Small Passenger Vessel Inspection and Certification

The Coast Guard is adopting, as a final rule with some changes, the interim final rule which completely revised the regulations affecting small passenger vessels of less than 100 gross tons. This rule creates a separate subchapter for small passenger vessels carrying more than 150 passengers or having overnight accommodations for more than 49 passengers, provides additional alternatives to certain required lifesaving equipment, adopts additional industry standards, and establishes new upper-limit breakpoints above which a passenger vessel of less than 100 gross tons must comply with the same construction and outfitting requirements applicable to a passenger vessel of 100 gross tons or more. It also updates the regulations to accommodate the advanced technology, larger size, and increased passenger-carrying capacity of small passenger vessels.