Legislation aimed at providing economic relief to the maritime industry during national emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic is now before Congress.
The Maritime Transportation System Emergency Relief Act (MTSERA) was announced on July 9 by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-OR, chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-NY, chair of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
Introduction of the legislation comes in the wake of a subcommittee hearing on May 29 where testimony from the maritime community detailed challenges the industry is facing during the global pandemic.
DeFazio said the legislation would give the maritime sector the same protections and relief given to other industries during COVID-19-17 maritime relief and close a huge gap in current federal emergency assistance that las left links in the maritime supply chain isolated and unable to access other assistance programs available to other industries.
Ensuring that the maritime industry has the resources it needs during an emergency or natural disaster is an important step in protecting workers, national security assets and goods that pass through our ports every day, said Maloney.
“The coronavirus pandemic made it clear that we need more support and systems in place to stabilize the industry in the event of a catastrophe,” he said.
MTSERA is designed to help eligible state entities and other eligible maritime supply chair entities engaged in vessel construction, transportation by water, or other maritime support activities, including harbor pilots, assist tugs, stevedores and more. The federal Maritime Administration would be authorized to provide grant assistance to pay for repairing and/or replacing equipment, facilities and shore infrastructure that have suffered serious damage during major natural disasters.
MTSERA would also be authorized to reimburse or provide assistance to cover the operating and overhead costs involved with emergency response operations, cleaning, sanitization, janitorial services, staffing, workforce retention, paid leave, procurement of protective health equipment and training for employees and contractors, debt service payments, infrastructure repair projects, and other Maritime Transportation System operations before, during or after an emergency necessary to keep the MTS operating reliably and efficiently.
