b'LEGISLATIVE LEGISLATIVE REPORTAn Overview of the Jones ActRICHARD PATCH // PVA LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORT he Merchant Marine Act of protectingtheU.S.coastwisetradefor lawisbetterknownastheJonesAct,1920 has served as a foun- morethan100years.Signedintolaw namedforthebillschampionU.S.dational law governing and by President Woodrow Wilson, the SenatorWesleyJonesofWashington.Passedinbothchambersonthedaybefore Congress adjourned, SenatorJoneshailedtheMerchantMarineActas one of the most important lawseverpassedbyCongress.EnactedinthewakeofWorldWarIwhenmanymerchantshipshadbeenlostandarapidrebuildingofvesselsandtrainingofmarinerswasinitiated,theJonesActofferedtradeprotectionforAmericanshippingconcernsfromcheaper foreign competition by re-quiring(amongotherthings)thatthetradeingoodsbetweentwoU.S.portsbe conducted by American-owned,American-flagged, American-built,and American-crewed vessels. Thiswas a boon to all facets of the U.S.maritime industry, particularly forshipbuildingandmariners.TheJonesActwaspitchedbySenatorJonesandothersasanefforttobolsternational security by protecting andpromoting the American merchantmarine industry and ensuring thatAmerica had trained mariners andreadyvesselstosailintimesofnation-alemergency.SimilarprotectionsforvesselsengagedinthetransportofpassengersbetweentwoU.S.portswereestablishedbythePassengerVesselServicesAct(PVSA)thirty-five years earlier (1886). BothFOGHORN 28'