NMMA issues Action Alert on Senate bill
CHICAGO – The National Marine Manufacturers Association has issued an Action Alert message to its members as it makes progress in changing the language to a U.S. Senate bill that would impose criminal penalties on recreational marine manufacturing executives for the manufacture or sale of defective boats or boating accessories, NMMA said today.
Currently, the language that amends Section 310 of H.R. 2443, Coast Guard Authorization, would impose penalties on what the NMMA calls “a large and poorly defined universe of marine manufacturing executives, including directors, officers, and executive employees.”
The House and the Senate have passed their own dissimilar versions of H.R. 2443 and are now working to reconcile these differences in conference in order to present the President with a bill for his signature into law.
NMMA has met with the Coast Guard and “learned that the genesis of this issue is due to the recalcitrance of a few boat manufacturers,” NMMA said in its Action Alert.
The Coast Guard is willing to amend the proposed language in Section 310 to a very narrow purpose, e.g., to direct criminal penalties at those bad actors who, upon notice of a mandatory recall, knowingly and willfully disregard the recall, according to NMMA.
“This is a substantial change from the present proposal and one that will benefit the recreational marine industry by ridding it of those irresponsible entities that negatively impact boating safety to the detriment of all conscientious manufacturers,” NMMA said. “Please stay tuned for further developments and contact Jeffrey Gabriel with any questions, concerns, or comments. You can reach Jeffrey at (202) 737-9764, or by email at jgabriel@nmma.org.”
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