Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act of 2025

This bill creates a program to fight the invasive golden mussel. A federal task force, working with states, local governments, ports, colleges, industry, and nonprofits, would run projects to prevent, monitor, control, and remove these mussels, plus educate the public and do research. The work includes tracking how mussels spread, setting up early warnings, testing removal methods on boats and infrastructure, and sharing clear guidelines within one year, including the use of watercraft inspection stations . The program would start in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta and expand to other U.S. waters that are infested or at risk.

The bill also creates competitive grants for states, local groups, colleges, nonprofits, and industry to develop and test tools that remove golden mussels from water intakes, canals and pipes, fish screens, derelict vessels, boat hulls, and waterways, and to better understand the mussel’s biology. New technologies could be shared or licensed to speed up real-world use. The task force can coordinate with and delegate work to agencies and ports. Funding is set at $15 million each year from 2026 through 2030.

Key points

• Who is affected: State and local agencies, port authorities, water and power utilities, boaters, researchers, nonprofits, and nearby communities.
• What changes: A focused program with early warnings, boat inspection stations, shared guidelines, and grants to develop and deploy control and removal tools .
• When: Guidance due within one year of enactment; funding runs 2026–2030.