I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3360 
To amend title 46, United States Code, to establish requirements to ensure 
the security and safety of passengers and crew on cruise vessels, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2009 
Ms. MATSUI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 46, United States Code, to establish require-
ments to ensure the security and safety of passengers 
and crew on cruise vessels, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2009’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Cruise vessel security and safety requirements. 
Sec. 4. Study and report on the security needs of passenger vessels. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) There are approximately 200 overnight 
ocean-going cruise vessels worldwide. The average 
ocean-going cruise vessel carries 2,000 passengers 
with a crew of 950 people. 
(2) In 2007 alone, approximately 12,000,000 
passengers were projected to take a cruise world-
wide. 
(3) Passengers on cruise vessels have an inad-
equate appreciation of their potential vulnerability to 
crime while on ocean voyages, and those who may be 
victimized lack the information they need to under-
stand their legal rights or to know whom to contact 
for help in the immediate aftermath of the crime. 
(4) Sexual violence, the disappearance of pas-
sengers from vessels on the high seas, and other se-
rious crimes have occurred during luxury cruises. 
(5) Over the last 5 years, sexual assault and 
physical assaults on cruise vessels were the leading 
crimes investigated by the Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation with regard to cruise vessel incidents. 
(6) These crimes at sea can involve attacks 
both by passengers and crew members on other pas-
sengers and crew members. 
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‘‘§ 3507. Passenger vessel security and safety require-
ments 
‘‘(a) VESSEL DESIGN, EQUIPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, 
AND RETROFITTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each vessel to which this 
subsection applies shall comply with the following 
design and construction standards: 
‘‘(A) The vessel shall be equipped with 
ship rails that are located not less than 42 
inches above the cabin deck. 
‘‘(B) Each passenger stateroom and crew 
cabin shall be equipped with entry doors that 
include peep holes or other means of visual 
identification. 
‘‘(C) For any vessel the keel of which is 
laid after the date of enactment of the Cruise 
Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2009, each 
passenger stateroom and crew cabin shall be 
equipped with— 
‘‘(i) security latches; and 
‘‘(ii) time-sensitive key technology. 
‘‘(D) The vessel shall integrate technology 
that can be used for capturing images of pas-
sengers or detecting passengers who have fallen 
overboard, to the extent that such technology is 
available. 
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‘‘(E) The vessel shall be equipped with a 
sufficient number of operable acoustic hailing 
or other such warning devices to provide com-
munication capability around the entire vessel 
when operating in high risk areas (as defined 
by the United States Coast Guard). 
‘‘(2) FIRE
SAFETY
CODES.—In administering 
the requirements of paragraph (1)(C), the Secretary 
shall take into consideration fire safety and other 
applicable emergency requirements established by 
the U.S. Coast Guard and under international law, 
as appropriate. 
‘‘(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the requirements of para-
graph (1) shall take effect 18 months after the 
date of enactment of the Cruise Vessel Security 
and Safety Act of 2009. 
‘‘(B) LATCH AND KEY REQUIREMENTS.— 
The requirements of paragraph (1)(C) take ef-
fect on the date of enactment of the Cruise Ves-
sel Security and Safety Act of 2009. 
‘‘(b) VIDEO RECORDING.— 
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT
TO
MAINTAIN
SURVEIL-
LANCE.—The owner of a vessel to which this section 
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applies shall maintain a video surveillance system to 
assist in documenting crimes on the vessel and in 
providing evidence for the prosecution of such 
crimes, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) ACCESS TO VIDEO RECORDS.—The owner 
of a vessel to which this section applies shall provide 
to any law enforcement official performing official 
duties in the course and scope of an investigation, 
upon request, a copy of all records of video surveil-
lance that the official believes may provide evidence 
of a crime reported to law enforcement officials. 
‘‘(c) SAFETY INFORMATION.—The owner of a vessel 
to which this section applies shall provide in each pas-
senger stateroom, and post in a location readily accessible 
to all crew and in other places specified by the Secretary, 
information regarding the locations of the United States 
embassy and each consulate of the United States for each 
country the vessel will visit during the course of the voy-
age. 
‘‘(d) SEXUAL ASSAULT.—The owner of a vessel to 
which this section applies shall— 
‘‘(1) maintain on the vessel adequate, in-date 
supplies of anti-retroviral medications and other 
medications designed to prevent sexually transmitted 
diseases after a sexual assault; 
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‘‘(2) maintain on the vessel equipment and ma-
terials for performing a medical examination in sex-
ual assault cases to evaluate the patient for trauma, 
provide medical care, and preserve relevant medical 
evidence; 
‘‘(3) make available on the vessel at all times 
medical staff who have undergone a credentialing 
process to verify that he or she— 
‘‘(A) possesses a current physician’s or 
registered nurse’s license and— 
‘‘(i) has at least 3 years of post-grad-
uate or post-registration clinical practice in 
general and emergency medicine; or 
‘‘(ii) holds board certification in emer-
gency medicine, family practice medicine, 
or internal medicine; 
‘‘(B) is able to provide assistance in the 
event of an alleged sexual assault, has received 
training in conducting forensic sexual assault 
examination, and is able to promptly perform 
such an examination upon request and provide 
proper medical treatment of a victim, including 
administration of anti-retroviral medications 
and other medications that may prevent the 
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transmission of human immunodeficiency virus 
and other sexually transmitted diseases; and 
‘‘(C) meets guidelines established by the 
American College of Emergency Physicians re-
lating to the treatment and care of victims of 
sexual assault; 
‘‘(4) prepare, provide to the patient, and main-
tain written documentation of the findings of such 
examination that is signed by the patient; and 
‘‘(5) provide the patient free and immediate ac-
cess to— 
‘‘(A) contact information for local law en-
forcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 
the United States Coast Guard, the nearest 
United States consulate or embassy, and the 
National Sexual Assault Hotline program or 
other third party victim advocacy hotline serv-
ice; and 
‘‘(B) a private telephone line and Internet- 
accessible computer terminal by which the indi-
vidual may confidentially access law enforce-
ment officials, an attorney, and the information 
and support services available through the Na-
tional Sexual Assault Hotline program or other 
third party victim advocacy hotline service. 
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