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AUGUST 2026
the continuity of mariner credentialing 
and vessel documentation services, and 
direct a comprehensive assessment of 
aids to navigation maintenance and 
placement needs on the Western Rivers.
Several questions focused on the re-
duction or loss of Coast Guard small 
boat stations. Sargis explained how 
these closures can weaken search and 
rescue coverage while also reducing 
the Coast Guard’s ability to enforce 
passenger vessel safety requirements. 
Those diminished enforcement capa-
bilities are particularly concerning as 
illegal passenger-for-hire operations 
continue to grow in many ports.
In response to questions from Chair-
man Ezell, Sargis described what 
distinguishes a lawful passenger ves-
sel operator from an illegal charter 
operation. 
Responsible 
operators 
comply with Coast Guard inspection, 
licensing, manning, drug-testing, and 
other safety requirements. Illegal op-
erators evade those safeguards, placing 
passengers at risk while creating an 
unfair competitive disadvantage for 
businesses that invest in safety and 
regulatory compliance.
Sargis also thanked the subcommittee 
for initiating a Government Account-
ability Office study of illegal passen-
ger vessel operations. The study, an 
important PVA advocacy priority, 
has recently begun to take shape and 
should help Congress and the Coast 
Guard better understand the scope of 
the problem and identify opportuni-
ties to strengthen enforcement. Coast 
Guard Rear Admiral David Barata 
strongly agreed with Sargis’s descrip-
tion of illegal passenger vessels as a 
serious and persistent problem and ac-
knowledged the need for greater Coast 
Guard attention to the issue.
The roundtable demonstrated what 
PVA’s continued presence in Washing-
ton can accomplish. An idea raised by 
PVA during the Congressional Fly-In 
became a congressional forum where 
the association’s president presented 
passenger vessel priorities directly 
to lawmakers and senior U.S. Coast 
Guard leadership. It also provided 
an opportunity to identify concerns 
shared across the U.S.-flag maritime 
community and build support for 
practical solutions. PVA will continue 
working with Chairman Ezell, the 
subcommittee, and the Coast Guard 
to advance a safe, strong, environmen-
tally responsible, and sustainable U.S.-
flag passenger vessel industry.
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