US Water Resources Bill clears another hurdle

The US House passed the HR 3080 Act recently in an overwhelming 417-3 majority vote, welcomed by the Florida Ports Council and its members.

Andy Fobes, spokesperson, Tampa Port Authority, told Port Strategy that the bill will now go to conference committee.

“We are hopeful that a bill will be forthcoming from the conference committee and signed by the President by the end of the year. The actual timetable for the bill to proceed will depend on how quickly agreement can be reached between the Senate and the House in conference committee,” he said.

Mr Fobes added that the new legislation can’t come soon enough because the new legislation will mean stronger, more competitive ports boosting the economy as a whole.

As America’s fourth largest state, Florida has a large congressional presence and 18 of its 27 House members have banded together in what has become known as the Florida Port Caucus, to push the interests of the state’s seaports in the capital.

Tampa Port president and chief executive Paul Anderson has also been instrumental in pushing the legislation forward under the auspices of the Florida Ports Council, which has actively advocated for WRDA passage on behalf of the 15 ports in the state of Florida.

The US Senate approved the WRDA bill back in July. It aims to deepen the nation’s federal channels and better support the business interests of the country’s seaports, down to the Army Corps of Engineers who maintain the US navigation system.

A key part of the bill concerns the Harbor Maintenance Tax which has been collected from trade flows. The worry is that the funds will be spent on dredging rather than being saved up or worse, spent on non-maritime projects.