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to adhere to the terms of the VGP. However the statutory exemption will expire in December 2017. VIDA will make permanent the smaller-vessel exemption from the VGP and that is one reason that PVA supports the leg- islation. VIDA has other aspects that PVA also supports. It will make the Coast Guard not the EPA the federal agency primarily responsible for the VGP. This will benefit the entire maritime industry as the Coast Guard is more familiar with the real-life challenges of vessel operators. The legislation will also limit the ability of individual states to impose discharge standards and re- quirements that differ from those set by the federal government. A vessel moving from one state to another should not be subject to inconsistent discharge regulations. Finally compli- ance with the VGP will be enforced only by federal authorities and third- party enforcement actions will be curtailed. All of these changes will be positive for PVAmembers who operate larger vessels subject to the VGP. Congressional opposition to the VIDA legislation remains especial- ly from lawmakers from states with their own ballast water discharge re- quirements such as California and Michigan. Only recently has the leg- islation shown signs of life. On April 27 2016 the Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation approved a bill authorizing the U.S. Maritime Administration and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida successfully offered VIDA as an amendment to it. The Senate traditionally includes the Maritime Authorization bill as a title to the larger National Defense Authorization legislation and this could be accomplished in the month of May. Also on April 27 the House Armed Services Committee accepted a VIDA amendment offered by Representative Duncan Hunter of California to its version of the National Defense Authorization bill. The full House may vote on the Defense bill with VIDA included this month. Since the Defense bill is considered to MAY 2016 FOGHORN 19 LEGISLATIVEREPORT