Priority Sportfishing Industry Legislation Introduced in the U.S. Senate

Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act will secure funding for fisheries conservation.

Alexandria, VA – May 7, 2025 – Today, Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced the Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act, aimed at ensuring excise tax collection on imported fishing tackle sold directly to American consumers through online marketplaces. The bill, introduced earlier this year in the House by Reps. Jimmy Panetta and Blake Moore, would help level the playing field for U.S.-based companies while enhancing funding for fish and wildlife conservation efforts.

Revenue from this excise tax, 10% on most fishing tackle, is contributed to the Sport Fish Restoration Fund (SFR), which supports habitat restoration, public access projects, and fisheries research by distributing grants to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies.

“This legislation will recover tens of millions of dollars for conservation, allowing us to better support recreational fishing and the sportfishing industry, which contributes $230 billion to the U.S. economy,” said Mike Leonard, Vice President of Government Affairs for the American Sportfishing Association. “For 75 years, our industry has proudly contributed to this user-pay, public-benefit program that serves as a hallmark of the American conservation model. We appreciate Senators Tuberville and Crapo for their support for this bill and eager to work with both chambers and the administration to see it signed into law.”

Currently, online purchases of fishing equipment from foreign sellers often bypass excise tax collection, with the responsibility for payment technically falling on consumers, which the Government Accountability Office concluded is an “inefficient process.” The proposed bill addresses this challenge by requiring that online marketplaces collect these taxes on overseas-to-U.S. transactions.

If left unaddressed, this loophole will continue to grow alongside the popularity of online shopping—placing domestic manufacturers at a disadvantage and reducing essential conservation funding.

Since its inception in 1950 following passage of the Dingell-Johnson Act, the SFR has 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.

In addition to sportfishing gear, the legislation also covers archery equipment under the Pittman-Robertson Act. Together, the Dingell-Johnson and Pittman-Robertson programs contributed more than $1.3 billion in conservation grants in Fiscal Year 2025.