b'LEGISLATIVE REPORTLEGISLATIVE Defense Act Contains MaritimeSafety and Policy AmendmentsED WELCH // PVA LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORC ongress traditionally enacts authoriza- was brought to the fore when women midship- oceangoingvesselsonmulti-dayvoyages,it tion for the U.S. Coast Guard and themen from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academywould be foolish to pretend that the domestic MaritimeAdministrationeverytworeported that they had been raped or assaultedpassenger vessel sector is free from this scourge.years. Frequently, it bundles these provisionsby ship officers or other crew members while in the National Defense Authorization Act.participating in the Academys at-sea year. Section 11603 provides that an official finding Thejust-completed117thCongressheldtoof sexual harassment or sexual assault by an this tradition. Here are provisions in that lawAlarmed, members of Congress developed leg- individual may be grounds for the suspension (Public Law 117-263 which President Bidenislation designed to guard against sexual offens- or revocation of a Coast Guard-issued license, signed on Dec.23, 2022) of interest to mem- es at sea. That legislation is incorporated in thecredential, or merchant mariners document.bers of the Passenger Vessel Association. Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act (PublicLaw117-263,TitleCXVI,entitledSection 11609 toughens an existing require-SEXUAL ASSAULT/Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Pre- ment that the master or individual in charge of SEXUAL HARASSMENT vention and Response). a documented vessel must report to the Coast Over the past several years, as more womenGuard a claim of sexual assault and harassment entered maritime professions, it has becomeThoughthemostegregiousandpubli- perpetuated against an individual on the vessel. obvious that the common problem of sexualcizedexamplesofsexualmisconductin misconduct in the workplace exists at sea. ThisthemaritimeworkplacehaveoccurredonEach required vessel safety management sys-tem (SMS) must be amended to include pro-visions related to on-board sexual harassment andsexualassault(section11610).There are to be annual training requirements for allresponsiblepersonsandvesselsthatin-Interior Design Servicescorporate elements of prevention, bystander for when you want tointervention,reporting,response,andin-move your businessvestigation. PVA will evaluate its voluntary FLAGSHIP SMS to conform with this new from where the worldlegislative provision.has been, to where the world is going. ALCOHOL ON VESSELSIn many instances, consumption of alcohol playsaroleinincidentsofsexualmiscon-duct, so the legislation attempts to address this factor. Section 11606 is entitled Alcohol at Sea. It calls for the National Academy of Sciences to prepare an assessment to deter-mine safe levels of alcohol consumption and possession by crew members aboard vessels of the United States engaged in commercial service. Notably, the study is to exclude from its scope the possession of alcohol associat-ed with the commercial sale to individuals aboard the vessel who are not crew members. This last proviso is especially important for members of the Passenger Vessel Association that operate vessels on which alcohol is legal-ly sold to customers.Section 11606 further provides authority to the Commandant of the Coast Guard to issue regulationsrelatingtoalcoholconsumption Visit us at booth #76 at MariTrends!on U.S.-flagged vessels, taking into account FOGHORN 18'