H.R. 9299

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9299 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9299

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to 
award amounts to eligible entities to develop and carry out programs to 
incorporate eDNA monitoring techniques into and use eDNA monitoring 
techniques in carrying out sport fish surveys, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 11, 2026

Ms. Scholten introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to 
award amounts to eligible entities to develop and carry out programs to 
incorporate eDNA monitoring techniques into and use eDNA monitoring 
techniques in carrying out sport fish surveys, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Advancing Next-Generation Genetic 
Learning for Effective Resource Strategy Act''.

SEC. 2. EDNA SPORT FISH SURVEY GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary 
of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration, and Sport Fishing and Boating 
Partnership Council, shall establish a grant program to award amounts 
to eligible entities to develop and carry out programs to incorporate 
eDNA monitoring techniques into and use eDNA monitoring techniques in 
carrying out sport fish surveys, to be known as the ``eDNA Sport Fish 
Survey grant program''.
(b) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant under the grant 
program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an 
application in such form, at such time, and containing such information 
as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(c) State and Tribal Fish and Wildlife Agencies.--In carrying out 
the grant program, the Secretary shall encourage each eligible entity 
that is awarded a grant under the grant program to collaborate and work 
in coordination with relevant State and Tribal fish and wildlife 
agencies.
(d) Eligible Uses.--An eligible entity that is awarded a grant 
under the grant program shall use such grant to develop and carry out a 
program to incorporate eDNA monitoring techniques into and use eDNA 
monitoring techniques in carrying out sport fish surveys in order to--
(1) increase the spatial scale of the sampling of sport 
fish surveys across broader geographic areas, including under 
surveyed or remote regions;
(2) increase the frequency of sport fish surveys for 
improved accuracy of population count and species distribution 
for management;
(3) enhance the accuracy of species identification and 
population estimates of sport fish;
(4) improve the availability of data for sport fish 
populations to inform fisheries management and conservation 
practices;
(5) detect invasive species; or
(6) monitor species listed as endangered species under 
section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1533).
(e) Priority.--In awarding grants under the grant program, the 
Secretary shall give priority to applications from eligible entities 
that demonstrate the intent of the eligible entity to collaborate with 
other eligible entities in using any awarded amounts.
(f) Data Collection.--In carrying out the grant program, the 
Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, identify and collect data 
that informs objective metrics of the efficacy of each program carried 
out by each eligible entity that is awarded a grant under the grant 
program.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $4,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2027 through 2033.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) eDNA.--The term ``eDNA'' means genetic material, such 
as DNA or RNA, that is collected from an environmental sample 
of water or sediment.
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a State, local, or Tribal government;
(B) an institution of higher education; and
(C) a nonprofit organization.
(3) Grant program.--The term ``grant program'' means the 
eDNA Sport Fish Survey grant program established under 
subsection (a).
(4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1001).
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United 
States Geological Survey.
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