U.S. House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Holds Roundtable on Improving Maritime Safety Programs

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee held a roundtable on July 21, 2026 to discuss marine safety programs.

• Watch a replay of the roundtable below or HERE.

The panel comprised participating industry stakeholders who represented several types of vessel operators engaged in domestic commerce, and who offered their insight to improve safety in the  critical maritime industry. 

Witnesses included:

• Rear Admiral David C. Barata, Deputy Commandant for Operations Policy and Capabilities, United States Coast Guard
• Aaron Smith, President, Offshore Marine Services Association
• Andrew Sargis, Director of Sales for Wendella Tours & Cruises in Chicago, IL and, Chief of Operations of the Chicago Water Taxi
• David Kennedy, Boat Owners Association of The United States
• Dave Marlow, Senior Director of Product Integrity, Brunswick
• Jennifer Carpenter, President and Chief Executive Officer, The American Waterways Operators
• Cameron Humphrey, Director of Government Affairs, Saronic Technologies
• Ken Franke, President, Sportfishing Association of California
• Chris Woodley, United Fisherman of Alaska

The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation conducts oversight of the United States Coast Guard, the Service responsible for enforcing America’s laws on waters under U.S. jurisdiction and on the high seas.  The Coast Guard’s many missions include search and rescue, illegal drug and migrant interdiction, oil spill prevention and response, maritime safety and security, maintaining aids to navigation, icebreaking, and enforcement of U.S. fisheries and marine pollution laws.

The Subcommittee also has jurisdiction over regulation of ocean shipping and the merchant marine, except as it relates to national security.

One of the Subcommittee’s regular priorities is legislation to authorize the Coast Guard’s programs and to support and strengthen the important missions of one of the Nation’s five armed services.

Issues and agencies under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee include:

United States Coast Guard Maritime transportation safety Navigation, port and waterway safety Maritime transportation regulatory activities, including the regulation of vessels and merchant seaman Marine environmental protection, generally as related to vessel operations (oil and plastics pollution, invasive/aquatic nuisance species transported by vessels, international agreements concerning transportation of oil and hazardous substances)

State boating safety programs Federal Maritime Commission and the regulation of ocean shipping The Jones Act (United States cabotage laws governing shipping of goods and passengers between any two points in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone) Non-national security aspects of the merchant marine