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APRIL 2016 FOGHORN 5 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR John Groundwater An Active Season Unfolds As you know PVA manages a variety of governmental issues of importance to your business. Not surprisingly many of these issues track across several years before they are resolved in the best interest of PVA members and the passenger vessel industry at-large. As a result it is imperative that PVA stay engaged over the long term to ensure continuity and success. PVAs recent victory on the one-size-fits-all Out-of- Water Survival Craft issue is a great example of this and is typical of the required investment of time energy and expertise over many years to effectively manage issues affecting the industry. In reality the Survival Craft issue took more than six years of focused attention by PVA vol- unteers and staff before it was finally and successfully resolved. The following chronicles some of the major mile- stones that were achieved. Evolution of PVAs Work on the One-size-fits-all Out-of-Water Survival Craft Issue 2010 Congress passed Coast Guard Authorization Act that required all impacted vessels to replace life floats with Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus IBAs. 2012 PVAand others convinced Congress to push back the enforcement date of the above law by 30 months. 2013 PVAurged Congress to require Coast Guard to study the efficacy of the change. 2013 The subsequent Coast Guard report came out against one-size-fits-all approach of requiring IBAs. 2015 PVA successfully persuaded Congress to repeal the previous one-size-fits-all Out-of-Water Survival Craft by passing the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 with the superseding language. 2016 President signs the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 into law. While the above scenario seems incredible in terms of the time and steps involved it is nonetheless fairly typical of how our representative system of government in Washington D.C. works. The legislative process is of- tentimes unhurried and methodical shifting with public opinion and reacting ever so slowly to the priorities of our government representatives and the nation as a whole. Because of this it is critically important to have an orga- nization such as PVA constantly involved in represent- ing your interests. And that is why your continuing PVA membership is so important to our ongoing success. While your membership support is a critical component to sustaining our continued strength as an organization your involvement as a volunteer is just as important. PVA Congressional Fly-InApril 26 2016 An extremely easy and enjoyable way to volunteer and to get involved in furthering the understanding about the passenger vessel industry in Congress is to take part in PVAs Congressional Fly-In scheduled April 26 in Washington D.C. This annual association activity is extremely popular and involves PVA members from every corner of our country. During the course of the Fly-In PVAattendees will meet with members and staff of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on Capitol Hill to discuss the passenger vessel industry and the issues of significance to it. PVA members who have participated in the past have come away with not only a new appre- ciation for the operation of our government but they also have felt that they have made a real contribution to PVAs legislative goals and to the industry. There is real value in this event and I heartily encourage you to participate. Please know that you dont have to an expert on the issues you just have to take the first step by joining us. I assure you that you will be glad that you did. Join A PVA Committee A great deal of the successful work of PVA occurs though its committee structure. These are the places in which many decisions are made about PVA positions and where new ideas and projects are born. If you think that you have to be a content expert or that taking part in a committee will take a great deal of time think again. Committee meetings are very often scheduled in con- junction with another PVA meeting or at PVAs annual convention making it easy for you to get involved. It will be easy for you to get up-to-speed on the current issues and programs but it is your input and your opinion as a passenger vessel operator that matter most in this process. If you would like to get involved I encourage you to contact me directly and I will help you identify a committee that is right for you. In the meantime please let me know whenever we can be of assistance to you. Sincerely John R. Groundwater Executive Director n