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22 june 2015 FOGHORN gplink.com Put Your Fleet at Your Fingertips gplink_halfpage.indd 1 1142015 33702 PM LEGisLaTiVEREPoRT Complete control and steering systems for vessels of all types and sizes. 1 604572-3935 Surrey BC Canada saleskobelt.com www.kobelt.com KOBELT MANUFACTURING CO.LTD. vessel that must carry survival craft to have out-of-water IBAs. The report also documents the substantial acqui- sition and maintenance costs associ- ated with IBAs. In 2014 responding to the Coast Guards 2013 report the House of Representatives passed a provision to return to the Coast Guards risk- based system for survival craft. Unfortunately for procedural reasons during the lame-duck period in December 2014 the Senate was unable to accept the House language. Not to be daunted PVA renewed its advocacy for a change in law in 2015 bringing about two dozen PVA members to Capitol Hill in April to discuss the issue with lawmakers and their aides. Out-of-water survival craft are appropriate in many situations in areas of cold water where hypo- thermia is a threat when a vessel travels farther from shore and in areas where prompt third-party as- sistance cannot be expected. Thats why the Coast Guards risk-based rules have for years required many passenger vessels to carry out-of- water survival craft and many PVA members do have IBAs. However a nationwide one-size-fits-all re- quirement is neither necessary nor justified. It can be awkward to speak of costs when the safety of human life is concerned. Here however the most knowledgeable safety regulator the Coast Guard is telling Congress that safety can be ensured on U.S. passenger-carrying vessels by the continued use of life floats along with the many other safety regulations that apply and that the installation of out-of-water IBAs will not have a meaningful impact on safety. Congressmen Duncan D. Hunter and John Garamendi both of California chairman and ranking Democrat respectively of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation have been instrumental in developing section 302 of H.R. 1987. PVA expresses its thanks to these lawmakers as well as to other House allies including Congressmen Frank LoBiondo of New Jersey Andy Harris of Maryland and Lee Zeldin of New York. PVA is now concentrating its efforts on persuading the U.S. Senate of the need for the legislation and the importance of acting speedily prior to the February 2016 deadline in current law. To learn how you can help this effort please contact PVAs Legislative Director Ed Welch at 1-800-807-8360 ext. 27 or ewelch passengervessel.com. n