H.R. 6338: Stop Illegal Fishing Act
A House bill (H.R.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.
Overview
| Congress | 119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | House bill (H.R.) |
| Originating chamber | House |
| Introduced | 2025-12-01 |
| Sponsor | Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5] |
| Policy area | Public Lands and Natural Resources |
| Cosponsors | 3 |
| Latest action | 2026-06-09 — Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. |
| Last updated | 2026-07-17 |
Summary
Official summary (Introduced in House, 2025-12-01):
Stop Illegal Fishing Act
This bill requires the President to impose sanctions on foreign vessels and persons engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing).
The bill directs the President to block and prohibit all transactions involving property (including interests in property) of a covered foreign vessel or person if such property comes within the United States or within the possession or control of a U.S. person. The President must also deny or revoke any visa or other entry documentation issued to or sought by a covered foreign person. Civil and criminal penalties apply to violations, including attempts or conspiracies to violate the sanctions.
A covered foreign vessel is any vessel that is registered or operated under the authority of a foreign country and engages in IUU fishing. Covered foreign persons are individuals or entities that are not U.S. persons and knowingly (1) own any vessel that engages in IUU fishing, (2) work as a captain or senior crew member on any vessel that engages in IUU fishing, (3) operate as an entity primarily engaged in IUU fishing, or (4) serve as an officer or senior manager in an entity primarily engaged in IUU fishing.
The President may waive the application of these sanctions after notifying Congress that the waiver is important to U.S. national security interests. Other exceptions apply, such as to provide life-saving assistance to a covered vessel.
The bill directs the President to periodically report to Congress on efforts to carry out these provisions.
Cosponsors (3)
| Name | Party / state |
|---|---|
| Young Kim | R CA (original cosponsor) 2025-12-01 |
| Brian K. Fitzpatrick | R PA 2026-01-07 |
| Ed Case | D HI 2026-06-03 |
Full text & official record
The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for H.R. 6338 are published by Congress on congress.gov.
View H.R. 6338 on congress.gov →
Frequently asked questions
What is H.R. 6338?
H.R. 6338 is a House bill (H.R.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the House. Official title: Stop Illegal Fishing Act.
Where can I read the full bill text?
The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for H.R. 6338 are available on congress.gov.
Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).