The purpose of the state recreational boating safety program is to encourage greater state participation and uniformity in boating safety efforts, and particularly to permit the states to assume the…

The Department of Homeland Security US Coast Guard awarded the Massachusetts Environmental Police (doing business as Office Of Law Enforcement) $2,384,107 under the Boating Safety Financial Assistance program (CFDA 97.012) on October 1, 2025.

The award funds boating safety public education, personnel training in boating safety and law enforcement skills, boating safety inspections and marine casualty investigations, emergency and search-and-rescue facilities and assistance, waterway markers and navigation aids, and state recreational vessel numbering and titling programs. The grant also supports facilities, equipment, and supplies for boating safety education and law enforcement, including purchase, operation, maintenance, and repair. The Massachusetts Environmental Police may use funds to acquire, construct, or repair public access sites used primarily by recreational boaters.

Period of performance runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028. Work is performed in Massachusetts. The assistance type is a formula grant. This is a recurring award to the state agency; prior Coast Guard formula grants to Massachusetts Environmental Police carried values of $2.1 million and $2.2 million in prior fiscal years through 2025.

The purpose of the state recreational boating safety program is to encourage greater state participation and uniformity in boating safety efforts, and particularly to permit the states to assume the greater share of boating safety education, assistance, and enforcement activities. Federal funds provided for a state's boating safety program may be used for any of the following expenses. 1. Providing facilities, equipment, and supplies for boating safety education and law enforcement, including purchase, operation, maintenance, and repair. 2. Training personnel in skills related to boating safety and to the enforcement of boating safety laws and regulations. 3. Providing public boating safety education, including educational programs and lectures, to the boating community and the public school system. 4. Acquiring, constructing, or repairing public access sites used primarily by recreational boaters. 5. Conducting boating safety inspections and marine casualty investigations. 6. Establishing and maintaining emergency or search and rescue facilities, and providing emergency or search and rescue assistance. 7. Establishing and maintaining waterway markers and other appropriate aids to navigation. 8. Providing state recreational vessel numbering and titling programs.