H.R. 4719 would reauthorize the Fishing Safety Training Grants Program and the Fishing Safety Research Grant Program for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. Those grant programs, which are administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in consultation with the Coast Guard, award grants to entities that provide training or conduct research on commercial fishing safety. The bill also would increase the maximum federal cost share for activities funded under those grants from 50 percent to 75 percent.
H.R. 4719 would authorize the appropriation of $6 million for 2020 and 2021. Based on historical rates of spending for similar activities, and assuming appropriation of the specified amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4719 would cost $12 million over the 2020-2024 period. The Congress appropriated $3 million for each grant program in 2017, the last year in which appropriations were provided for the programs.
The costs of the legislation (detailed in Table 1) would fall within budget functions 400 (transportation) and 550 (health).
