II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3731 

To permit under certain conditions the transportation of passengers between 

ports in the State of Alaska, or between a port in the State of Alaska 

and a port in the State of Washington, on vessels not qualified to 

engage in the coastwise trade that transport more than 1,000 passengers, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2024 

Ms. MURKOWSKI introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To permit under certain conditions the transportation of 

passengers between ports in the State of Alaska, or 

between a port in the State of Alaska and a port in 

the State of Washington, on vessels not qualified to 

engage in the coastwise trade that transport more than 

1,000 passengers, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Cruising for Alaska’s 

5 Workforce Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. LARGE CRUISE SHIPS TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS 

2 BETWEEN PORTS IN ALASKA OR BETWEEN A 

3 PORT IN ALASKA AND A PORT IN WASH4 INGTON. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 551 of title 46, United 

6 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol7 lowing: 

8 ‘‘§ 55124. Large cruise ships transporting passengers 

9 between ports in Alaska or between a 

10 port in Alaska and a port in Washington 

11 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

12 ‘‘(1) CERTIFICATE.—The term ‘certificate’ 

13 means a certificate of financial responsibility for in14 demnification of passengers for nonperformance of 

15 transportation issued by the Federal Maritime Com16 mission under section 44102 of this title. 

17 ‘‘(2) COVERED PASSENGER VESSEL.—The term 

18 ‘covered passenger vessel’ means a vessel to which 

19 sections 3507 and 3508 of this title apply, as de20 scribed in section 3507(k) of this title, that is trans21 porting more than 1,000 passengers. 

22 ‘‘(3) COVERED ROUTE.—The term ‘covered 

23 route’, with respect to the transportation of pas24 sengers, means a route transporting passengers di25 rectly between— 


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1 ‘‘(A) a port in the State of Alaska and an2 other port in the State of Alaska; or 

3 ‘‘(B) a port in the State of Alaska and a 

4 port in the State of Washington. 

5 ‘‘(b) EXEMPTION FROM REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANS6 PORTATION OF PASSENGERS.—Notwithstanding section 

7 55103 and except as otherwise provided in this section, 

8 a covered passenger vessel that is not qualified to engage 

9 in the coastwise trade may transport passengers on a cov10 ered route. 

11 ‘‘(c) EXPIRATION OF EXEMPTION.—On a showing to 

12 the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard 

13 is operating made after the date of enactment of this sec14 tion by the owner or charterer of a covered passenger ves15 sel that such vessel is qualified to engage in the coastwise 

16 trade and is offering or advertising passenger service be17 tween a port in one State and a port in another State, 

18 or between 2 ports in the same State, without regard to 

19 whether such service is on a covered route, pursuant to 

20 a certificate, the Secretary shall notify the owner or oper21 ator of each covered passenger vessel transporting pas22 sengers under subsection (b) on any covered route to ter23 minate that transportation within 270 days after the Sec24 retary’s notification. Except as provided in subsection (d), 

25 the authority to transport passengers under subsection (b) 


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1 on any covered route shall expire at the end of that 270- 

2 day period. 

3 ‘‘(d) DELAYING EXPIRATION.—If the covered pas4 senger vessel described in subsection (c) that is qualified 

5 to engage in the coastwise trade has not begun the service 

6 described in such subsection within 270 days after the 

7 Secretary’s notification, the expiration provided by sub8 section (c) is delayed until 90 days after such vessel begins 

9 that service. 

10 ‘‘(e) REINSTATEMENT OF EXEMPTION.—If the Sec11 retary finds that the covered passenger vessel described 

12 in subsection (c) that is qualified to engage in the coast13 wise trade is no longer available for the service described 

14 in such subsection or any passenger service between a port 

15 in one State and a port in another State, or between 2 

16 ports in the same State, the authority to transport pas17 sengers on any covered route under subsection (b) shall 

18 be reinstated.’’. 

19 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 

20 chapter 551 of title 46, United States Code, is amended 

21 by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘55124. Large cruise ships transporting passengers between ports in Alaska or 

between a port in Alaska and a port in Washington.’’. 

Æ 


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