Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025

Hozzl · 2025-08-14T09:21:14Z

Explore the details of House Bill 1917 Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025 currently in Congress. Get insights into its purpose, current status, sponsors, and potential impact on Environmental Protection. Stay informed on legislative developments.

8/14/2025, 9:21 AM

Summary of Bill HR 1917

Bill 119 HR 1917, also known as the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act, aims to establish a program to mark fish in the Great Lakes region for conservation and research purposes. The bill proposes that all fish stocked in the Great Lakes must be marked in a way that allows them to be easily identified. This marking will help researchers track the movement and behavior of fish populations, as well as monitor the success of stocking programs.

The program will be overseen by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in collaboration with state agencies and tribal governments in the Great Lakes region. The bill also includes provisions for funding the program through federal grants and partnerships with non-profit organizations.

Supporters of the bill argue that the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program will help improve the management of fish populations in the region, leading to better conservation efforts and more sustainable fishing practices. Critics, however, have raised concerns about the potential costs and logistical challenges of implementing such a program. Overall, the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act seeks to enhance the understanding and protection of fish populations in the Great Lakes through a comprehensive marking and monitoring program.

Congressional Summary of HR 1917

Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025

This bill provides statutory authority for a program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for the mass marking of hatchery-produced fish in the Great Lakes basin. Mass marking is the practice of tagging large numbers of hatchery-produced fish in order to distinguish them from the wild fish population. The FWS initiated the program in 2010 on a limited scale. Under the existing program, the FWS (1) tags hatchery-produced fish stocked in the Great Lakes, and (2) produces data used by state and tribal fish management agencies to make management decisions regarding Great Lakes fisheries.

This bill allows the FWS, in carrying out the program, to (1) purchase items to support and carry out tagging and tag recovery operations on a greater scale, and (2) hire additional personnel.

The FWS must make the data collected under the program available to applicable federal, state, and tribal fish management agencies to

increase the understanding of the outcomes of management action;
assist in meeting the restoration objectives of the Great Lakes;
assist in balancing predators and prey;
support and improve the economic status of tribal, recreational, and commercial fisheries; and
assist in evaluating the effectiveness of habitat restoration efforts in the Great Lakes.

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Current Status of Bill HR 1917

Bill HR 1917 is currently in the status of Passed in House since July 22, 2025. Bill HR 1917 was introduced during Congress 119 and was introduced to the House on March 6, 2025. Bill HR 1917's most recent activity was Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. as of July 23, 2025

Bipartisan Support of Bill HR 1917

Total Number of Sponsors

Democrat Sponsors

Republican Sponsors

Unaffiliated Sponsors

Total Number of Cosponsors

Democrat Cosponsors

Republican Cosponsors

Unaffiliated Cosponsors

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill HR 1917

Primary Policy Focus

Environmental Protection

Potential Impact Areas

- Aquatic ecology

- Fishes

- Government information and archives

- Great Lakes

- Marine and coastal resources, fisheries

- Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Alternate Title(s) of Bill HR 1917

To establish the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program, and for other purposes.

Comments

Lyla Hess

472

3 months ago

This bill is so dumb, why do they even bother with it? It's just a waste of time and money. I don't see how this is going to help anyone, especially me. It's just frustrating to see our government focus on things like this instead of real issues.