Title: Puerto Rico Humanitarian Relief Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Puerto Rico Humanitarian Relief Act
This bill revises coastwise laws, commonly known as the Jones Act, that govern domestic transportation of merchandise or passengers by vessels.	The Jones Act requires vessels transporting merchandise or passengers between Puerto Rico and other U.S. ports be built in the United States, at least 75% owned by U.S. citizens, and mostly crewed by U.S. citizens.
The bill exempts for five years vessels transporting merchandise between Puerto Rico and other U.S. ports from Jones Act requirements.
The Government Accountability Office must report the economic impact of this bill on Puerto Rico.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3966 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3966

 To provide that provisions of title 46, United States Code, popularly 
   known as the Jones Act and relating to carriage of passenger and 
merchandise in coastwise trade shall not apply for 5 years with respect 
               to such carriage to and from Puerto Rico.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 5, 2017

   Mr. Palmer (for himself, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Biggs, and Mr. Brat) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide that provisions of title 46, United States Code, popularly 
   known as the Jones Act and relating to carriage of passenger and 
merchandise in coastwise trade shall not apply for 5 years with respect 
               to such carriage to and from Puerto Rico.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Puerto Rico Humanitarian Relief 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXEMPTION OF PUERTO RICO FROM RESTRICTIONS ON COASTWISE TRADE.

    (a) Exemption.--During the 5-year period beginning on the date of 
the enactment of this Act, provisions of title 46, United States Code, 
formerly enacted as provisions of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 and the 
Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (popularly known as the Jones Act) and 
relating to carriage of passenger and merchandise, respectively, in 
coastwise trade shall not apply with respect to such carriage to and 
from Puerto Rico.
    (b) Study and Report.--Not later than 4 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall conduct a study and submit to Congress a report analyzing the 
economic impact of this section on the economy of Puerto Rico, 
including regarding shipping costs, commodity prices, job creation, and 
utility and food costs.
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