H.R. 3858 — Sport Fish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety, and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2025

This section extends through FY2031 (from FY2026) the formula for distributing the balance of annual Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act appropriations—after administrative expenses and other specified uses—to coastal wetlands restoration (18.673%), state recreational boating safety programs (17.315%), boating infrastructure improvement (4%), and the National Outreach and Communications Program (2%). It also extends through FY2031 (from FY2026) the authorization for the Secretary of the Interior to use specified amounts for administrative expenses. (The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act funds state fisheries conservation and recreational boating programs from excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel.)

This section modifies funding for interstate fisheries commission activities under the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act by (1) removing the $1,200,000 cap on the total amount available from each annual appropriation; and (2) revising the maximum grant amount per commission to the greater of 0.0375% of such annual appropriation or $200,000 (from $200,000). (Thus, funding for commissions—regional bodies coordinating interstate fisheries management, such as the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission—may increase with growth in annual appropriations for sport fish restoration programs funded by excise taxes on fishing equipment.)

This section expands the priorities for competitive boating infrastructure grants under the Sport Fish Restoration Act (i.e., facilities serving transient nontrailerable recreational vessels) by adding as eligible activities (1) the construction, renovation, or maintenance of alternative fuel facilities or (2) transportation of alternative marine fuels to marine fuel facilities for such vessels. It also adds definitions in subsection (e) for "(4) alternative fuel station facility" (a bulk storage facility dispensing drop-in alternative marine fuels); "(5) alternative marine fuels" (fuels from cooking oil waste, animal fats, plant materials, or similar sources qualifying as drop-in fuels for marine engines); "(6) drop-in fuels" (gasoline with at least 12.5% renewable content by volume, not exceeding 3.7% oxygen by weight per ASTM D4814; renewable diesel up to 100% by volume; or biodiesel blends up to 5% by volume per ASTM D975); and "(7) facility" (an alternative marine fuel station).

This section reduces the manufacturers excise tax rate on portable, electronically-aerated bait containers to 3% (from 10%). The change applies to articles sold by the manufacturer, producer, or importer after enactment.