32 JUNE 2017 • FOGHORN gplink_quarter.indd 1 1/6/2017 10:25:38 AM NEWSWIRE Small Shipyard Grant Proposals Are Due by July 5 The most recent solicitation for proposals for Small Shipyard Grants opened on May 19.  PVA members have benefited significantly from this program in earlier funding rounds, and PVA encourages its shipyard members to consider submitting a proposal this year as well. The Maritime Administration has $9.8 million to award.  Agrant can cover up to 75 percent of the cost of the proposal.  The typical grant is for capital equipment or facilities, but note that funding for employee training is an eligible use. For more information about how to prepare and submit a grant application, go to https://www.marad.dot.gov/ships- and-shipping/small-shipyard-grants. Pay close attention to the factors that the Maritime Administration will use in evaluating the proposals.  As in the past, there are sure to be far more proposals than there is funding to distribute. Note that the proposal must be submitted by July 5. If you have questions, contact PVA’s Ed Welch at ewelch@ passengervessel.com; or contact David M. Heller, Director, Office of Shipyards and Marine Engineering, Maritime Administration, Room W21-318, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20590; phone: (202) 366–5737; or fax: (202) 366–6988. n Overnight Cruise Vessel Financial Responsibility Cap Will Remain at $30 Million for Two More Years The amount of maximum financial responsibility to be demonstrated by certain overnight cruise vessel operators will remain at its current cap of $30 million for the next two years, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) recently announced. Under federal law, an overnight cruise vessel operator with berth or stateroom accommodations for 50 or more persons and who boards passengers at a U.S. port must file with the Federal Maritime Commission evidence of financial responsibility to indemnify passengers in the event of non- performance of the transportation.  This is to enable pas- sengers to have recourse to be reimbursed for the amount of pre-paid deposits if the cruise doesn’t take place for any reason or if the carrier goes out of business.   The maximum financial responsibility cap reached $30 million on April 2, 2015.  By rule, the cap must be reviewed every two years and, if necessary, adjusted for inflation.  When the adjustment occurs, it is rounded to the nearest $1 million based on changes to the federal government’s Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U).  When the FMC applied its formula and then rounded the result to the nearest $1 million, it determined that the cap will remain at $30 million for 2017 and 2018.  The next adjustment will be conducted in 2019. n