NOA/D and AIS Proposal

2/19/2009

The US Coast Guard released its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on vessel requirements for notices of arrival and departure (NOAD) and the Automatic Identification System (AIS). The requirement to electronically submit an advance notice of arrival or departure would, under this proposal, be expanded to include all foreign vessels regardless of size departing to or coming from a US port or place and all US commercial vessels regardless of size coming to a US port or place from a foreign port. The AIS carriage requirement would be expanded for US vessels. AIS would be required on all domestic vessels of 500 GT or greater, regardless of its destination; all domestic vessels of 300 GT or greater on an international voyage; and all domestic vessels of 150 GT or greater when carrying more than 12 passengers on an international voyage. The exemption for fishing vessels and for small passenger vessels would be revoked. Dredges and floating plants operating near channels and vessels moving or carrying certain dangerous cargoes (CDC) would be required to carry AIS. The geographic limitation of the AIS requirement to VTS areas would be eliminated, making the carriage requirement applicable for covered vessels operating anywhere on the navigable waters of the United States. 73 Fed. Reg. 76295.