# 119-hr-6961: USMMA Athletics Act of 2026

119-hr-6961, USMMA Athletics Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2] (R-NY); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-25).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6961
- As of: 2026-07-25
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-6961
- Congress: 119
- Title: USMMA Athletics Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-01-07
- Sponsor: Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2] (R-NY)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-25

## Summary

**Creates a U.S. government-owned nonprofit corporation to support athletic programs at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA).** It lets the Secretary of Transportation place the corporation in New York and gives the corporation tools to raise and use money, manage trademarks, and partner with DOT to back USMMA athletics. - Students and teams at USMMA gain a new funding and support channel. The corporation can receive funds, keep licensing and sponsorship revenue for recruiting and related costs, and use those fees until spent. - The Department of Transportation can transfer nonappropriated fund assets and liabilities (excluding real property), lease academy property for up to 5 years, provide support services, and enter contracts or cooperative agreements to benefit USMMA athletics. Board members are unpaid except for reasonable travel expenses and DOT staff may serve but may not exceed one-third of the board. - Partners, sponsors, and licensees get a clear path to work with USMMA. The corporation can license trademarks and service marks with Secretary approval and legal protections to avoid reflecting poorly on DOT.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] (D-NY), 2026-03-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scott, Austin [R-GA-8] (R-GA), 2026-03-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McDowell, Addison P. [R-NC-6] (R-NC), 2026-03-17T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Allow USMMA trademark licensing fees: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would let the Secretary license trademarks and service marks for the United States Merchant Marine Academy and keep fees from those licenses. Retained fees could first pay trademark registration and licensing program costs. If fees in a fiscal year exceed those costs, the extra…
- New nonprofit to support USMMA sports: benefit, low. If enacted, the Secretary of Transportation could create a U.S.-owned nonprofit in New York to support USMMA athletics. The nonprofit would be a 501(c)(3) and the United States would own all stock held by the Secretary. The Secretary could accept gifts, supplies, and services for athletics and coul…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-879: Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-309: National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-6961 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6961)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6644)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-879: Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-879)
- [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909)
- [119-hr-309: National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-309)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6961 (as of 2026-07-25).