The Jones Act
The Jones Act ensures a robust shipbuilding industrial base that helps ensure the U.S. maintains its expertise in shipbuilding and ship repair that can be utilized by the nation’s armed forces.
Government Shipbuilding and Ship Repair
The ability of the United States to maintain the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry is an issue of national security. U.S. shipyards have a long and proud tradition of building the military vessels that are the foundation of our maritime presence in the world.
Economic Security
The U.S. shipyard industrial base is vital to America’s economic security. The private U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry employs highly skilled men and women building the largest and most sophisticated fleets in the world.
National and Homeland Security
The Jones Act, formally known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, is the cornerstone of America’s maritime strategy, ensuring that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports are carried on ships that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, and U.S.-crewed.
By upholding the Jones Act, the United States safeguards its domestic shipbuilding capabilities, maintains a robust and highly skilled workforce, and strengthens its economic and national security.
National Defense Authorization Act
The Shipbuilders Council of America provides detailed analyses and comparisons of the President’s budget and major Congressional proposals throughout the annual budget process, including the NDAA.
Congressional Appropriations
The Shipbuilders Council of America understands the complex funding challenges associated with ship construction and provides our members detailed and thorough analyses of Congressional Appropriations that affect the bottom lines of SCA member companies.
SCA Weekly Reports & Analysis
The Shipbuilders Council of America Weekly Report is published every Friday and reports on the week’s government and industry news of interest to our members. The weekly report is the foremost industry publication that highlights industry news and is only available to SCA members.
Shipyard Safety and Health
SCA has partnered with OSHA through the Alliance program since 2003. The Alliance promotes continued awareness and training of employees in the industry. Through the Alliance, OSHA and the Shipbuilding Group will provide shipyards across the country with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers, particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to electrical, ergonomic, struck-by, and slip, trip and fall hazards in shipyard employment, and by addressing issues of non-English-speaking or limited-English-speaking workers. Currently, SCA has an Alliance with OSHA Region 3.
Our Members
Our mission is to unify the industry and serve as the definitive shipyard industrial base advocate in Washington, D.C. and around the country.
Shipbuilders Council of America keeps its members informed on all matters important to their growth, profitability and success involving legislative, regulatory, and policy matters and represents members before Congress, Executive Branch agencies and departments, public policy organizations and industry associations.