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From the Desk of
Representative Byron Donalds

It’s Time For The Senate To Pass The FISHES Act
by Congressman Byron Donalds
n Southwest Florida, hurricanes We must continue to evaluate ways to cut self-induced red tape
are common, which often bring & streamline the disbursement of relief to communities devastated
Iabout significant damage to by a natural disaster.
critical infrastructure, businesses, and That’s where my bill, H.R. 5103 – The FISHES Act comes in.
communities alike. My simple and commonsense bill expedites the allocation of
When people think about “disaster federal fishery disaster relief by requiring OMB to review a State
relief ”, the Federal Emergency spend plan concurrently with NOAA, while also requiring that
Management Agency (FEMA) and the funds be distributed to grantees within 90 days after a complete
Small Business Administration (SBA) spend plan is received.
often come to mind. Time is of the essence when it comes to disbursing relief post-
However, we must not forget about the critical disaster relief disaster—but this isn’t just a Florida issue, it’s a nationwide issue.
that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration This fact is illustrated by the diverse coalition of nationwide
(NOAA) provides in the aftermath of a federally declared fishery organizations that endorse The FISHES Act, along with the vast
disaster. number of bipartisan members from around the country that have
For background, during the fishery disaster relief process, decided to cosponsor this bill.
States must submit a “spend plan” to NOAA, which lays out how Specifically, The FISHES Act is cosponsored by 48 of my
the State is going to spend the financial relief it receives from the colleagues, and this bill is currently endorsed by 107 organizations
federal government. of all kinds—representing the environmental community, fishing
Currently, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) can community, boaters, hospitality industry, retail and restaurant
voluntarily decide to insert itself into the federal fishery disaster industries, and so on.
relief process which it often does–to review a State’s spend plan. The overwhelming support that my bill has received speaks for
Unlike most other aspects of the process, OMB has no itself, and it really highlights how vital it is for The FISHES Act to
deadline to review a spend plan. Predictably, this has led to be signed into law ASAP.
unnecessary delays in allocating crucial federal relief post- Time is of the essence once a disaster hits, and we as Congress
disaster. have the ability to expedite the disbursement of federal relief to
For example, the State of Florida alone has requested fishery communities in need.
disaster relief on 7 different occasions since 2012—however for On December 3, 2024, The FISHES Act passed the United
each occasion, over 2 years had lapsed from the time of approval States House of Representatives with a unanimous and bipartisan
to when fishery disaster relief funds were ultimately made voice vote. Therefore, I urge my colleagues in the United States
available. Senate to vote in favor of this commonsense bill, pass The FISHES
This is unacceptable. Act, and send this critical legislation to the President’s desk.
We must throw coastal communities & businesses a life raft to
help them stay afloat post-disaster. And as we know firsthand in
Southwest Florida, time is of the essence once a disaster hits.

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