I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2926 
To amend title 46, United States Code, to adjust certain standards for 
shipping safety, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2019 
Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 46, United States Code, to adjust certain 
standards for shipping safety, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Navigation Safety Act 
of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC CHARTS; EQUIVALENCY. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS.—Section 3105(a)(1) of title 46, 
United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) ELECTRONIC CHARTS IN LIEU OF MARINE 
CHARTS, CHARTS, AND MAPS.—Subject to paragraph 
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(2), the following vessels, while operating on the 
navigable waters of the United States, shall be 
equipped with and operate electronic navigational 
charts conforming to a standard acceptable to the 
Secretary in lieu of any marine charts, charts, and 
maps required by titles 33 and 46, Code of Federal 
Regulations, as in effect on the date of the enact-
ment of this paragraph: 
‘‘(A) A self-propelled commercial vessel of 
at least 65 feet in overall length. 
‘‘(B) A vessel carrying more than a num-
ber of passengers for hire determined by the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(C) A towing vessel of more than 26 feet 
in overall length and 600 horsepower. 
‘‘(D) Any other vessel for which the Sec-
retary decides that electronic charts are nec-
essary for the safe navigation of the vessel.’’. 
(b) 
EXEMPTIONS
AND
WAIVERS.—Section 
3105(a)(2) of title 46, United States Code, is amended 
by— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘operates; 
and’’ and inserting ‘‘operates;’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘those 
waters.’’ and inserting ‘‘those waters; and’’; and 
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(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) permit vessels that operate solely 
landward of the baseline from which the terri-
torial sea of the United States is measured to 
utilize 
software-based, 
platform-independent 
electronic chart systems that the Secretary de-
termines are capable of displaying electronic 
navigational charts with necessary scale and de-
tail to ensure safe navigation for the intended 
voyage.’’. 
SEC. 3. OFFSHORE NAVIGATION. 
(a) PORT ACCESS ROUTES.—Section 70003(e) of 
title 46, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘continues; 
and’’ and inserting ‘‘continues;’’; 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) shall, unless otherwise authorized by the 
Secretary, and notwithstanding any other provision 
of this chapter, require— 
‘‘(A) a 2-nautical-mile buffer between the 
parallel outer or seaward boundary of a traffic 
lane and any offshore structure affixed to the 
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