Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2021
Bill: S.1995 | Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria (D-WA)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2021
This bill provides support for aquatic conservation (e.g., coastal wetlands and fisheries), boating safety, and boating infrastructure.
For example, the bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and revises the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which provides funding for several things, including fisheries conservation and management, water and boating infrastructure, and recreational boating safety.
In addition, it revises the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Fund, which supports wildlife restoration, conservation, and hunter education and safety programs.
The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on (1) the increasing use of nonmotorized vessels and their impacts on motorized and nonmotorized vessel access, (2) user conflicts at waterway access points, (3) the use of Sport Fish Restoration Program funds to improve nonmotorized vessel access and the reasons for providing such access, and (4) the use of Recreational Boating Safety Program funds for nonmotorized boating safety programs. The GAO must also consult with the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council and the National Boating Safety Advisory Council on study design, scope, and priorities for the report.

To amend the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act with respect to 
 sport fish restoration and recreational boating safety, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sport Fish Restoration and 
Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund 
        established by section 9504(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
        1986 (referred to in this section as the ``Trust Fund'') was 
        established in 1950 to provide dedicated funding for aquatic 
        conservation and boating safety;
            (2) the Trust Fund is a user fee-public benefit system 
        funded through motorboat fuel tax receipts, import duties, and 
        excise taxes on small engines, fishing equipment, and electric 
        motors;
            (3) the Trust Fund provides nearly $650,000,000 annually 
        for recreational infrastructure projects, coastal wetlands 
        restoration, and boating safety and conservation programs in 
        all 50 States;
            (4) since 2010, more than 28,000 acres of habitats have 
        been restored and improved throughout coastal wetland 
        ecosystems, which not only serve a critical role in 
        conservation, but provide a significant economic benefit to 
        coastal communities;
            (5) the recreational boating and angling community, as well 
        as State agencies, recognize the significant increase in the 
        use of nonmotorized, human-propelled vessels in recent years; 
        and
            (6) growth of the human-propelled vessel community has 
        required the Coast Guard and State agencies to use significant 
        resources to address human-propelled vessel infrastructure, 
        boating safety, law enforcement, and search and rescue needs, 
        all of which are paid for by the Trust Fund.

SEC. 3. DIVISION OF ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Section 4 of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish 
Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777c) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``2021'' and inserting 
        ``2026'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``2021'' and inserting ``2026''; and
                            (ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and 
                        inserting the following:
                    ``(B) Available amounts.--The available amount 
                referred to in subparagraph (A) is--
                            ``(i) for the fiscal year that includes the 
                        date of enactment of the Sport Fish Restoration 
                        and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2021, 
                        the sum obtained by adding--
                                    ``(I) the available amount 
                                specified in this subparagraph for the 
                                preceding fiscal year; and
                                    ``(II) $979,500; and
                            ``(ii) for each fiscal year thereafter, the 
                        sum obtained by adding--
                                    ``(I) the available amount 
                                specified in this subparagraph for the 
                                preceding fiscal year; and
                                    ``(II) the product obtained by 
                                multiplying--
                                            ``(aa) the available amount 
                                        specified in this subparagraph 
                                        for the preceding fiscal year; 
                                        and
                                            ``(bb) the change, relative 
                                        to the preceding fiscal year, 
                                        in the Consumer Price Index for 
                                        All Urban Consumers published 
                                        by the Department of Labor.''; 
                                        and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``2016 
                        through 2021'' and inserting ``2022 through 
                        2026''; and
                            (ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and 
                        inserting the following:
                    ``(B) Available amounts.--The available amount 
                referred to in subparagraph (A) is--
                            ``(i) for fiscal year 2022, $12,786,434; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) for fiscal year 2023 and each fiscal 
                        year thereafter, the sum obtained by adding--
                                    ``(I) the available amount 
                                specified in this subparagraph for the 
                                preceding fiscal year; and
                                    ``(II) the product obtained by 
                                multiplying--
                                            ``(aa) the available amount 
                                        specified in this subparagraph 
                                        for the preceding fiscal year; 
                                        and
                                            ``(bb) the change, relative 
                                        to the preceding fiscal year, 
                                        in the Consumer Price Index for 
                                        All Urban Consumers published 
                                        by the Department of Labor.''; 
                                        and
            (3) in subsection (e)(2), by striking ``$900,000'' and 
        inserting ``$1,300,000''.
    (b) Administration.--Section 9(a) of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish 
Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777h(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(1) personnel costs of employees for the work hours of 
        each employee spent directly administering this Act, as those 
        hours are certified by the supervisor of the employee;'';
            (2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (12) as 
        paragraphs (2) through (11), respectively;
            (3) in paragraph (2) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``paragraphs (1) and (2)'' and inserting ``paragraph (1)'';
            (4) in paragraph (4)(B) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``full-time equivalent employee authorized under paragraphs (1) 
        and (2)'' and inserting ``employee authorized under paragraph 
        (1)'';
            (5) in paragraph (8)(A) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``on a full-time basis''; and
            (6) in paragraph (10) (as so redesignated)--
                    (A) by inserting ``or part-time'' after ``full-
                time''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``, subject to the condition that 
                the percentage of the relocation expenses paid with 
                funds made available pursuant to this Act may not 
                exceed the percentage of the work hours of the employee 
                that are spent administering this Act'' after 
                ``incurred''.
    (c) Other Activities.--Section 14(e) of the Dingell-Johnson Sport 
Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777m(e)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
            ``(3) A portion, as determined by the Sport Fishing and 
        Boating Partnership Council, of funds disbursed for the 
        purposes described in paragraph (2) but remaining unobligated 
        as of October 1, 2021, shall be used to study the impact of 
        derelict vessels and identify recyclable solutions for 
        recreational vessels.''.
    (d) Recreational Boating Safety.--Section 13107(c)(2) of title 46, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ``No funds available'' and 
inserting ``On or after October 1, 2024, no funds available''.

SEC. 4. WILDLIFE RESTORATION FUND ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Allocation and Apportionment of Available Amounts.--Section 
4(a) of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 
669c(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraph (B) and 
        inserting the following:
                    ``(B) Available amounts.--The available amount 
                referred to in subparagraph (A) is--
                            ``(i) for the fiscal year that includes the 
                        date of enactment of the Sport Fish Restoration 
                        and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2021, 
                        the sum obtained by adding--
                                    ``(I) the available amount 
                                specified in this subparagraph for the 
                                preceding fiscal year; and
                                    ``(II) $979,500; and
                            ``(ii) for each fiscal year thereafter, the 
                        sum obtained by adding--
                                    ``(I) the available amount 
                                specified in this subparagraph for the 
                                preceding fiscal year; and
                                    ``(II) the product obtained by 
                                multiplying--
                                            ``(aa) the available amount 
                                        specified in this subparagraph 
                                        for the preceding fiscal year; 
                                        and
                                            ``(bb) the change, relative 
                                        to the preceding fiscal year, 
                                        in the Consumer Price Index for 
                                        All Urban Consumers published 
                                        by the Department of Labor.''; 
                                        and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
                ``subsequent'' before ``fiscal year.''; and
                    (B) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(B) Apportionment of unobligated amounts.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Not later than 60 days 
                        after the end of a fiscal year, the Secretary 
                        of the Interior shall apportion among the 
                        States any of the available amount under 
                        paragraph (1) that remained available for 
                        obligation pursuant to subparagraph (A) during 
                        that fiscal year and remains unobligated at the 
                        end of that fiscal year.
                            ``(ii) Requirement.--The available amount 
                        apportioned under clause (i) shall be 
                        apportioned on the same basis and in the same 
                        manner as other amounts made available under 
                        this Act were apportioned among the States for 
                        the fiscal year in which the amount was 
                        originally made available.''.
    (b) Authorized Expenses for Administration.--Section 9(a) of the 
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669h(a)) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(1) personnel costs of employees for the work hours of 
        each employee spent directly administering this Act, as those 
        hours are certified by the supervisor of the employee;'';
            (2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (12) as 
        paragraphs (2) through (11), respectively;
            (3) in paragraph (2) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``paragraphs (1) and (2)'' and inserting ``paragraph (1)'';
            (4) in paragraph (4)(B) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``full-time equivalent employee authorized under paragraphs (1) 
        and (2)'' and inserting ``employee authorized under paragraph 
        (1)'';
            (5) in paragraph (8)(A) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``on a full-time basis''; and
            (6) in paragraph (10) (as so redesignated)--
                    (A) by inserting ``or part-time'' after ``full-
                time''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``, subject to the condition that 
                the percentage of the relocation expenses paid with 
                funds made available pursuant to this Act may not 
                exceed the percentage of the work hours of the employee 
                that are spent administering this Act'' after 
                ``incurred''.

SEC. 5. RECREATIONAL BOATING ACCESS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 
to the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council, the Committee on 
Natural Resources and the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Environment 
and Public Works of the Senate a report that, to the extent 
practicable, given available data, shall document--
            (1) the use of nonmotorized vessels in each State and how 
        the increased use of nonmotorized vessels is impacting 
        motorized and nonmotorized vessel access;
            (2) user conflicts at waterway access points; and
            (3) the use of--
                    (A) Sport Fish Restoration Program funds to improve 
                nonmotorized access at waterway entry points and the 
                reasons for providing that access; and
                    (B) Recreational Boating Safety Program funds for 
                nonmotorized boating safety programs.
    (b) Consultation.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
shall consult with the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council 
and the National Boating Safety Advisory Council on study design, 
scope, and priorities for the report under subsection (a).

SEC. 6. SPORT FISHING AND BOATING PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL.

    (a) In General.--The Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council 
established by the Secretary of the Interior shall be an advisory 
committee of the Department of the Interior and the Department of 
Commerce subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).
    (b) FACA.-- The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
Commerce shall jointly carry out the requirements of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) with respect to the Sport 
Fishing and Boating Partnership Council described in subsection (a).
    (c) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect on January 1, 
2023.
                                                       Calendar No. 218

117th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 1995

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