The boating trust fund got a stopgap. A full renewal is still pending

October 1, 2026

What the fund is

When you buy fuel for your boat, part of the federal gas tax doesn't go to highways. It goes to the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, along with excise taxes on rods, reels, tackle and other fishing gear.

The money goes back to the water. It pays for state fisheries management and stocking, public boat ramps and access sites, pump-out stations, transient docks for larger boats, and the state boating safety programs run with the Coast Guard. It brought in more than $790 million in fiscal 2025, according to the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation.

The fund is often called Dingell-Johnson or Wallop-Breaux, after the laws that built it. Because of the way the fuel tax transfers work, Congress has to renew it every five years. The last renewal ran through September 30, 2026.

What happened on Sept. 30

The fund did not lapse. The short-term government funding law, H.R. 6500, signed on September 2, included an extension. It moves the deadline for spending from the trust fund from October 1 to December 12, 2026, and keeps the program's authorizations running through the same period.

That is a stopgap, not a renewal. It buys about ten weeks.

The renewal bills

Two bills would renew the fund for five years:

S. 4250, the Sport Fish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety, and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2026. Introduced March 26 by Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), with cosponsors from both parties. It would extend the fund through 2031. It has not had a committee vote.
H.R. 3858, the House version, introduced in June 2025 by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.). Its committee approved it by unanimous consent in July 2025. It has not had a vote on the House floor.

Both bills have sponsors from both parties, and the boating and fishing industry groups back them. Neither has passed either chamber.

What it means for you

Nothing changes at the ramp this fall. State agencies keep receiving money while the extension runs.

The risk is later. If Congress lets the fund's spending authority run out, grants for new ramps, pump-outs and boating safety would stall until it acts. The next deadline is December 12, the same day government funding runs out. The renewal may ride on whatever spending bill comes next, or on another short extension.

What to watch

Whether a five-year renewal is attached to the next funding bill in December.
Any change to how the money is split. The House bill includes technical changes to the program, and the final text decides who gets what.
Your state's boating access projects. Most list upcoming ramp and dock work on the wildlife agency website, and those projects depend on this fund.

If you want a say, both bills list their sponsors on congress.gov, and your representative and senators can be reached through their own websites.

Sources

govinfo.gov — Enrolled H.R. 6500: sec. 3103 extends Dingell-Johnson authorizations for the extension period; sec. 3201(b) moves the trust fund's expenditure deadline from 1 Oct 2026 to 12 Dec 2026; extension end date 11 Dec 2026
whitehouse.gov — H.R. 6500 signed 2 Sep 2026; funds government through 11 Dec 2026
govtrack.us — S. 4250 introduced 26 Mar 2026 by Sen. Sullivan; status Introduced
govtrack.us — H.R. 3858 introduced 10 Jun 2025 by Rep. Dingell; ordered reported by unanimous consent 15 Jul 2025
nmma.org — NMMA on S. 4250: bipartisan cosponsors; fund generates over $750M a year; must be reauthorized by 30 Sep
congressionalsportsmen.org — S. 4250 sponsors and cosponsors; fund generated over $790M in FY2025; funded by excise taxes on fishing gear and motorboat fuel
nmma.org — Congressional hearing on reauthorization; five-year cycle tied to motorboat fuel tax
debbiedingell.house.gov — House bill introduction by Reps. Dingell and Wittman