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, safety, security, and logistical issues relating to the continuation of maritime travel, including 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]
[S. 4592 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4592

   To establish a 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, including the 
  resumption of cruise operations, in United States waters during the 
                   COVID-19 public health emergency.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 16, 2020

    Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself and Mr. Rubio) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a 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, including 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, 
safety, security, and logistical issues relating to the continuation of 
maritime travel, including the resumption of cruise operations, in 
United States waters during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Maritime Task Force shall consist of 
        the following members, or their designees:
                    (A) The Secretary of Homeland Security, who shall 
                serve as the chair of the Task Force.
                    (B) The Secretary of Commerce.
                    (C) The Secretary of Transportation.
                    (D) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
                    (E) The Commandant of the Coast Guard.
                    (F) The Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
                and Prevention.
                    (G) The Administrator of the Transportation 
                Security Administration.
                    (H) The Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border 
                Protection.
                    (I) The Secretary of State.
                    (J) The Administrator of the Environmental 
                Protection Agency.
                    (K) The Chairman of the Federal Maritime 
                Commission.
                    (L) 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 Secretary 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 Secretary shall publish the plan required 
                under paragraph (1) in the Federal Register; and
                    (C) 30 days after the 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 Secretary of Homeland Security 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 commercial fishermen.
            (8) One representative from a small business whose primary 
        income is derived from working with a port or cruise company.
            (9) 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.
                    (B) Chapter 171 of title 28 and any 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 Secretary of Homeland Security 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), 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 Secretary of Homeland 
                Security 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 secretary.--Each 
                member of the committee shall serve at the pleasure of 
                the Secretary of Homeland Security.
            (5) Security background examinations.--The Secretary of 
        Homeland Security 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 Secretary of Homeland Security 
        shall furnish to the committee any staff and services 
        considered by the Secretary of Homeland Security to be 
        necessary for the conduct of the committee's functions.
            (8) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate upon 
        conclusion of COVID-19 public health emergency, as defined in 
        section 2(d).

SEC. 4. NO FUNDING AUTHORIZED.

    The Secretary of Homeland Security shall carry out this Act using 
amounts appropriated or otherwise available to the Secretary.
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