‘‘(A) provide each prospective applicable 
passenger with a summary in accordance with 
the standards that apply to the covered pas-
senger vessel under paragraph (1); 
‘‘(B) include a prominently accessible link 
to the summary on each Internet website that 
the owner maintains for prospective applicable 
passengers to purchase or book passage on the 
covered passenger vessel; and 
‘‘(C) include the summary in any pro-
motional literature or advertising, through any 
medium of communication in the United States 
offering passage or soliciting applicable pas-
sengers for ocean voyages anywhere in the 
world, that the Secretary considers necessary to 
adequately notify a prospective applicable pas-
senger of the key terms in the passage contract 
before such terms are binding. 
‘‘(7) PREEMPTION.—The standards developed 
under paragraph (1) shall preempt any related State 
standards that require a summary that provides less 
information to a prospective applicable passenger 
than the information required to be provided under 
this subsection, as determined by the Secretary. 
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‘‘(b) COVERED
PASSENGER
VESSEL
CONSUMER 
COMPLAINTS.— 
‘‘(1) TOLL-FREE
HOTLINE
AND
INTERNET 
WEBSITE LINK FOR CONSUMER PASSENGER VESSEL 
COMPLAINTS.—The Secretary, acting through the 
Assistant General Counsel, shall— 
‘‘(A) establish a consumer complaints toll- 
free hotline telephone number for applicable 
passengers; 
‘‘(B) establish a consumer complaints link 
for use by applicable passengers on the Internet 
website maintained under section 16106(i); and 
‘‘(C) notify the public of— 
‘‘(i) the telephone number established 
under subparagraph (A); and 
‘‘(ii) the Internet website maintained 
under section 16106(i). 
‘‘(2) WEBSITE.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Assistant General Counsel, shall— 
‘‘(A) maintain a statistical compilation of 
all consumer complaints on the Internet website 
under section 16106(i) that provides a numer-
ical accounting of each category of consumer 
complaint; 
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‘‘(B) update the data referred to in sub-
paragraph (A) not less frequently than monthly; 
‘‘(C) aggregate such data by covered pas-
senger vessel; and 
‘‘(D) identify each covered passenger vessel 
by name. 
‘‘(3) INVESTIGATIONS
OF
CONSUMER
COM-
PLAINTS.—The Secretary, acting through the Assist-
ant General Counsel and in coordination with other 
relevant Federal agencies, may investigate consumer 
complaints from applicable passengers, including— 
‘‘(A) cancellations, delays, and port skip-
ping; 
‘‘(B) lost, damaged, and delayed baggage; 
‘‘(C) conditions on board the covered pas-
senger vessel; 
‘‘(D) problems in obtaining refunds for un-
used or lost tickets or fare adjustments; 
‘‘(E) incorrect or incomplete information 
about fares, discount fare conditions and avail-
ability, overcharges, and fare increases; 
‘‘(F) deceptive or misleading advertising; 
and 
‘‘(G) compliance with Federal regulations. 
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‘‘(4) REFERRAL TO FEDERAL OR STATE AGEN-
CY.—The Secretary may refer any complaint re-
ceived under this subsection to the Attorney General 
or a relevant Federal or State agency for action, as 
appropriate. 
‘‘(5) NOTICE TO PASSENGERS.— 
‘‘(A) INTERNET WEBSITES.—Each owner 
of a covered passenger vessel shall include, in a 
conspicuous location on each Internet website 
that such owner maintains for applicable pas-
sengers to purchase or book passage on the cov-
ered passenger vessel— 
‘‘(i) the telephone number established 
under paragraph (1)(A); 
‘‘(ii) the consumer complaints link es-
tablished under paragraph (1)(B); and 
‘‘(iii) any other information necessary 
for an applicable passenger to submit a 
consumer complaint for resolution. 
‘‘(B) BOARDING
DOCUMENTATION.—The 
owner of a covered passenger vessel shall in-
clude the telephone number and Internet ad-
dress of the link for consumer complaints estab-
lished under paragraph (1) on— 
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‘‘(i) any promotional literature or ad-
vertising, through any medium of commu-
nication in the United States offering pas-
sage or soliciting applicable passengers for 
ocean voyages on covered passenger ves-
sels, that the Secretary considers necessary 
to adequately notify such prospective pas-
senger of the telephone number and Inter-
net address; and 
‘‘(ii) any electronic confirmation of 
the purchase of passage on a covered pas-
senger vessel. 
‘‘(c) PENALTIES.— 
‘‘(1) CIVIL
PENALTY.—The Secretary, acting 
through the Assistant General Counsel, may impose 
on any person that violates this section or a regula-
tion under this section a civil penalty of not more 
than $25,000 for each day during which the viola-
tion continues. 
‘‘(2) CRIMINAL
PENALTY.—Any person that 
willfully violates this section or a regulation under 
this section shall be fined not more than $250,000 
or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both. 
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‘‘(d) RULEMAKING.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Assistant General Counsel, shall issue such regulations 
as are necessary to implement this section. 
‘‘§ 16105. Invalidation of pre-dispute arbitration and 
class action waiver clauses in certain 
contracts relating to covered passenger 
vessel transportation 
‘‘(a) COVERED CONTRACT.—In this section, the term 
‘covered contract’ means a contract for the purchase of 
a ticket for transportation on a covered passenger vessel. 
‘‘(b) ARBITRATION.—Notwithstanding any other pro-
vision of law, arbitration may be used to settle a con-
troversy arising from or relating to a provision of a cov-
ered contract only if, after the controversy arises, all par-
ties to the controversy consent, in writing, to use arbitra-
tion to settle the controversy. 
‘‘(c) CLASS ACTIONS.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, no predispute joint-action waiver shall 
be valid or enforceable with respect to any alleged claim 
regarding a covered contract. 
‘‘(d) COURT DETERMINATIONS.—An issue as to 
whether this section applies with respect to a dispute shall 
be determined under Federal law. The applicability of this 
section to an agreement to arbitrate and the validity and 
enforceability of a covered contract shall be determined by 
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