The purpose of the rule amendments is to modify commercial Spanish mackerel vessel limit regulations for Atlantic state waters by reinstating in-season vessel limit reductions that are consistent with those in adjacent federal waters. In addition, rule formatting would be standardized consistent with the Marine Fisheries Rule Cleanup process to clarify, streamline, and reorganize the regulations found in 68B-23, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). Spanish mackerel is managed jointly by the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic fishery management councils in federal waters, and by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in state waters. On the Atlantic coast, most commercial harvest occurs in state waters, where the fishery consists of three gear components that fish at different times throughout the season. The Atlantic commercial fishery is managed through a series of in-season vessel limit reductions known as “step-downs” that help keep harvest open in federal waters while ensuring all three gear components have access to the state waters fishery. In state waters from March through November, the vessel limit is 3500 lbs. per day. Starting December 1, the vessel limit remains at 3500 lbs. on weekdays, but drops to 1500 lbs. on weekends only. The vessel limit may be further reduced to 1500 lbs. daily, then 500 lbs., based on triggers in federal rule. However, the federal rules that trigger the 1500 and 500 lb. step-downs have changed, which means that these step-downs are no longer occurring in state waters. The effect of these rule amendments is to help reduce confusion about state regulations by aligning in-season vessel limit reductions in state and federal rules, constrain harvest near the federal quota, and allow access for all components of the fishery. It will also provide clarification and standardized language for the Commission’s current Spanish mackerel regulations for improved public understanding without changing the regulation intent and will improve consistency across marine fisheries rules.