Funding Instruction for Safety, Health, and Security Avoids Fishing Emergencies Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4719 restores the Federal cost-share for the Fishing Safety Training Grant Program and the Fishing Safety Research Grant Program to 75 percent.

In 2010, Congress imposed additional safety requirements on U.S. commercial fishing vessels and created these grant programs to assist the fishing industry and fishermen in meeting the additional costs of these requirements.

The grant programs were first funded in 2018. In 2018, Congress also transferred responsibility for the programs to the Department of Health and Human Services.

H.R. 4719 sets the Federal share of the grants to 75 percent and extends the authorization for the grants through fiscal year 2021. The Senate Commerce Committee reported a provision similar to H.R. 4719 in its Coast Guard Authorization Act.

The bill also repeals and updates sections of the law dealing with the former United States Lighthouse Service. The service became part of the United States Coast Guard in 1939.

I commend Congressman Golden and the dean of the House, Don Young, for introducing this bipartisan legislation. Of the 9 leading fishing ports in the United States by volume, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) represents 5 of them. Of the top 10 fishing ports by value, he represents 6.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, this, too, will likely be dealt with as commonsense legislation, making sure that the grants are delivered and that the proper amount of grants are delivered to make sure proper safety occurs not only in the fishing industry, but we should move forward to try to do that in all of our industries.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage the support of all of my colleagues, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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