Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata welcomed House passage Tuesday of S.497, the Senate companion bill to the House version she helped introduce, the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act of 2021, H.R. 3128. In June, the bill was sponsored in the House by the late Congressman Don Young of Alaska, with Amata as the sole original cosponsor upon introduction, while the companion bill was sponsored by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).

The legislation adds options for research and development grants related to fisheries, and will produce more balanced representation for the region on the American Fisheries Advisory Committee, leading to better input from the Pacific region.

 “I’m so pleased to see the House pass this bill and others on Tuesday that Congressman Don Young had led, as we honor his legacy by completing that work,” Amata said. “The ocean is inseparable from our daily lives throughout American Samoa, where fishing has been a way of life for generations. This Act with bipartisan support helps preserve and protect fishing, provides for grants and regional input, and recognizes that we depend on healthy oceans.”