Title: Set Sail Safely Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Set Sail Safely Act
This bill establishes a Maritime Task Force to address the health and safety of passengers, crew, and associated workers, logistical issues relating to the continuation of maritime travel, and the resumption of cruise operations in United States waters during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
The task force must consist of members from several federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Transportation. It must work together with input from private sector stakeholders to develop a plan about policies and procedures that need to be adopted for the safe resumption of the cruise line industry during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8471 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8471

    To establish a Federal Maritime Task Force and a private sector 
    advisory committee to address the health, safety, security, and 
 logistical issues relating to the continuation of maritime travel and 
the resumption of cruise operations in United States waters during the 
                   COVID-19 public health emergency.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 1, 2020

   Miss Gonzalez-Colon of Puerto Rico (for herself, Ms. Shalala, Mr. 
  Young, Mr. Weber of Texas, Ms. Mucarsel-Powell, and Mr. Rutherford) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish a Federal Maritime Task Force and a private sector 
    advisory committee to address the health, safety, security, and 
 logistical issues relating to the continuation of maritime travel and 
the resumption of cruise operations in United States waters during the 
                   COVID-19 public health emergency.

    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 ``Set Sail Safely Act''.

SEC. 2. MARITIME TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--Upon enactment of the Set Sail Safely Act, 
there is established a Maritime Task Force to address the health and 
safety of passengers, crew, and associated workers, logistical issues 
relating to the continuation of maritime travel, and the resumption of 
cruise operations, including navigation safety, in United States waters 
during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
    (b) Membership.--The Maritime Task Force shall consist of the 
following members, or their designees:
            (1) The Secretary of the department in which the Coast 
        Guard is operating, who shall serve as the chair of the Task 
        Force.
            (2) The Secretary of Homeland Security, during any period 
        in which the Coast Guard is operating as a service in the Navy.
            (3) The Secretary of Commerce.
            (4) The Secretary of Transportation.
            (5) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
            (6) The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention.
            (7) The Secretary of State.
            (8) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency.
            (9) The Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission.
            (10) The Chair of the National Economic Council of the 
        United States.
    (c) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--The Maritime Task Force shall meet in-
        person or virtually during the duration of the COVID-19 public 
        health emergency to develop a plan containing information about 
        the requirements and protocols that each Federal agency 
        represented on the Maritime Task Force will implement to 
        address the health, safety, security, and logistical issues 
        relating to the continuation of maritime travel in United 
        States waters during the COVID-19 public health emergency, and 
        with respect to the resumption of cruise operations and 
        increased passenger maritime travel after the COVID-19 public 
        health emergency ends.
            (2) Private sector advisory committee recommendations.--Not 
        more than--
                    (A) 10 days after receiving the written 
                recommendations from the private sector advisory 
                committee under section 3(c), the Chair of the Maritime 
                Task Force shall call an in-person or virtual meeting 
                between the private sector advisory committee and the 
                Maritime Task Force;
                    (B) 10 days after the meeting under subparagraph 
                (A), the Chair of the Maritime Task Force shall publish 
                the plan required under paragraph (1) in the Federal 
                Register; and
                    (C) 30 days after publication of such plan in the 
                Federal Register, each Federal agency represented on 
                the Maritime Task Force shall begin implementing the 
                plan developed under paragraph (1), including taking 
                necessary administrative actions to implement the 
                requirements and protocols of the plan.
    (d) COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.--The term ``COVID-19 public 
health emergency'' means the public health emergency related to the 
coronavirus that has been declared by the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 247d).

SEC. 3. PRIVATE SECTOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 7 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Chair of the Maritime Task Force shall nominate 
representatives to a private sector advisory committee to work in 
consultation with the Maritime Task Force.
    (b) Composition.--The private sector advisory committee shall 
consist of the following members:
            (1) Two representatives from the passenger cruise line 
        industry.
            (2) One representative from the harbor pilots industry.
            (3) Two representatives from longshoremen unions.
            (4) One representative from the travel agent industry.
            (5) One representative from a port council.
            (6) One representative from vessel and cargo operations.
            (7) One representative from a small business whose primary 
        income is derived from working with a port or cruise company.
            (8) One representative who is a nongovernmental medical 
        health professional with expertise in infectious diseases.
    (c) Duties.--Not later than 15 days after the appointment of all 
members of the private sector advisory committee, the private sector 
advisory committee shall submit written recommendations to the Maritime 
Task Force established under section 2 on policies and procedures to be 
adopted for the safe resumption of the cruise line industry during and 
after the COVID-19 public health emergency, including providing 
recommendations about--
            (1) best scientific practices;
            (2) measures adopted in other travel industries that may be 
        adapted for the cruise line industry; and
            (3) general matters affecting the safe and reasonable 
        resumption of cruise line activity.
    (d) Administration.--
            (1) Employee status.--A member of the private sector 
        advisory committee shall not be considered an employee of the 
        Federal Government by reason of service on such committee, 
        except for the purposes of the following:
                    (A) Chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code.
                    (B) Chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, 
                and an other Federal law relating to tort liability.
            (2) Acceptance of volunteer services.--Notwithstanding any 
        other provision of law, a member of the private sector advisory 
        committee shall serve on such committee on a voluntary basis 
        without pay.
            (3) Status of members.--With respect to a member of the 
        committee whom the Chair of the Maritime Task Force appoints to 
        represent an entity or group--
                    (A) the member is authorized to represent the 
                interests of the applicable entity or group; and
                    (B) requirements under Federal law that would 
                interfere with such representation and that apply to a 
                special Government employee (as defined in section 
                202(a) of title 18, United States Code), including 
                requirements relating to employee conduct, political 
                activities, ethics, conflicts of interest, and 
                corruption, do not apply to the member.
            (4) Service on committee.--
                    (A) Prohibition.--The Chair of the Maritime Task 
                Force shall not seek, consider, or otherwise use 
                information concerning the political affiliation of an 
                appointee in making an appointment to the committee.
                    (B) Service at pleasure of the chair.--Each member 
                of the committee shall serve at the pleasure of the 
                Chair of the Maritime Task Force.
            (5) Security background examinations.--The Chair of the 
        Maritime Task Force may require an individual to have passed an 
        appropriate security background examination before appointment 
        to the committee.
            (6) Prohibition.--A Federal employee may not be appointed 
        as a member of the committee.
            (7) Staff services.--The Chair of the Maritime Task Force 
        shall furnish to the committee any staff and services 
        considered by the Chair of the Maritime Task Force to be 
        necessary for the conduct of the committee's functions and may 
        accept staff and services from the members of the Maritime Task 
        Force.
            (8) Termination.--The committee shall terminate upon 
        conclusion of the COVID-19 public health emergency, as defined 
        in section 2(d).
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