A minor adjustment within the existing scope. v3 primarily refines the conforming and clerical amendments in Section 7, broadening the scope of a textual strike instruction and adding more comprehensive updates to the tables of contents to ensure consistency with the bill's renumbering of sections. No changes were made to the core policy provisions regarding sexual harassment and assault prevention.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2025
- Sponsor
- Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]
- Committees
- Natural Resources Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Sep 15, 2026
Bottom line
The bill strengthens protections and reporting mechanisms against sexual harassment and assault for NOAA personnel and associated maritime workers by updating existing policies and introducing new mandatory reporting requirements.
What it actually does
This bill significantly amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 to enhance policies, reporting, and investigation procedures related to sexual harassment and sexual assault involving National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) personnel. It expands data collection, mandates new reporting to the Coast Guard for mariners, clarifies victim anonymity exceptions, and broadens the scope of prohibited acts under fisheries management law to better protect a wide range of individuals working with NOAA.
Proponents argue
Supporters argue that this bill is crucial for fostering a safer and more accountable work environment within NOAA, particularly for vulnerable populations like fisheries observers who often work in isolated maritime settings. They contend that the expanded reporting requirements, data collection, and clarified criminal referral processes will improve transparency, ensure timely intervention, and hold perpetrators accountable, thereby enhancing the overall integrity and safety of federal operations.
Opponents contend
While direct opposition to the bill's core intent is minimal, critics might raise concerns about the potential for increased administrative burden on NOAA and the Coast Guard due to the extensive new reporting and data collection mandates. They may also highlight potential challenges in consistently implementing these policies across diverse and often remote operational environments, suggesting that without dedicated funding, these new requirements could strain existing resources.
The bill is relatively short and its provisions are clearly articulated, making it accessible for an informed reader to evaluate within a reasonable timeframe.
Section 3
Expanded Policy Scope and Data Collection for Sexual Harassment and Equal Employment
This section amends existing law (33 U.S.C. 894(f)) to explicitly include "equal employment" alongside sexual harassment in NOAA's policy on prevention and response. It further mandates that NOAA collect and report relevant data, including a synopsis of each sexual harassment and equal employment case, any disciplinary action taken, and data collected pursuant to the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act). This aims to provide a more comprehensive overview of workplace misconduct.
Supporters argue
Proponents argue that explicitly including equal employment in the policy and mandating detailed data collection will enhance transparency, improve accountability, and allow for better identification and addressing of systemic issues within NOAA's workplace culture.
Critics contend
No specific organized opposition is typically raised against this provision, as it aims to improve workplace safety and fairness. However, some might express concerns about the administrative burden associated with collecting and managing the newly required detailed data.
Tradeoffs
The provision balances the need for comprehensive data and oversight to improve workplace conditions against the administrative resources required for such detailed collection and reporting.
Section 4
Enhanced Annual Reporting Requirements
This section significantly broadens the scope of NOAA's annual report on sexual misconduct (now redesignated as 33 U.S.C. 3551). The report must now include sexual harassment and equal employment cases, detailed synopses of each case with disciplinary actions, summaries of change of station/transfer requests, cases reported to the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and specific data on alleged sexual harassment and assault cases involving fisheries, protected species, and endangered species observers, including their status, investigation disposition, and geographic details.
Section 5(b)
Expedited Criminal Referral and Coast Guard Notification
This section amends the existing criminal referral requirements (33 U.S.C. 894d-2, now 3547) to mandate that referrals to the United States Attorney occur "at the onset or during the course of" an investigation, rather than solely "pursuant to" an investigation. Crucially, it also adds a requirement to refer cases involving a licensed mariner to the Commandant of the Coast Guard, ensuring that maritime authorities are promptly informed.
Section 5(c), new Section 3548
Clarified Anonymity Exceptions for Victims
This new section establishes specific, limited circumstances under which the personally identifying information of an individual who has elected restricted or unrestricted reporting of sexual harassment or assault may be disclosed. These exceptions include written authorization from the victim, to prevent a serious threat to health or safety, for the provision of victim services, or pursuant to a court order or statute. It also requires NOAA to make reasonable attempts to notify the individual of such disclosure and take action to protect their privacy and safety.
Section 5(c), new Section 3549
Mandate for Updated Restricted Reporting System
This new section requires the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, to update NOAA's restricted reporting policies within three years of the bill's enactment. The updated system must ensure that employees, commissioned officers, or covered personnel who allege sexual harassment or assault can confidentially disclose details and receive services without their personally identifying information being disseminated (except as allowed by new section 3548) and without automatically triggering an investigative process.
Section 5(c), new Section 3550
Mandatory Mariner Reporting to Coast Guard
This new section establishes a mandatory reporting requirement for the "responsible entity of a vessel" (defined as the Director of the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations for NOAA vessels). They must report any unrestricted incident of sexual harassment or assault involving certain NOAA employees/contractors (those with merchant mariner credentials) or crewmembers on NOAA-contracted vessels to the Commandant of the Coast Guard. The report must be made as soon as the entity is aware, via the fastest telecommunication channel, and include specific details about the individuals, vessel, incident time/date, location, and a brief description. The Secretary of Commerce must also notify OMAO of all reports, including anonymized restricted reports.
Section 8
Broadened Scope of Prohibited Sexual Assault Under Magnuson-Stevens Act
This section amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1857(1)(L)) by removing two restrictive terms from the definition of sexual assault as a prohibited act: "forcibly" and "on a vessel." This change broadens the scope of what constitutes a prohibited sexual offense within the context of fisheries management, ensuring that sexual assault is recognized regardless of whether force was explicitly used or if it occurred off a vessel.
Section 9
Disqualification for NOAA Officer Corps Based on Sexual Offense Convictions
This section amends the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act of 2002 (33 U.S.C. 3071(a)) to add a new disqualifying factor for service in the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. Specifically, it prohibits individuals convicted under "Section 657, relating to prohibition on service by individuals convicted of certain sexual offenses" from serving. This ensures that individuals with serious sexual offense convictions cannot be commissioned as NOAA officers.
The definition of "covered personnel" is expanded to explicitly include a wide range of individuals who work with or on behalf of NOAA, such as fisheries observers, at-sea monitors, catch monitors, and voting members and staff of Regional Fishery Management Councils. This means the bill's protections and reporting requirements apply to these groups.
Section 6, new Section 3552(2)
Why it matters:Defining terms in a dedicated section is standard legislative practice for clarity and conciseness, but it can also obscure the broad impact of those definitions on the bill's reach.
Case for: Proponents argue that explicitly including these groups ensures that vulnerable workers in often isolated environments, who may not be direct federal employees, receive the same protections and access to reporting mechanisms as NOAA staff, closing a significant gap in safety oversight.
Case against: No specific opposition is typically raised against expanding protections to these groups. However, some might express concerns about the administrative complexities of extending federal reporting and investigation protocols to non-federal personnel and contractors.
Estimated impact: Significantly expands the scope of individuals protected by NOAA's sexual harassment and assault policies, potentially covering thousands of individuals involved in fisheries management and observation.
Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1857(1)(L)) by removing the words "forcibly" and "on a vessel" from the description of sexual assault as a prohibited act. This subtle change significantly broadens the legal definition of sexual assault within the context of fisheries, making it applicable to a wider range of circumstances and without requiring proof of physical force.
Section 8
Why it matters:Such amendments to existing statutes are common legislative practice, but the brevity of the change belies its substantive impact on legal definitions and enforcement.
Case for: Proponents argue that removing these restrictive terms modernizes the definition of sexual assault, aligning it with broader legal standards and ensuring that victims in the fisheries sector are protected regardless of the specific circumstances or location of the assault.
Case against: No specific opposition is typically raised against this provision, as it aims to enhance protections against serious misconduct. Any potential concerns might relate to the broader interpretation of what constitutes a prohibited act and its implications for enforcement.
Estimated impact: Broadens the legal basis for prosecuting and preventing sexual assault within the commercial fishing industry, potentially affecting all participants in the sector.