Commercial Fishing Vessels-Implementation of 2010 and 2012 Legislation

The Coast Guard proposes to align its commercial fishing industry vessel regulations with the mandatory provisions of 2010 and 2012 legislation passed by Congress that took effect upon enactment. The alignments would change the applicability of current regulations, and add new requirements for safety equipment, vessel examinations, vessel safety standards, the documentation of maintenance, and the termination of unsafe operations. This rule only proposes to implement these legislative mandates, would exercise no Coast Guard regulatory discretion, and would promote the Coast Guard's maritime safety mission. It does not reflect any provision of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015, but the preamble to this document discusses its likely impact where appropriate. That Act will be the subject of future Coast Guard regulatory action.