b'LEGISLATIVEREPORTdepend heavily on an engaged, well- at least once a year. Any detected de- It is imperative that the Coast Guard trained, and adequately-funded Coastficiencies must be corrected. Havingsafety function be preserved. In the Guard Marine Safety Mission. Coastthis direct Coast Guard presence onearly 2000s, as the Coast Guard made Guard inspectors visit and rigorouslypassenger vessels is essential and hassecurity a priority after enactment of examine domestic passenger vesselssuccessfully promoted safety. the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, the agency allowed its Marine Safety function to deteriorate. The situation became alarming enough that in 2007 this committee, under the leadership of Chairmen Oberstar and Cummings, convened a hearing to press the Coast Guard to reinvigo-rate its marine safety mission. Then-Commandant Thad Allen promised corrective action, and the result was the action plan entitled Enhancing the Coast Guards Marine Safety Program. After its issuance, things improved. However, PVA encourages this Subcommittee to 4615-CTC Water Taxi review the objectives of Enhancing the COI 30 Passengers + 2 Crew Coast Guards Marine Safety Program. Are they still being met? Specifi cally, are the goals for number of marine inspector billets being fi lled? Occasionally, some have suggested that a response to Coast Guard budgetary constraints would be to delegate inspection functions sales@armstrongmarine.com | (360) 457-5752 | www.armstrongmarine.com of domestic passenger vessels to a third-party organization, as has been done for towing vessels and certain deep-sea vessels. PVA adamantly believes that this would be a mistaken policy. It would deprive Coast Guard marine safety personnel of intimate knowledge of the domestic passenger fl eet and would drive a wedge into the current good relationship between PROTECTING OVER passenger vessel operators and Coast Guard personnel. Furthermore, third-1 MILLION LIVES party organizations such as classifi ca-tion societies do not have expertise EVERY DAY regarding smaller passenger vessels that operate on domestic routes. Survitec is the number 1 global supplierThe current commitment to direct of innovative safety and survival solutionsCoast Guard inspection of domestic on passenger vessels. In addition to ourpassenger vessels is the preferable flexible liferaft agreements we offer MES, lifeboats, rescue boats, fire safety andpolicy and is the best way to promote suppression, lifejackets, immersion suits,safety.distress signals, electronics and muchIllegal Chartersmore. Many years ago, Congress deter-CONTACT US TODAY: mined that a vessel that carries six (800) 931-3221|(604) 278-3221 or more passengers for hire must vancouver.sales@survitecgroup.com satisfy numerous and rigorous safety SURVITECGROUP.COM standards and that it must be inspected 34DECEMBER 2019FOGHORNSCA0154A Ad - Foghorn 2018.indd 2 18/07/2018 16:13:30'