Introduction of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Resotration Act and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act District of Columbia Equality Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act District of Columbia Equality Act, which would make the District of Columbia eligible for the same federal funding as states under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act. D.C. residents pay full federal taxes and therefore D.C. is treated as a state under federal programs, with limited exceptions, most of them simply oversights or failures to update post-home rule.

The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act provides funding, derived from excise taxes on sporting equipment, for five distinct purposes: program administration, wildlife restoration, basic hunter education and safety, enhanced hunter education and safety grants, and multistate conservation grants. D.C. does not receive any funding under this Act. The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act provides funding for sport fish restoration, aquatic education, wetlands restoration, and boat-related activities. Under this Act, states receive a minimum of one percent of the total amount apportioned, while D.C. is capped at one-third of one percent.

This omission and lack of parity under these Acts have serious consequences for D.C. D.C. has roughly 7,800 acres of parkland covering nearly a quarter of the city, which means it has more parkland per capita than any other city in the United States. This bill would define ``State'' in these Acts to include D.C., providing D.C. with equal funding for wildlife conservation in our Nation's capital.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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