34 MAY 2019 • FOGHORN LEGISLATIVEREPORT last year in the closing weeks of the 115th Congress by then- Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Senator Hawley’s pre- decessor. There was no action on the McCaskill bill after its introduction. Both bills embrace several recommendations previously made by the NTSB following its investigation of the May 1999 casualty of the amphibious vehicle Miss Majestic in Arkansas. Key components of the legislation include: • The Coast Guard is to develop a regulation requiring that an amphibious passenger vehicle must have “reserve buoyancy … through passive means” to ensure that it “remain afloat and upright in the event of flooding” when carrying a full complement of passengers and crew. The reserve buoyancy can be achieved by watertight compart- mentalization, built-in flotation, “or such other means as the Commandant [of the Coast Guard] shall specify.” • As an interim step, an amphibious vehicle must remove its canopy for waterborne operations. In the alternative, the vehicle may install “a Coast Guard-approved canopy that does not restrict either horizontal or vertical escape” by pas- sengers in an emergency. • If an amphibious vehicle removes its canopy for water- borne operations, every passenger must wear a Coast Guard- approved personal flotation device (PFD) during waterborne operations. • The Coast Guard is to issue a regulation that sets the limiting environmental conditions (weather, etc.) in which amphibious passenger vehicles may safety operate. This limitation is to be described in each certificate of inspection. The operator of an amphibious passenger vehicle is to check the National Weather Service forecast before getting under way and “periodically” thereafter. The amphibious passenger vehicle is to proceed to the nearest harbor or safe refuge if a watch or warning is issued for wind speeds exceeding the wind speed equivalent that was used to certify stability. •An amphibious passenger vehicle certified to operate on partially protected waters must have a weather monitor radio receiver at the operation station, and it must have the capa- bility of being automatically activated by the warning alarm device of the National Weather Service. On May 1, 2019, the PVA Board of Directors approved the following resolution: The Passenger Vessel Association promotes efforts to ensure safety of passengers on Coast Guard-inspected vessels on America’s waterways. Taking note of the 2018 casualty of the Stretch Duck 7 on Table Rock Lake, Missouri, and of the continuing accident investigations by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board, the Passenger Vessel Association Board of Directors urges that Congress defer action on legislation regarding amphibious vehicles until after these investigations are completed and their findings and recommendations are made public. n 1.800.777.0714 toll free www.merequipment.com 8-500kW Marine Generators // Pull harder in the harshest marine environments // More copper & premium corrosion resistance // Superior motor starting & low operating temps // Better fuel economy & longer engine life // Easy to service & worldwide dealer support // Proudly made in America GRIDCOOLER® Keel Cooler WEKA Boxcooler® GRIDCOOLER® GRIDCOOLER® Keel Cooler Keel Cooler WEKA WEKA WEKA WEKA Boxcooler® Boxcooler® fernstrum.com | 906.863.5553 | sales@fernstrum.com YOU DON’T WORRY ABOUT KEEPING YOUR COOL — UNTIL YOU LOSE IT. Get it. Never lose it. Expect peak cooling efficiency. Expect trusted dependability. Expect expert support. R.W. Fernstrum Cooling Solutions. R.W. Fernstrum & Company is an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company