congress has authority under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 (Commerce Clause) to regulate activities affecting interstate commerce, including fisheries and invasive species management in navigable waters like the Chesapeake Bay. Additionally, Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 (Property Clause) gives Congress power over federal lands and waters. NOAA's involvement in a voluntary purchase program for … -
✓ Passes · Bill of Rights
The bill imposes no restrictions on speech, religion, assembly, press, petition, arms, quartering, search and seizure, self-incrimination, due process, fair trial, jury, cruel and unusual punishment, or any other right protected by the Bill of Rights. It creates a voluntary program that watermen may choose to participate in or not. -
✓ Passes · Individual sovereignty
The bill does not restrict any individual's control over their person, property, speech, labor, or belief. Participation is entirely voluntary for watermen and seafood processors. The government is not compelling anyone to sell or buy blue catfish; it is merely facilitating voluntary transactions. This respects individual sovereignty. -
✓ Passes · Decentralization
The program addresses an interstate environmental issue (invasive species in a multi-state watershed) that individual families, local communities, or even single states cannot effectively manage alone. The Chesapeake Bay spans multiple states, making federal coordination appropriate. The bill does not consolidate decision-making upward unnecessarily; it involves nonfederal partners and respects st… -
✓ Passes · Due process and takings
The bill does not deprive anyone of life, liberty, or property without due process. It does not take private property for public use without just compensation. The program is voluntary and involves no coercion or seizure. All participants enter agreements freely.
Sources: Congress.gov: HR 4294 summary
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