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Today, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) introduced legislation to reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund (Trust Fund), which funds critical conservation programs and recreational boating infrastructure projects in all 50 states. The Trust Fund – which was established in 1950 – is a cornerstone of the outdoor recreation economy, supporting fisheries conservation, boating access and aquatic education across the country.

“Thanks to the leadership of Representatives Dingell and Wittman, we are one step closer to reauthorizing the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and ensuring that the program begins addressing modern issues impacting the recreational boating community,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, NMMA President and CEO. “Paid for by recreational boaters, anglers and manufacturers, the Trust Fund is the backbone of fisheries habitat restoration and boating infrastructure, providing critical funding for these efforts at the national and state levels, and we call on all members of Congress to swiftly approve this overwhelmingly bipartisan bill.”

The user-pay Trust Fund directs excise tax revenue from fishing equipment, motorboat fuel and other boating-related sources into a range of national and state-level programs. The approximately $700 million annual fund helps finance critical efforts such as fishery restoration, boating access and infrastructure, fish stocking and aquatic education that benefit millions of anglers and boaters.

The newly introduced legislation builds on previous reauthorization efforts and includes unique opportunities for recreational boating, such as incentives for marinas to offer alternative marine fuels – a top priority for the industry.

NMMA will continue to track this legislation and provide updates as it advances through Congress. For more information, contact Clay Crabtree, Senior Director of Public Policy, at [email protected].