U.S. House Subcommittee Hosts Yacht Industry Panel Discussion

A U.S. House subcommittee hearing titled “Sinking the Marine Industry: How Regulations are Affecting Today’s Maritime Businesses,” was held last week in Room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

The Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations of the House Committee on Small Business will address federal policy and regulatory impediments for small businesses in the yachting industry.

The wide-ranging discussion will examine regulatory actions by the Department of Labor; planning and permitting processes for the Army Corps of Engineers’ maintenance of navigable waterways; and the intrastate taxation of small businesses.

Specifically, the hearing will examine these issues in the context of job creation and economic growth within the small-business segment of the maritime industry. An opening statement came from subcommittee chairman Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo.

Testimony will come from industry players, including Kristina Hebert, chief operating officer of Ward’s Marine Electric; Mark Ducharme, vice president and chief financial officer of Monterey Boats on behalf of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida; and Captain Steve Engemann, president of Herman Sand and Gravel, on behalf of the National Marine Manufacturers Association.