This bill, the Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act, directs the Secretary of Commerce to create and publish standardized geospatial (GIS) data about Federal waterways and Federal fishing restriction areas. The Secretary must adopt data standards within 31 months and, within 4 years, make GIS data publicly available on a website. The data must cover where waterways are open or closed, rules on motorized propulsion and vessel types, anchoring and speed restrictions, navigation and bathymetry (depth) charts, and the locations and timing of fishing restrictions and closures. The bill requires updates at least twice a year for navigation and related data, and real-time updates for changes to Federal fishing restriction areas. The website must make data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable, provide user updates when new data is available, and offer a public comment process. The Secretary may not publish locations or details about historic, cultural, paleontological, or archaeological resources. The Secretary may partner with State agencies, regional groups, industry, nonprofits, and data experts, and must coordinate with Interior, Agriculture, the Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, and an interagency ocean-mapping working group. The bill also states it does not change the legal definition of "navigable waters" or alter agency authority over navigable waters or fisheries.
No publicly available information on costs, funding levels, or budgetary offsets is included in the bill text or provided metadata.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.