Title: Small Passenger Vessel Safety Act of 2019
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Small Passenger Vessel Safety Act of 2019
This bill applies U.S. Coast Guard regulations regarding safety management systems to small passenger vessels and requires the Coast Guard to prescribe additional regulations to secure the safety of individuals and property on board certain small passenger vessels.
The regulations prescribed must include requirements for

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5413 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5413

To amend title 46, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the 
     department in which the Coast Guard is operating to prescribe 
additional regulations to secure the safety of individuals and property 
   on board certain small passenger vessels, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 12, 2019

 Mr. Carbajal (for himself and Ms. Brownley of California) introduced 
      the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 46, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the 
     department in which the Coast Guard is operating to prescribe 
additional regulations to secure the safety of individuals and property 
   on board certain small passenger vessels, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Small Passenger Vessel Safety Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. REGULATIONS FOR COVERED SMALL PASSENGER VESSELS.

    Section 3306 of title 46, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                inserting ``, including covered small passenger vessels 
                (as defined in subsection (n)(5))'' after ``vessels 
                subject to inspection''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (5), by inserting before the 
                period at the end ``, including rechargeable devices 
                utilized for personal or commercial electronic 
                equipment''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(n) Additional Regulations for Covered Small Passenger Vessels.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall prescribe additional 
        regulations to secure the safety of individuals and property on 
        board covered small passenger vessels.
            ``(2) Comprehensive review.--The regulations prescribed 
        under paragraph (1) shall include the provision of a 
        comprehensive review of all requirements for covered small 
        passenger vessels, including calculations, with respect to fire 
        detection, protection, and suppression systems on board such 
        vessels.
            ``(3) Requirements.--The regulations prescribed under 
        paragraph (1) shall include each of the following requirements 
        for covered small passenger vessels:
                    ``(A) Requirements for the addition of 
                interconnected fire detection, protection, and 
                suppression equipment, including fire extinguishers, in 
                all areas on board such vessels to which passengers 
                have access, including dining areas, sleeping quarters, 
                and lounges.
                    ``(B) Requirements to increase fire detection, 
                protection, and suppression systems on board such 
                vessels in unmanned areas with machinery or areas with 
                other potential heat sources.
                    ``(C) Requirements for fire detection, suppression, 
                and control in all areas on board such vessels to which 
                passengers have access, including dining areas, 
                sleeping quarters, and lounges.
                    ``(D) Requirements for all such vessels to have not 
                less than 2 avenues of escape from all general areas 
                accessible to passengers. Such avenues of escape shall 
                be located so that if one avenue is not available 
                another avenue may be available.
                    ``(E) Requirements, including increased standards, 
                for marine firefighting training programs with respect 
                to such vessels to improve crewmember training and 
                proficiency. Such programs shall--
                            ``(i) include training regarding shipboard 
                        marine firefighting operations; and
                            ``(ii) be reviewed and maintained by a 
                        third party contractor approved by the 
                        Commandant.
                    ``(F) Requirements for handling, storage, and 
                operation of flammable items, such as lithium ion 
                batteries, on board such vessels.
            ``(4) Interim policies.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
        the Secretary shall implement interim policies to, prior to the 
        issuance by the Secretary of final regulations prescribed under 
        paragraph (1), apply the requirements under paragraph (3) to 
        covered small passenger vessels.
            ``(5) Definition of covered small passenger vessel.--In 
        this subsection, the term `covered small passenger vessel'--
                    ``(A) means a small passenger vessel that--
                            ``(i) is less than 100 gross tons as 
                        measured under section 14502 of this title, or 
                        an alternate tonnage measured under section 
                        14302 of this title as prescribed by the 
                        Secretary under section 14104 of this title; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) is carrying--
                                    ``(I) for overnight domestic 
                                voyages, not more than 49 passengers; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) for all other voyages, not 
                                more than 150 passengers; and
                    ``(B) includes any wooden vessel constructed prior 
                to March 11, 1996, that carries passengers on overnight 
                domestic voyages.''.

SEC. 3. SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO INCLUDE ALL SMALL PASSENGER 
              VESSELS.

    Title 46, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in section 3202(b)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
                subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting 
                appropriately;
                    (B) by striking ``This chapter'' and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) In general.--This chapter;''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Safety management system.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision in this chapter, including paragraph (1)(B), the 
        regulations issued under section 3203, including the safety 
        management system established by such regulations, shall apply 
        to all small passenger vessels.''; and
            (2) in section 3203(a), by inserting ``(including, for 
        purposes of this section, all small passenger vessels)'' after 
        ``vessels to which this chapter applies''.
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