Federal Port Infrastructure Bill Passes
Supporters of the commercial fishing industry received some good news in late 2023 when the federal legislation known as H.R. 4618—commonly called the Supporting Commercial Fishing in Port Infrastructure Projects Act— passed both the House and Senate as part of the Maritime Administration Reauthorization Act.
The legislation, introduced in mid-July and sponsored by Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore., was approved in mid-December and is expected to be signed into law by President Biden in the coming days.
It explicitly allows ports to apply for infrastructure grants to support commercial fishing, and in turn boost coastal communities’ jobs and economies.
Hoyle has said she introduced the act because current law didn’t make it explicitly clear whether ports can apply for Port Infrastructure Develo...