II 

Calendar No. 658 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1717 

[Report No. 114–367] 

To amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only 

operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not 

constructed of fire-retardant materials. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 8, 2015 

Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. PORTMAN, Mrs. MCCASKILL, Mr. BOOZMAN, 

Mr. VITTER, Mr. COTTON, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. CASSIDY, and Mr. BLUNT) 

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

OCTOBER 27, 2016 

Reported under authority of the order of the Senate of September 29, 2016, 

by Mr. THUNE, without amendment 

A BILL 

To amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels 

that only operate within inland waterways from the fireretardant materials requirement if the owners of such 

vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 

10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not 

constructed of fire-retardant materials. 


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2 

•S 1717 RS

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

3 SECTION 1. FIRE-RETARDANT MATERIALS EXEMPTION. 

4 Section 3503 of title 46, United States Code, is 

5 amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘2008, this 

7 section’’ and inserting ‘‘2028, this subsection’’; and 

8 (2) in subsection (b)(1)— 

9 (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 

10 (A), by striking ‘‘this section’’ and inserting 

11 ‘‘subsection (a)’’; 

12 (B) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 

13 ‘‘and crew’’ after ‘‘prospective passengers’’; 

14 (C) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘or 

15 crew member’’ after ‘‘passenger’’; 

16 (D) in subparagraph (C), by striking 

17 ‘‘and’’ at the end; and 

18 (E) by striking subparagraph (D) and in19 serting the following: 

20 ‘‘(D) the owner or managing operator of 

21 the vessel shall— 

22 ‘‘(i) make annual structural alter23 ations to not less than 10 percent of the 

24 areas of the vessel that are not constructed 

25 of fire-retardant materials; 


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•S 1717 RS

1 ‘‘(ii) provide advance notice to the 

2 Coast Guard regarding the alterations 

3 made pursuant to clause (i); and 

4 ‘‘(iii) comply with any noncombustible 

5 material requirements prescribed by the 

6 Coast Guard; and 

7 ‘‘(E) the requirements referred to in sub8 paragraph (D)(iii) shall, to the extent prac9 ticable, be consistent with the preservation of 

10 the historic integrity of the vessel in areas car11 rying or accessible to passengers or generally 

12 visible to the public.’’. 


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Calendar No. 658 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1717 

[Report No. 114–367] 

A BILL 

To amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt 

of fire-retardant materials. the areas of the vessels that are not constructed structural alterations to at least 10 percent of ment if the owners of such vessels make annual ways from the fire-retardant materials requireold vessels that only operate within inland waterOCTOBER 27, 2016 

Reported without amendment 


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