U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski introduced legislation last week that aims to provide a permanent exemption from the Passenger Vessel Services Act for cruises transporting passengers to Alaska from the U.S. The legislation is titled the Cruising for Alaska’s Workforce Act, which is an effort to support U.S. shipbuilders and Alaska’s tourism industry.
In a follow-up, Sen. Lisa Murkowski told KSRM that Kenai Peninsula residents are encouraged to give their thoughts on the legislation:
“This is to provide a permanent exemption from the PVSA for cruises that are bringing passengers to the state from within the United States. This is a response that many would say is long overdue. Again, what we are seeking to do is to make sure that Alaska’s economy remains strong, but also making sure that we do not eliminate the opportunity for U.S. built cruise ships. So, we’re working to ensure that our commerce is not derailed by the government of another country, but we also want to make sure that our U.S. shipbuilders remain competitive.”
Murkowski said that virtually all of the cruises were shut out of Alaska due to COVID and the response from the Canadian government in compliance with the Passenger Vessel Services Act:
“This is a law that has been in place, again, for over a century designed to help benefit American shipbuilders and merchant mariners and to bolster our nation in readiness in times of conflict. What we discovered was that when the pandemic hit, this was a law that protected Canada at the expense of the Alaskan economy.”
In 2019, Alaska hosted over 1.3 million visitors by way of cruise ships. That number ground to a halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated mandates, affecting Alaskan small businesses and Alaska’s economy overall.
Click here for a link to the bill.