I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6408 
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 
JUNE 26, 2008 
Ms. MATSUI (for herself, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, 
Mr. SHAYS, and Mr. DOGGETT) 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 2008’’. 
(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. 
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Sec. 4. Detailing Coast Guard personnel to enforce cruise ship requirements. 
Sec. 5. Study and report on the security needs of passenger vessels. 
Sec. 6. Amendment of the Death on the High Seas Act. 
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) Even with these high passenger numbers, 
few vacationing passengers on cruise vessels fully ap-
preciate their potential vulnerability to crime while 
on an ocean voyage, and those who are victimized 
often do not know their legal rights or whom to con-
tact for help in the immediate aftermath of the 
crime. 
(4) On numerous occasions, sexual violence, the 
disappearance of passengers from vessels on the 
high seas, and other serious crimes have occurred 
during luxury cruises. 
(5) Over the last five years, sexual assault and 
physical assaults on cruise vessels were the leading 
crimes reported to and investigated by the Federal 
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Bureau of Investigation with regard to cruise vessel 
incidents. 
(6) These crimes at sea can involve attacks 
both by passengers and crewmembers on other pas-
sengers and crewmembers. 
(7) There are no Federal statutes or regula-
tions that explicitly require cruise lines to report al-
leged crimes to United States Government officials, 
unless such crimes occur within the territorial wa-
ters of the United States. 
(8) It is not known precisely how often crimes 
occur on cruise vessels or exactly how many people 
have disappeared during ocean voyages because 
cruise line companies do not make comprehensive, 
crime-related data readily available to the public. 
(9) Obtaining reliable crime-related cruise data 
from governmental sources can be difficult, because 
multiple countries may be involved when a crime oc-
curs on the high seas, including the flag country for 
the vessel, the country of citizenship of particular 
passengers, and any countries having special or mar-
itime jurisdiction. 
(10) Due to the absence of law enforcement of-
ficials on ocean voyages, it can be difficult or impos-
sible for professional criminal investigators to imme-
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