Captain Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo Young Fishermen’s Development Act
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The bill would extend the Young Fishermen's Development Grant Program, which funds training and education for new commercial fishermen, through fiscal year 2031 instead of letting its authorization expire in 2026.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would reauthorize the Young Fishermen's Development Act by extending its funding authorization from 2026 through fiscal year 2031. It amends Section 5(a) of that Act to change the expiration year, allowing the existing grant program to continue supporting local and regional training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives for young and beginning commercial fishermen.
The bill does not create new grant categories, change eligibility rules, or alter how the program is administered. It is a narrow extension of an existing authorization rather than a restructuring of the program.
Key provisions
- 1Would extend the authorization for the Young Fishermen's Development Grant Program from fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2031
Who would be affected
Young and beginning commercial fishermen who participate in training and apprenticeship programs, the regional fishing organizations and educational institutions that receive grants under the program, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which administers the grant funding.
Why it matters
Without reauthorization, the grant program's funding authority would have lapsed after fiscal year 2026, potentially interrupting training and technical assistance for new fishermen entering an aging commercial fishing workforce. Extending it through 2031 lets grant recipients and applicants plan on continued federal support for several more years.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Reauthorizes Young Fishermen's Development Act (33 U.S.C. 1144(a)) (Sec. 2)
Strikes '2026' and inserts '2031' to extend the program's funding authorization by five years
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates H.R. 3692 would cost $7 million in discretionary spending (spending subject to annual congressional appropriation) over the 2026–2030 period, with no effect on the deficit from direct (mandatory) spending or revenues.
CBO finds that H.R. 3692 would have no effect on direct (mandatory) spending or federal revenues, meaning statutory pay-as-you-go rules do not apply. The bill's only budgetary impact comes from discretionary spending: it would reauthorize $2 million per year from 2027 through 2031 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to fund grants supporting training, education, outreach, and technical assistance for young fishermen, with estimated outlays of $7 million over the 2026–2030 period and an additional $3 million after 2030. CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate.
Official CRS summary
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This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 the Young Fishermen’s Development Grant Program, which supports local and regional training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives for young fishermen.
Legislative subjects
Employment and training programs; Marine and coastal resources, fisheries; Public Lands and Natural Resources; Vocational and technical education
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-356