DEMA is grateful to Reps. Aaron Bean (FL-04) and Julia Brownley (CA-26) for speaking in favor of a bipartisan solution to provide the SCUBA diving industry with much needed relief from skyrocketing insurance costs at today’s U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Coast Guard Reauthorization markup. 

Earlier today, Rep. Bean spoke to an amendment based on DEMA’s “Don’t Imperil Vessel Employees, Business Owners, and Tourism Act” or “DIVE BOAT Act” that was drafted in consultation with outside insurance actuaries to ensure it would provide insurance pricing relief. Understanding the need, Rep. Brownley spoke in favor of the Committee working together to refine language as it moves through the legislative process. 

In December 2022, the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act amended a longstanding Maritime Law that removed liability limits and created two-year retroactive liability exposure for a subset of small businesses operating primarily in the diving industry.  

As DEMA cautioned, these changes are now dramatically increasing insurance costs and having unintended consequences. Many diving businesses around the nation, including those without boats or operating day-boats, are already seeing dramatic increases. Owners are voicing concerns that they will have to limit operations, lay off staff or limit hours, and divert funds necessary for boat maintenance, safety equipment, and staff training. 

To provide insurance relief, DEMA developed the DIVE BOAT Act, which would reduce the lookback period for liability claims from two years to one year for overnight vessels, which is more in-line with how insurance premiums are assessed. It also removes “day-boats” from the list of vessels subject to heightened liability standards, reverting them back to the same liability standard as all other vessel operators, including cruise lines and sport fishing. 

DEMA is grateful to the T&I Committee for their commitment to include a fix as the underlying bill makes its way to the House Floor. Tom Ingram, DEMA President and CEO expressed thanks to lawmakers, saying, “We again would like to thank Rep. Aaron Bean for championing the provision and Rep. Julia Brownley for voicing her support for a bipartisan solution. Finally, we are thankful to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA-20) for his assistance and guidance on this important bipartisan issue.”