H.R. 10774
SWIMS Act of 2026
Sponsor: Suzan K. DelBene
24 cosponsors
- Adam Smith
- Andrea Salinas
- Daniel S. Goldman
- Diana DeGette
- Dina Titus
- Ed Case
- Eleanor Holmes Norton
- James P. McGovern
- Jared Huffman
- Jerrold Nadler
- Jill N. Tokuda
- Kathy Castor
- Kevin Mullin
- Mary Gay Scanlon
- Maxine Dexter
- Raja Krishnamoorthi
- Rashida Tlaib
- Salud O. Carbajal
- Sean Casten
- Seth Moulton
- Suzanne Bonamici
- Val T. Hoyle
- Yvette D. Clarke
- James R. Walkinshaw
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings Act of 2026 or the SWIMS Act of 2026
This bill establishes prohibitions on capturing, importing, exporting, or breeding of orcas, beluga whales, false killer whales, or pilot whales for the purpose of public display.
Specifically, the bill prohibits the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from issuing any permit under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 that authorizes the taking (e.g., capturing) or importation of such orcas or whales for the purpose of public display. The bill further revises the act to make it unlawful to export such orcas or whales, unless they are being transported to marine mammal sanctuaries or for release into the wild.
Further, the bill makes it unlawful under the Animal Welfare Act for any person to breed or artificially inseminate such marine mammals for purposes of using their progeny for public display.
Text of the bill
The Animal Welfare Act (17 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 29 the following new section:
30. Breeding of certain cetaceans. It shall be unlawful for any person to breed or artificially inseminate any orca, beluga whale, false killer whale, or pilot whale for purposes of using the progeny of such species for public display.