46 U.S.C. § 13104 — Allocations

(a) — The Secretary must split the money available under this chapter for state boating safety programs, three ways: (1) One-third is split equally each fiscal year among all eligible states. (2) One-third goes to states that have both an approved boat-numbering system under chapter 123 and an approved marine accident reporting system under this chapter — split so each state's fiscal-year share matches the ratio of boats numbered in that state to boats numbered in all eligible states combined. (3) One-third is split so each state's fiscal-year share matches the ratio of what that state spent on its boating safety program the prior fiscal year, to the total that all eligible states spent that year. (b) — A state cannot receive, in any fiscal year, more than half the total cost of developing, running, and funding its boating safety program that year. (c) — The Secretary may set aside up to 5 percent of the money available in a fiscal year for national boating safety activities run by national nonprofit public service groups.