Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act

Easier access to current geographic information will help ocean users understand where activities are restricted or allowed while protecting sensitive cultural and commercial data.

What the law does ​

• Requires the Commerce Secretary to adopt geospatial data standards within 31 months after consulting governments, Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Requires the Department of Commerce to publish covered geographic data on a reusable public website within four years.
• Requires updates at least twice yearly for access and navigation data and in real time for fishing boundaries and protected-area information.
• Requires alerts for new data, tools to find and combine information, and a channel for public questions and comments.
• Bars disclosure of sensitive cultural, historic, paleontological, archaeological, and proprietary commercial fishing information.
• Excludes Tribal waters and usual and accustomed fishing areas and preserves existing jurisdiction, fisheries authority, treaty rights, and consultation duties.

Who it affects ​

• Recreational boaters, divers, fishers, commercial fishing operators, and other ocean users.
• Federal, state, local, Tribal, and Native Hawaiian governments and organizations involved in marine access and management.

Breakdown ​

Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act ​

This law directs the Commerce Department to standardize and publish user-friendly geographic data about fishing restrictions, recreational vessel access, navigation, and protected areas in the U.S. exclusive economic zone. It requires a public website with regularly updated, reusable data while protecting sensitive cultural, archaeological, and commercial fishing information.

Key takeaways

• The Commerce Secretary must adopt geospatial data standards within 31 months in consultation with state and local governments, Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Within four years, the department must make geographic data publicly available on fishing restrictions, recreational boating and diving access, vessel restrictions, and permitted activities in federally protected marine areas.
• The website must make data easy to find, access, combine, and reuse, notify users when new data are available, and provide a way for the public to submit questions and comments.
• The department must update access and navigation data at least twice each year and update fishing-restriction boundaries and protected-area information in real time.
• Sensitive information about cultural, historic, paleontological, or archaeological resources and proprietary commercial fishing information may not be disclosed.
• The law does not apply its data-publication authority to Tribal waters or usual and accustomed fishing areas, and it does not change existing agency jurisdiction, fisheries management authority, Tribal treaty rights, or consultation duties.