# The Bryson Fitch Fishermen Protection Act: What It Does

This bill creates tax breaks to help commercial fishing companies and individual fishermen buy and maintain emergency safety equipment called personal locator beacons. These are devices that send out distress signals if someone is in danger at sea, helping rescue teams find and save people who are lost or injured on the water.

The bill offers two different tax credits. For fishing companies that own or operate boats, they can get a tax credit worth 50 percent of what they spend on buying these beacons and maintaining them each year. This means if a fishing company spends $10,000 on a beacon and its upkeep, they can reduce their taxes by $5,000. Individual fishermen can also get a similar 50 percent tax credit on their personal income taxes when they buy one of these beacons for themselves. The beacons have to meet specific safety standards—they need to transmit distress signals on approved frequencies and be registered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to qualify for the credit.

These tax credits are only available for certain types of commercial fishing vessels, and the program is temporary, ending after December 31, 2028. The credits start applying to equipment purchased beginning in 2024. Essentially, the government is trying to make it more affordable for fishing companies and individual fishermen to equip their boats with life-saving emergency beacons by letting them deduct half the cost from their taxes.

Bryson Fitch Fishermen Protection Act

Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp

Bryson Fitch Fishermen Protection Act This bill allows a business-related tax credit for up to 50% of costs incurred for the purchase of personal locator beacons (PLBs) on a commercial vessel that has such beacons for every individual aboard the vessel. It also allows an income tax credit for individual taxpayers who purchase a PLB for use on a commercial vessel that does not have PLBs for every individual on board. The credits expire in taxable years beginning after 2028.