Increased Jones Act Oversight in the Works

Jones Act interests have complained that U.S. coastwise laws, particularly as applied in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, lack rigorous enforcement. The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (section 216) responds by making explicit the Coast Guard's authority to enforce the Jones Act, and it directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congressional committees on "the enforcement strategies and enforcement actions taken to enforce the coastwise trade laws." The report is due in October 2011 and could serve as a spring-board for pro-Jones Act advocates to renew focus on Jones Act enforcement.