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Hearing calls for updated rules for autonomous vessels and spotlights hybrid ferries; speaker criticizes Coast Guard policy change
Summary
At a hearing, an unidentified speaker urged updates to Coast Guard regulations for autonomous vessels to protect safety and jobs, highlighted Washington state's work on hybrid electric ferries to cut emissions, and said they were disappointed by a recent Coast Guard anti‑harassment policy change and will question witnesses about it.
At a hearing, an unidentified speaker urged the Coast Guard to update regulations governing autonomous vessels, saying rapid technological advances and examples like the 2021 Mayflower autonomous research vessel show the need for new rules.
The speaker said automation "is gonna play an increasingly important role in both commercial maritime and in coast guard operations," and argued that new tools — from Coast Guard UAVs to uncrewed vessels and engine automation — should "supplement and not supplant the work of service members." The speaker stressed that while UAVs can extend search-and-rescue reach, "no technology can replace cutters in the water or helicopters in the air."
The speaker pointed to the international nature of commercial…
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