Wittman, Elfreth’s MAWS Act Passes House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) and Sarah Elfreth's (MD-03) Mitigation Action & Watermen Support (MAWS) Act of 2026 was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bipartisan legislation will combat the invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay. The MAWS Act of 2026 will bolster the seafood industry and preserve the health of the Bay by facilitating a new market for blue catfish in the pet and animal food industry. This legislation instructs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chesapeake Bay Office to collect data on the impacts of this program on the biodiversity of the Bay and the health of fish and crustacean populations. The measure now moves on to the Senate.

"The MAWS Act will facilitate a new market for invasive blue catfish - protecting the biodiversity of the Chesapeake Bay," said Rep. Wittman. "I am pleased that the House has passed this legislation, and I look forward to seeing it advance to the Senate. Preserving the health of the bay remains one of my top priorities, and I am proud to have joined Congresswoman Elfreth in leading this critical legislation."

"With House passage of the MAWS Act, we are one step closer to creating new opportunities in a growing market for blue catfish, which pose a direct ecological and economic threat to the Chesapeake Bay. While we can all do our part and order blue catfish when we see it on a menu, this is not a problem that we alone can eat our way out of," said Congresswoman Elfreth. "That's why we need bipartisan, innovative solutions, like the MAWS Act, that strengthen our local economy and preserve the health of the Bay. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get this legislation past the finish line. If we can prove this innovative strategy works in the Chesapeake, my hope is it can utilize similar tools in waterways across the country - like invasive carp in the Mississippi and Great Lakes."

Supporters include: Pet Food Institute, American Sportfishing Association, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, Virginia Watermen's Association, and National Aquarium.

Read the full bill text here.

Watch my remarks on the House Floor here.