II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4592 

To establish a Maritime Task Force and a private sector advisory committee 

to address the health, safety, security, and logistical issues relating 

to the continuation of maritime travel, including the resumption of cruise 

operations, in United States waters during the COVID–19 public health 

emergency. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 

Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself and Mr. RUBIO) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To establish a Maritime Task Force and a private sector 

advisory committee to address the health, safety, security, and logistical issues relating to the continuation 

of maritime travel, including the resumption of cruise 

operations, in United States waters during the COVID– 

19 public health emergency. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Set Sail Safely Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MARITIME TASK FORCE. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Upon enactment of the Set 

3 Sail Safely Act, there is established a Maritime Task 

4 Force to address the health, safety, security, and logistical 

5 issues relating to the continuation of maritime travel, in6 cluding the resumption of cruise operations, in United 

7 States waters during the COVID–19 public health emer8 gency. 

9 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Maritime Task Force 

11 shall consist of the following members, or their des12 ignees: 

13 (A) The Secretary of Homeland Security, 

14 who shall serve as the chair of the Task Force. 

15 (B) The Secretary of Commerce. 

16 (C) The Secretary of Transportation. 

17 (D) The Secretary of Health and Human 

18 Services. 

19 (E) The Commandant of the Coast Guard. 

20 (F) The Director of the Centers for Dis21 ease Control and Prevention. 

22 (G) The Administrator of the Transpor23 tation Security Administration. 

24 (H) The Commissioner of the U.S. Cus25 toms and Border Protection. 

26 (I) The Secretary of State. 


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1 (J) The Administrator of the Environ2 mental Protection Agency. 

3 (K) The Chairman of the Federal Mari4 time Commission. 

5 (L) The Chair of the National Economic 

6 Council of the United States. 

7 (c) DUTIES.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Maritime Task Force 

9 shall meet in-person or virtually during the duration 

10 of the COVID–19 public health emergency to de11 velop a plan containing information about the re12 quirements and protocols that each Federal agency 

13 represented on the Maritime Task Force will imple14 ment to address the health, safety, security, and 

15 logistical issues relating to the continuation of mari16 time travel in United States waters during the 

17 COVID–19 public health emergency, and with re18 spect to the resumption of cruise operations and in19 creased passenger maritime travel after the COVID– 

20 19 public health emergency ends. 

21 (2) PRIVATE SECTOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE

22 RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not more than— 

23 (A) 10 days after receiving the written rec24 ommendations from the private sector advisory 

25 committee under section 3(c), the Secretary 


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1 shall call an in-person or virtual meeting be2 tween the private sector advisory committee and 

3 the Maritime Task Force; 

4 (B) 10 days after the meeting under sub5 paragraph (A), the Secretary shall publish the 

6 plan required under paragraph (1) in the Fed7 eral Register; and 

8 (C) 30 days after the publication of such 

9 plan in the Federal Register, each Federal 

10 agency represented on the Maritime Task Force 

11 shall begin implementing the plan developed 

12 under paragraph (1), including taking nec13 essary administrative actions to implement the 

14 requirements and protocols of the plan. 

15 (d) COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.—The 

16 term ‘‘COVID–19 public health emergency’’ means the 

17 public health emergency related to the coronavirus that 

18 has been declared by the Secretary of Health and Human 

19 Services pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health 

20 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d). 

21 SEC. 3. PRIVATE SECTOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 7 days after the 

23 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 

24 Security shall nominate representatives to a private sector 


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1 advisory committee to work in consultation with the Mari2 time Task Force. 

3 (b) COMPOSITION.—The private sector advisory com4 mittee shall consist of the following members: 

5 (1) Two representatives from the passenger 

6 cruise line industry. 

7 (2) One representative from the harbor pilots 

8 industry. 

9 (3) Two representatives from longshoremen 

10 unions. 

11 (4) One representative from the travel agent in12 dustry. 

13 (5) One representative from a port council. 

14 (6) One representative from vessel and cargo 

15 operations. 

16 (7) One representative from commercial fisher17 men. 

18 (8) One representative from a small business 

19 whose primary income is derived from working with 

20 a port or cruise company. 

21 (9) One representative who is a nongovern22 mental medical health professional with expertise in 

23 infectious diseases. 

24 (c) DUTIES.—Not later than 15 days after the ap25 pointment of all members of the private sector advisory 


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1 committee, the private sector advisory committee shall 

2 submit written recommendations to the Maritime Task 

3 Force established under section 2 on policies and proce4 dures to be adopted for the safe resumption of the cruise 

5 line industry during and after the COVID–19 public 

6 health emergency, including providing recommendations 

7 about— 

8 (1) best scientific practices; 

9 (2) measures adopted in other travel industries 

10 that may be adapted for the cruise line industry; 

11 and 

12 (3) general matters affecting the safe and rea13 sonable resumption of cruise line activity. 

14 (d) ADMINISTRATION.— 

15 (1) EMPLOYEE STATUS.—A member of the pri16 vate sector advisory committee shall not be consid17 ered an employee of the Federal Government by rea18 son of service on such committee, except for the pur19 poses of the following: 

20 (A) Chapter 81 of title 5. 

21 (B) Chapter 171 of title 28 and any other 

22 Federal law relating to tort liability. 

23 (2) ACCEPTANCE OF VOLUNTEER SERVICES.— 

24 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a mem25 ber of the private sector advisory committee shall 


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1 serve on such committee on a voluntary basis with2 out pay. 

3 (3) STATUS OF MEMBERS.—With respect to a 

4 member of the committee whom the Secretary of 

5 Homeland Security appoints to represent an entity 

6 or group— 

7 (A) the member is authorized to represent 

8 the interests of the applicable entity or group; 

9 and 

10 (B) requirements under Federal law that 

11 would interfere with such representation and 

12 that apply to a special Government employee 

13 (as defined in section 202(a) of title 18), in14 cluding requirements relating to employee con15 duct, political activities, ethics, conflicts of in16 terest, and corruption, do not apply to the 

17 member. 

18 (4) SERVICE ON COMMITTEE.— 

19 (A) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary of 

20 Homeland Security shall not seek, consider, or 

21 otherwise use information concerning the polit22 ical affiliation of an appointee in making an ap23 pointment to the committee. 

24 (B) SERVICE AT PLEASURE OF THE SEC25 RETARY.—Each member of the committee shall 


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1 serve at the pleasure of the Secretary of Home2 land Security. 

3 (5) SECURITY BACKGROUND EXAMINATIONS.— 

4 The Secretary of Homeland Security may require an 

5 individual to have passed an appropriate security 

6 background examination before appointment to the 

7 committee. 

8 (6) PROHIBITION.—A Federal employee may 

9 not be appointed as a member of the committee. 

10 (7) STAFF SERVICES.—The Secretary of Home11 land Security shall furnish to the committee any 

12 staff and services considered by the Secretary of 

13 Homeland Security to be necessary for the conduct 

14 of the committee’s functions. 

15 (8) TERMINATION.—The Committee shall ter16 minate upon conclusion of COVID–19 public health 

17 emergency, as defined in section 2(d). 

18 SEC. 4. NO FUNDING AUTHORIZED. 

19 The Secretary of Homeland Security shall carry out 

20 this Act using amounts appropriated or otherwise avail21 able to the Secretary. 

Æ 


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