Heading into the final days of the 117th Congress, the House and
Senate have both advanced their Coast Guard and Maritime
Administration Authorization Acts containing provisions likely to
be impactful upon the maritime industry. As in recent years, these
bills will be attached to this year's National Defense
Authorization Act for the coming fiscal year, one of the few
"must pass" vehicles moving through Congress annually.
Although not all of the bills' provisions will pass this year,
those that do not often will resurface in coming years, and
therefore are worth tracking.
Probably the most controversial provision in either bill is the
House proposal to modify the existing offshore manning rules for
foreign vessels operating on the U.S. Outer Continental
Shelf.1 The House proposal would restrict such
employment to U.S. citizens, permanent U.S. residents, or citizens
of the nation of vehicle, vessel, or structure registry, beginning
120 days after passage of the
