- TAMPA, Fla.—Port Tampa Bay congratulated both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on passage of a final water resources bill known as the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, or WIIN (S. 612). The terms set forth in the new legislation will help the U.S. build and maintain seaport/marine infrastructure with greater efficiency.

Port President and CEO Paul Anderson, a long-time advocate for seaports and infrastructure that benefits global trade initiatives, expressed his enthusiasm at the passage of the bill, which passed the House by a vote of 360-61, and the Senate by a vote of 78-21. Anderson has a long career in the maritime field and serves as chairman of the Florida Ports Council, among many other appointments related to trade and transportation.

“We at Port Tampa Bay are very pleased to see this new water resources legislation pass. The more we can do for our collective port system in the United States, the more we help our economy to grow, and the more easily we can plan and improve our infrastructure to enable positive generational impacts,” Anderson said.

In addition, Anderson noted his appreciation to the House and Senate for passing this legislation just two years since the last water resources bill. Passing such legislation every two years is strongly supported by Port Tampa Bay and ports around the nation.

The new WIIN also ensures, through its language, that Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) funding targets will increase by 3% over the prior year, even if the HMT revenue estimates decrease, to continue annual progress toward full use of the HMT by 2025, according to the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), the hemispheric ports association that regularly champions trade-friendly initiatives and supports sweeping efforts to improve the nation’s transportation infrastructure.