H.R. 2959: Hudson River Protection Act

The Hudson River Protection Act aims to amend existing legislation regarding vessels anchoring in certain areas of the Hudson River. The key elements of the bill include:

Prohibition on Anchoring

The bill proposes a prohibition on any vessel anchoring in a specified reach of the Hudson River. This prohibition would be enforced unless the anchoring occurs within designated anchorage grounds that were established before January 1, 2021. This means that any vessel wanting to anchor in the specified area would need to do so only in the pre-existing anchorage spots, effectively limiting new anchoring sites.

Amendments to Existing Law

The bill seeks to make changes to Section 8437 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 by:

• Removing certain subsections that are likely related to the management of anchoring regulations.
• Redesignating existing subsections to reflect the changes made by the bill.
• Introducing a new subsection that explicitly outlines the prohibition of anchoring in certain areas.

Implementation and Oversight

The Commandant, who oversees maritime activities, would be tasked with enforcing the new anchoring regulations as outlined in the bill. This would likely involve monitoring vessel activity and ensuring compliance with the newly established rules.

Goals of the Legislation

The overarching goal of the Hudson River Protection Act appears to be the protection of specific areas of the Hudson River from potential disturbances caused by vessels anchoring in locations that could negatively impact the environment or other maritime activities.

Impact Scope

This bill is focused specifically on the regulation of anchoring in the Hudson River, and its provisions would apply to various types of vessels operating in the designated area.

Relevant Companies

None found.