28 NOVEMBER 2017 • FOGHORN LEGISLATIVEREPORT By Ed Welch, PV A Legislative Director As a leader in passenger vessel design, stability assessments and refurbishments, our vessels are not only beautiful, they’re also safe and efficient to operate while producing maximum profitability for owners. To bring Jensen on board for your next passenger vessel design or build, contact us at 206.332.8090 or visit our website at jensenmaritime.com. PASSENGER VESSEL DESIGNS: OPTIMIZED FOR PROFITABILITY What Is the Jones Act? Separating Fact from Fiction AS A RESULT OF THREE MAJOR HURRICANES MAKING landfall on U.S. territory in the month of September, there is more awareness of and controversy about the Jones Act – the statute that reserves ocean trades between U.S. ports to vessels that are American-flagged, American-built, American-crewed, and American-owned. The Passenger Vessel Association supports retention of the Jones Act and its counterpart for passengers, the Passenger Vessel Services Act. Responding to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the Trump ad- ministration issued a time-limited, geographic-restricted waiver of the application of the Jones Act for refined petroleum products (and then extended it). When Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, the Trump administration initially declined to issue a Jones Act waiver, but after being on the receiving end of substantial criticism in the national media and political circles, it reversed itself, allowing carriage of cargoes by foreign ships from U.S. ports to Puerto Rico for a specified period of time. Many proponents of a Jones Act waiver made erroneous state- ments about the law. Well known Washington, DC, maritime attorney Charles Papavizas produced a clear explanation of the statute and distributed it via his law firm’s September 29, 2017 blog MaritimeFedWatch. With his permission, FOGHORN magazine shares it here.