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OUTDOOR NEWS: Dingell-Johnson Act Up For Reapproval

Congressional Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) recently introduced the Sport Fish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety, and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2025 (H.R. 3858) in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill would reauthorize the Dingell-Johnson Sportfish Restoration Act through 2031.

Originally passed in 1950 and widely supported by the sportfishing industry and recreational fishing community, the Dingell- Johnson Act created the Sport Fish Restoration Fund, which collects an excise tax of up to 10% on the sale of most fishing equipment. This excise tax is distributed to states, tribes and territories to fund habitat restoration, fisheries research and access improvements.

The excise tax on sportfishing equipment is considered one of the most successful “user pay, public benefit” programs in the world and a cornerstone of the American conservation model. Since its inception, the Sport Fish Restoration Fund has generated over $12 billion, created and improved more than 9,000 public boating and fishing access sites, supported 320 fish hatcheries that stock around 1 billion fish annually, and funded aquatic education programs that have introduced over 850,000 people to fishing.

The current authorization of the Dingell-Johnson Act expires in late 2026.