A bill to amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.

Bill: 114-s-1717
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2015-07-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Fires
Marine and inland water transportation
Transportation employees
Transportation safety and security
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-08
text: 
Amends federal shipping law to extend through October 31, 2028, the exemption of certain vessels from the requirement that U.S. passenger vessels having berth or stateroom accommodations for at least 50 passengers be constructed of fire-retardant materials in order to be granted a certificate of inspection.
 
Continues to apply this exemption only to vessels in operation before January 1, 1968, which operate only within the Boundary Line (the dividing point between inland waters and high seas).
 
Requires the owner or managing operator of an exempt vessel to: 
 
 
notify crew members that the vessel does not comply with applicable fire safety standards due primarily to the wooden construction of passenger berthing areas, and
 
make annual structural alterations to at least 10% of vessel areas that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.
 
 
Requires any noncombustible material requirements prescribed by the Coast Guard (with which an exempt vessel is still required to comply) to be consistent with the preservation of a vessel's historic integrity in areas carrying or accessible to passengers or generally visible to the public.

action_date: 2016-10-27
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
 
(Sec. 1) This bill extends through October 31, 2028, the exemption of certain vessels from the requirement that U.S. passenger vessels having berth or stateroom accommodations for at least 50 passengers be constructed of fire-retardant materials in order to be granted a certificate of inspection.
 
The bill continues to apply this exemption only to vessels in operation before January 1, 1968, which operate only within the Boundary Line (the dividing point between inland waters and high seas).
 
An owner or managing operator of an exempt vessel shall: 
 
 
notify crew members (currently, only prospective passengers) that the vessel does not comply with applicable fire safety standards due primarily to the wooden construction of passenger berthing areas; and
 
make annual structural alterations to at least 10% of vessel areas that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials and provide advance notice to the Coast Guard of such alterations.
 
 
Any noncombustible material requirements prescribed by the Coast Guard (with which an exempt vessel is still required to comply) shall be consistent with the preservation of a vessel's historic integrity in areas carrying or accessible to passengers or generally visible to the public.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-10-27
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 658.
action_date: 2016-10-27
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune under authority of the order of the Senate of 09/29/2016 without amendment. With written report No. 114-367.
action_date: 2016-10-27
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune under authority of the order of the Senate of 09/29/2016 without amendment. With written report No. 114-367.
action_date: 2016-06-29
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2015-07-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2015-07-08
text: Introduced in Senate