H.R. 629: MAST Act

117th Congress · introduced 2021-01-28 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-01-28 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

MAST Act

Plain summary

Marine Access and State Transparency or the MAST Act This bill requires the President, before a national monument may be designated on public land, to obtain congressional approval and certify compliance with environmental review requirements. The bill bars the President from declaring any area of the exclusive economic zone to be a national monument unless such a declaration is specifically authorized by statute, the President has submitted a proposal to make the declaration to the governor of each state or territory located within 200 nautical miles of that area, each governor submits to the President a notice that the legislature of that state or territory has approved the proposal, and the declaration is substantially the same as the proposal. The bill prohibits the Department of the Interior or the Department of Commerce, with respect to any area of the exclusive economic zone that is designated as a national monument, from implementing any restrictions on the public use of such a national monument until the expiration of an appropriate review period providing for public input and congressional approval.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

MAST Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (5)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Legislature: The elected body that makes laws. In Texas it has a House of Representatives (150 members) and a Senate (31 members). In Florida it has a House of Representatives (120 members) and a Senate (40 members).
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117hr629.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/hr>

Record fed-us-cong117-hr629 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117