1. National Boating Safety Advisory Council
12 Nov 2015
Arlington, VA
USCG, Office of Auxiliary &
Boating Safety (CG-BSX)

2. Legislative, Regulatory & Project Updates
Program Updates
Resolution Updates
Legislative, Regulatory & Project Updates
Challenges

3. Program Updates

4. 2014 Boating Statistics: Recreational boats & boaters:
11,804,002 registered boats
Continuing decrease, particularly in motorboats
Highest year in 2005 – 12,942,414
9+ Million* more unregistered boats (canoes/kayaks/paddleboards/…)
74+ Million* recreational boaters (all ages)
* Data from the 2012 National Recreational Boating Survey

5. 2014 Safety Statistics: Successes and concerns
Deaths: (Second lowest on record! 3 years of lower deaths = trend!)
Injuries: (Second lowest on record!)
Preliminary 2015 statistics look promising for continuing the decline in recreational boating casualties!

7. 2014 RBS Strategic Plan Results
Strategic Plan Goals
5 year Average – Actual #s FY
Deaths
Injuries
Casualties
2014
665
3,132
3,797
655
2,909
3,564
SUCCESS with deaths, injuries and casualties!
Goal achieved!

8. 2015 RBS Strategic Plan Goals
5 year Average – Actual #s FY
Deaths
Injuries
Casualties
2015
662
3,054
3,716 ?
Preliminary numbers look encouraging to achieve goals!

9. Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund
Authorization expires 11/20/ Can a long-term reauthorization be enacted prior to 11/20/15?
Competing versions of H.R. 22 passed by Senate & House. Now awaiting conference to resolve differences.

10. Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund
Senate version of H.R. 22 a straight reauthorization for 6 years.
House version also a 6-year reauthorization, but with amendments to the National RBS Program:
Combines the two USCG pots of $ into one;
Takes USCG portion off the top, but reduces RBS to %;
Allows USCG to replace OE funding with Trust Fund monies through 9/30/16; and
Restricts amount of funding per year for the National Survey to $1.5M.

11. Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund
Expectations for funding levels
Primary revenue source to Trust Fund is motorboat fuel tax.
2014’s registered motorboats determines 2016’s funding level. #’s are down.
Trend of registered motorboats continues downward.
Other Trust Fund revenue sources may go up though.
Overall, may see an increase in funding.

12. Sequestration – FY 2016
A law enacted by Congress that initiates automatic budget cuts.
Was implemented again in FY 2015, but FY 2014 sequestered funds were returned to the Program.
Expect the same in FY 2016.

13. Non-Profit Organization Grants FY 2016
USCG publishing a FR Notice to solicit comments on draft areas of interest.
Notice of grant availability will be published soon after comment period. May need to extend deadline for application submittal. Stand by.

14. Non-Profit Organization Grants Availability of Project Results
Updates to our website continually made to show links to grant recipient completed projects.
Nearly all projects through FY12 have been completed and links to reports/projects are on line.

15. Resolution Updates

16. 93rd Meeting Resolutions
Resolution – Engine Cut-Off Switch Installation and Required Use.
The USCG appreciates the Council’s reiteration of its former position on this issue.
This resolution establishes the Council’s ongoing and current position on this issue, which is of assistance to the rulemaking process.

17. 93rd Meeting Resolutions
Resolution – Engine Cut-Off Switch Awareness Outreach.
The USCG appreciates the Council’s resolution and is aggressively exploring ways to enhance the public’s aware of this issue (website, print, etc.).
The USCG, RBS grant recipients, and others in the RBS Community are identifying and implementing related initiatives.
Emergency Locator Beacons - Recommends that the USCG require carriage of emergency locator beacons on recreational vessels operating outside of 3NM. Also recommends allowing an exception for carriage of DSC-enabled VHF radios between 3-20NM in lieu of emergency locator beacons.
Model Year Designation in Hull Identification Numbers - Recommends that the Coast Guard revise its definition of “Model Year” found in 33 CFR 181

18. Legislative, Regulatory & Project Updates

19. Federal Proposal for Mandatory Boat Operator Education
Since 2004, NBSAC has twice recommended to the Coast Guard to seek legislative authorization to establish a uniform federal requirement for mandatory education of select boat operators.
LCPs have been submitted to Congress for consideration, but without success. Will continue this effort.

20. Propeller Strike Avoidance
Regulatory proposal to help resolve problem:
The cut-off switch installation and use ANPRM was published Comments good, but left gaps in required information. Study initiated to gather more data. Results completed and submitted.
Draft NPRM to be revised.

21. Accident Reporting System Proposal from NBSAC
15 proposals from NBSAC to consider – submitted in 2009.
Drafting NPRM.

22. Titling Regulatory Project
Uniform Certificate of Title Act for Vessels adopted in July by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.
Current CG vessel titling regulations not identical to the new model act.
Draft NPRM going through clearance.

23. Emergency Locator Beacons
Coast Guard Authorization Act or 2010 enacted and included amended definition of “associated equipment” to include ELBs.
Provides authority for CG to require recreational vessels more than 3 nm off shore of coasts to carry ELBs. NBSAC resolution received and additional analysis completed. A regulatory project is pending.

24. Vessel Model Year in HIN
Concern expressed from industry with current model year definition of August 1 each year and enforcement of such.
A regulatory project is pending. Congressional action has also been introduced to prompt such rulemaking.

25. National Recreational Boating Survey – 2016-2017 Plans

26. National Survey Plans A contract approach (current law):
To assure next Survey occurs, the Coast Guard is initiating work to develop a contract.
Dr. Mahoney is here to provides details on the progress of the Survey.

27. Challenges

28. 94rd Meeting Challenge #1
Does the Council have any recommendations concerning the confusing life jacket requirements for various sail and paddle vessels? (Continued from prior NBSAC meetings.)

29. 94rd Meeting Challenge #2
The U.S. Coast Guard requests that the NBSAC continue work on the development of the recommended National Recreational Boating Safety Strategic Plan. (Continued from the 92nd & 93rd NBSAC meetings.)

30. THE END