46 U.S.C. § 13102 — State recreational boating safety programs

(a) — To get more states involved in boating safety, and especially to let states take on more of the work of boating safety education, help, and enforcement, the Secretary must run a national recreational boating safety program. Under this program, the Secretary makes contracts with eligible states and gives them money to help develop, run, and pay for their own state^* recreational boating safety programs.

(b) — The Secretary must set guidelines and standards for the program. In doing this, the Secretary: (1) must weigh factors that affect boating safety by making waterways more crowded — like the growing number of recreational boats and where they operate, how many recreational boating facilities are available and where, and state data on boating accidents and deaths; (2) must consult the Secretary of the Interior, to avoid duplicating the goals and spending of chapter 2003 of title 54 and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950, and to align with the guidelines under those laws; and (3) must keep environmental standards that match the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 and other U.S. laws and policies meant to protect the ecology and appearance of the nation's waters and wetlands.

(c) — A state whose boating safety program the Secretary has approved can receive money under this chapter to help develop, run, and pay for its program. The Secretary allocates and distributes matching funds among eligible states as section 13104 of this title describes.