Where the Archery Industry Stands in Congress 

Congress is now past the halfway point of 2026, and while the Fourth of July recess is approaching, there has been limited movement on legislation affecting the archery industry this year. 

Much of the Senate's attention recently has been focused on the SAVE America Act, which passed the House earlier this year but remains stalled in the Senate after falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. 

The ATA continues its pursuit of the Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act, aimed at addressing the federal excise tax, FET, discrepancy that currently allows online sellers and marketplaces to avoid the tax. The legislation has slowed and while unlikely to be brought up for a vote as a standalone bill in the near term, efforts remain strong to attach it to broader legislation. Despite the delay, there are still gains to be made for the industry in the remaining days of the 119th Congress. 

The America the Beautiful Act (S. 1547) and the Great American Outdoors Act reauthorization (H.R. 9250) are bipartisan pieces of legislation that would reauthorize and extend the Legacy Restoration Fund. The fund is a multibillion-dollar federal program created under the original 2020 Great American Outdoors Act, with the goal of improving access and infrastructure across public lands and waters, modernizing the visitor experience, and creating more outdoor recreation opportunities.  

Under the reauthorization, the fund would receive $1.9 billion per year for five years, funding that would directly support archery range development, bowhunter access on public lands, and synergy with federal excise tax expenditures. The bill has broad bipartisan support and is expected to be a high priority for both the House and Senate following the July Fourth recess. 

When Congress returns, the ATA will resume its efforts to pass its FET legislation as well as the reauthorization of the Legacy Restoration Fund. 

For more information or questions about the ATA's legislative efforts, contact Dan Forster, ATA's vice president and chief conservation officer, at danforster@archerytrade.org.