Title: Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2019
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2019
This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 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.
The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office 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.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4828 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4828

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 23, 2019

Mr. Cunningham (for himself, Mr. Graves of Louisiana, Mr. Austin Scott 
  of Georgia, Mr. Veasey, and Mrs. Dingell) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 
 addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
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 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund 
        (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 million 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 impact to 
        coastal communities.
            (5) The recreational boating and angling community, as well 
        as State agencies, recognize the significant increase in the 
        use of non-motorized, human-propelled vessels in recent years. 
        Growth of the human-propelled vessel community has required 
        United States Coast Guard and State agencies to use significant 
        resources to address human-propelled infrastructure, boating 
        safety, law enforcement, and search and rescue needs, all of 
        which is 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 
        ``2024'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``2021'' and inserting ``2024''; and
                            (ii) by amending subparagraph (B) to read 
                        as follows--
                    ``(B) Available amounts.--The available amount 
                referred to in subparagraph (A) is--
                            ``(i) for fiscal year 2020, $12,671,235; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) for fiscal year 2021 and each fiscal 
                        year thereafter, the sum of--
                                    ``(I) the available amount for the 
                                preceding fiscal year; and
                                    ``(II) the amount determined by 
                                multiplying--
                                            ``(aa) the available amount 
                                        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 ``2020 through 
                        2024''; and
                            (ii) by amending subparagraph (B) to read 
                        as follows--
                    ``(B) Available amounts.--The available amount 
                referred to in subparagraph (A) is--
                            ``(i) for fiscal year 2020, $8,339,466; and
                            ``(ii) for fiscal year 2021 and each fiscal 
                        year thereafter, the sum of--
                                    ``(I) the available amount for the 
                                preceding fiscal year; and
                                    ``(II) the amount determined by 
                                multiplying--
                                            ``(aa) the available amount 
                                        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) in paragraph (1), by striking ``on a full-time basis'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``on a part-time basis 
        for at least 20 hours each week'';
            (3) in paragraph (5)(B), by striking ``full-time 
        equivalent''; and
            (4) in paragraph (9)(A), by striking ``on a full-time 
        basis''.
    (c) Other Activities.--Section 14(e) of the Dingell-Johnson Sport 
Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777m) 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 
        prior to fiscal year 2020 shall be used to study the impact of 
        derelict vessels and identify recyclable solutions for 
        recreational vessels.''.

SEC. 4. RECREATIONAL BOATING ACCESS.

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