Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act District of Columbia Equality Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7629
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-20: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- Last Updated
- 2026-02-27T21:33:19Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to treat the District of Columbia as a State under both laws. The stated goal is to provide equal treatment for the District in the administration and funding of wildlife and sport fish restoration programs.
Key Provisions
- Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act amendments (16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.):
- Updates the definition of "State" to include the District of Columbia.
- Removes the word "several" from references to States in allocation provisions.
- Eliminates separate mentions of the District of Columbia in funding formulas and allocation subsections, integrating it into the general State category.
- Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act amendments (16 U.S.C. 777 et seq.):
- Adds a definition of "State" that includes the District of Columbia.
- Removes "several" from references to States.
- Deletes specific references to the Mayor of the District of Columbia and the District itself from apportionment and allocation language, along with the prior one-third of 1 percent set-aside for the District.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill expands the definition of "State" in both Acts to cover the District of Columbia, ending its prior separate treatment. This replaces special allocation rules (such as the one-third of 1 percent set-aside) with the standard formula applied to the other States. It removes explicit listings of the District in certain distribution sections, folding the District into the general State provisions.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would administer funds to the District of Columbia under the same formulas used for States, potentially altering the District's share of excise tax revenues collected on hunting and fishing equipment.
- Citizens: Residents of the District of Columbia could gain access to wildlife and sport fish restoration projects on the same basis as residents of States.
- No direct effects on international relations are addressed in the bill.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- The District of Columbia government and its residents.
- State fish and wildlife agencies that share in the same funding pools.
- Federal agencies responsible for distributing Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson funds.
- Hunters, anglers, and conservation organizations that benefit from restoration projects.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill creates statutory equality for the District of Columbia within these two specific funding programs without altering the District's constitutional status as a federal district. It removes prior legislative distinctions that treated the District differently from States in apportionment calculations. The changes are limited to these Acts and do not address broader questions of statehood or voting representation.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-20: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- 2026-02-20: Introduced in House
- 2026-02-20: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E147)
- 2026-02-20: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act District of Columbia Equality Act of 2026 — issued 2026-02-20 — PDF (3 pages)