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. 
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. 
(7) Except for United States flagged vessels, or 
foreign flagged vessels operating in an area subject 
to the direct jurisdiction of the United States, there 
are no Federal statutes or regulations that explicitly 
require cruise lines to report alleged crimes to 
United States Government officials. 
(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) It can be difficult for professional crime 
investigators to immediately secure an alleged crime 
scene on a cruise vessel, recover evidence of an on-
board offense, and identify or interview potential 
witnesses to the alleged crime. 
(11) Most cruise vessels that operate into and 
out of United States ports are registered under the 
laws of another country, and investigations and 
prosecutions of crimes against passengers and crew 
members may involve the laws and authorities of 
multiple nations. 
(12) The Coast Guard has found it necessary to 
establish 500-yard security zones around cruise ves-
sels to limit the risk of terrorist attack. Recently pi-
racy has dramatically increased throughout the 
world. 
(13) To enhance the safety of cruise pas-
sengers, the owners of cruise vessels could upgrade, 
modernize, and retrofit the safety and security infra-
structure on such vessels by installing peep holes in 
passenger room doors, installing security video cam-
eras in targeted areas, limiting access to passenger 
rooms to select staff during specific times, and in-
stalling acoustic hailing and warning devices capable 
of communicating over distances.
SEC. 3. CRUISE VESSEL SECURITY AND SAFETY REQUIRE-
MENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 35 of title 46, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 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. 
‘‘(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 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 Coast Guard and under international law, as ap-
propriate. 
‘‘(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 
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; 
‘‘(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 
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 Coast Guard, the nearest United States 
consulate or embassy, and the National Sexual 
Assault Hotline program or other third party 
victim advocacy hotline service; 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. 
‘‘(e) CONFIDENTIALITY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAM-
INATION AND SUPPORT INFORMATION.—The master or 
other individual in charge of a vessel to which this section 
applies shall— 
‘‘(1) treat all information concerning an exam-
ination under subsection (d) confidential, so that no 
medical information may be released to the cruise 
line or other owner of the vessel or any legal rep-
resentative thereof without the prior knowledge and 
approval in writing of the patient, or, if the patient 
is unable to provide written authorization, the pa-
tient’s next-of-kin, except that nothing in this para-
graph prohibits the release of— 
‘‘(A) information, other than medical find-
ings, necessary for the owner or master of the 
vessel to comply with the provisions of sub-
section (g) or other applicable incident report-
ing laws; 
‘‘(B) information to secure the safety of 
passengers or crew on board the vessel; or
‘‘(C) any information to law enforcement 
officials performing official duties in the course 
and scope of an investigation; and 
‘‘(2) treat any information derived from, or ob-
tained in connection with, post-assault counseling or 
other supportive services confidential, so no such in-
formation may be released to the cruise line or any 
legal representative thereof without the prior knowl-
edge and approval in writing of the patient, or, if 
the patient is unable to provide written authoriza-
tion, the patient’s next-of-kin. 
‘‘(f) CREW ACCESS TO PASSENGER STATEROOMS.— 
The owner of a vessel to which this section applies shall— 
‘‘(1) establish and implement procedures and 
restrictions concerning— 
‘‘(A) which crew members have access to 
passenger staterooms; and 
‘‘(B) the periods during which they have 
that access; and 
‘‘(2) ensure that the procedures and restrictions 
are fully and properly implemented and periodically 
reviewed. 
‘‘(g) LOG BOOK AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The owner of a vessel to 
which this section applies shall—
‘‘(A) record in a log book, either electroni-
cally or otherwise, in a centralized location 
readily accessible to law enforcement personnel, 
a report on— 
‘‘(i) all complaints of crimes described 
in paragraph (3)(A)(i), 
‘‘(ii) all complaints of theft of prop-
erty valued in excess of $1,000, and 
‘‘(iii) all complaints of other crimes, 
committed on any voyage that embarks or dis-
embarks passengers in the United States; and 
‘‘(B) make such log book available upon 
request to any agent of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation, any member of the Coast Guard, 
and any law enforcement officer performing of-
ficial duties in the course and scope of an inves-
tigation. 
‘‘(2) DETAILS REQUIRED.—The information re-
corded under paragraph (1) shall include, at a min-
imum— 
‘‘(A) the vessel operator; 
‘‘(B) the name of the cruise line; 
‘‘(C) the flag under which the vessel was 
operating at the time the reported incident oc-
curred;
‘‘(D) the age and gender of the victim and 
the accused assailant; 
‘‘(E) the nature of the alleged crime or 
complaint, as applicable, including whether the 
alleged perpetrator was a passenger or a crew 
member; 
‘‘(F) the vessel’s position at the time of the 
incident, if known, or the position of the vessel 
at the time of the initial report; 
‘‘(G) the time, date, and method of the ini-
tial report and the law enforcement authority to 
which the initial report was made; 
‘‘(H) the time and date the incident oc-
curred, if known; 
‘‘(I) the total number of passengers and 
the total number of crew members on the voy-
age; and 
‘‘(J) the case number or other identifier 
provided by the law enforcement authority to 
which the initial report was made. 
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENT TO REPORT CRIMES AND 
OTHER INFORMATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The owner of a vessel 
to which this section applies (or the owner’s 
designee)—
‘‘(i) shall contact the nearest Federal 
Bureau of Investigation Field Office or 
Legal Attache by telephone as soon as pos-
sible after the occurrence on board the ves-
sel of an incident involving homicide, sus-
picious death, a missing United States na-
tional, kidnapping, assault with serious 
bodily injury, any offense to which section 
2241, 2242, 2243, or 2244 (a) or (c) of 
title 18 applies, firing or tampering with 
the vessel, or theft of money or property in 
excess of $10,000 to report the incident; 
‘‘(ii) shall furnish a written report of 
the incident to the Secretary via an Inter-
net based portal; 
‘‘(iii) may report any serious incident 
that does not meet the reporting require-
ments of clause (i) and that does not re-
quire immediate attention by the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation via the Internet 
based portal maintained by the Secretary 
of Transportation; and 
‘‘(iv) may report any other criminal 
incident involving passengers or crew mem-
bers, or both, to the proper State or local 
government law enforcement authority. 
‘‘(B) INCIDENTS
TO
WHICH
SUBPARA-
GRAPH (A) APPLIES.—Subparagraph (A) ap-
plies to an incident involving criminal activity 
if— 
‘‘(i) the vessel, regardless of registry, 
is owned, in whole or in part, by a United 
States person, regardless of the nationality 
of the victim or perpetrator, and the inci-
dent occurs when the vessel is within the 
admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the 
United States and outside the jurisdiction 
of any State; 
‘‘(ii) the incident concerns an offense 
by or against a United States national 
committed outside the jurisdiction of any 
nation; 
‘‘(iii) the incident occurs in the Terri-
torial Sea of the United States, regardless 
of the nationality of the vessel, the victim, 
or the perpetrator; or 
‘‘(iv) the incident concerns a victim or 
perpetrator who is a United States na-
tional on a vessel during a voyage that de-
parted from or will arrive at a United 
States port. 
‘‘(4) AVAILABILITY
OF
INCIDENT
DATA
VIA 
INTERNET.— 
‘‘(A) WEBSITE.—The Secretary of Trans-
portation shall maintain a statistical compila-
tion of all incidents described in paragraph 
(3)(A)(i) on an Internet site that provides a nu-
merical accounting of the missing persons and 
alleged crimes recorded in each report filed 
under paragraph (3)(A)(i) that are no longer 
under investigation by the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation. The data shall be updated no less 
frequently than quarterly, aggregated by— 
‘‘(i) cruise line, with each cruise line 
identified by name; and 
‘‘(ii) whether each crime was com-
mitted by a passenger or a crew member. 
‘‘(B) ACCESS TO WEBSITE.—Each cruise 
line taking on or discharging passengers in the 
United States shall include a link on its Inter-
net website to the website maintained by the 
Secretary under subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(h) ENFORCEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) PENALTIES.—
‘‘(A) CIVIL
PENALTY.—Any person that 
violates this section or a regulation under this 
section shall be liable for a civil penalty of not 
more than $25,000 for each day during which 
the violation continues, except that the max-
imum penalty for a continuing violation is 
$50,000. 
‘‘(B) CRIMINAL
PENALTY.—Any person 
that knowingly fails to record in a log book or 
to make a log book available in accordance with 
subsection (g)(1), or to report in accordance 
with subsection (g)(3), shall be fined not more 
than $250,000 or imprisoned not more than 1 
year, or both. 
‘‘(2) DENIAL OF ENTRY.—The Secretary may 
deny entry into the United States to a vessel to 
which this section applies if the owner of the ves-
sel— 
‘‘(A) commits an act or omission for which 
a penalty may be imposed under this sub-
section; or 
‘‘(B) fails to pay a penalty imposed on the 
owner under this subsection. 
‘‘(i) PROCEDURES.—Within 6 months after the date 
of enactment of the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act
aging operator, master, or other individual in charge of 
a vessel. 
‘‘§ 3508. Crime scene preservation training for pas-
senger vessel crew members 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Within 1 year after the date of 
enactment of the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act 
of 2009, the Secretary, in consultation with the Director 
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Maritime 
Administrator, shall develop training standards and cur-
ricula to allow for the certification of passenger vessel se-
curity personnel, crew members, and law enforcement offi-
cials on the appropriate methods for prevention, detection, 
evidence preservation, and reporting of criminal activities 
in the international maritime environment. The Adminis-
trator of the Maritime Administration may certify organi-
zations in the United States and abroad that offer the cur-
riculum for training and certification under subsection (c). 
‘‘(b) MINIMUM STANDARDS.—The standards estab-
lished by the Secretary under subsection (a) shall in-
clude— 
‘‘(1) the training and certification of vessel se-
curity personnel, crew members, and law enforce-
ment officials in accordance with accepted law en-
forcement and security guidelines, policies, and pro-
cedures, 
including 
recommendations 
for 
incor-