NMMA - National Marine Manufacturers Association Inc.
02/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/04/2026 07:43
House Lawmakers Examine TSCA Modernization and Impacts on Manufacturers
On Thursday, January 22nd, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing on modernization of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), with witnesses and members debating how chemical risk evaluations affect U.S. manufacturers and workers.
The hearing, titled Chemicals in Commerce: Legislative Proposal to Modernize America's Chemical Safety Law, Strengthen Critical Supply Chains, and Grow Domestic Manufacturing, examined targeted reforms to increase accountability and strengthen domestic manufacturing, among other goals. Recreational boat manufacturing and associated components use resins, coatings, and composites that may fall under TSCA regulation.
The hearing focused on how EPA conducts chemical risk assessments and whether current approaches fully account for existing workplace protections, environmental controls, and how products are actually used. Several witnesses raised concerns that overly conservative or duplicative evaluations could disrupt domestic manufacturing without improving safety outcomes.
For recreational marine manufacturers, the discussion underscored the importance of a regulatory framework that recognizes real-world conditions of use. Boat builders and component manufacturers already comply with multiple stringent regulations including OSHA exposure limits, Clean Air Act requirements, and state permitting programs and take the safety and wellbeing of their workforce seriously. NMMA has long emphasized that TSCA evaluations should reflect these existing safeguards while ensuring that review processes continue to protect health and the environment.
During the hearing, members also highlighted the need to balance health and environmental protection with economic competitiveness. Witness testimony reinforced that smart, science-based regulation can support both goals when it accounts for downstream manufacturers and service facilities, not just chemical producers.
Recreational boating is a uniquely American industry. Ninety-five percent of boats sold in the U.S. are made in the United States, supporting more than 812,000 jobs and 36,000 businesses nationwide. Many of these are small and mid-sized manufacturers that depend on regulatory certainty to invest in innovation, workforce training, and sustainability improvements.
In conjunction with the hearing, NMMA submitted a letter for the congressional record expressing support for the committee's draft TSCA modernization proposal and urging lawmakers to ensure updates strengthen health protections while avoiding duplicative regulation for downstream manufacturers.
[Link placeholder: NMMA letter for the record supporting the TSCA modernization discussion draft]
For questions about boat manufacturing and TSCA, please contact Jeff Wasil, NMMA's Vice President of Environmental Compliance and Marine Technology, at [email protected].
NMMA - National Marine Manufacturers Association Inc. published this content on February 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 04, 2026 at 13:43 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]