Noncontiguous Shipping Competition Act

Bill: 116-hr-5500
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]
Introduced: 2019-12-19
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Licensing and registrations

Marine and inland water transportation

Navigation, waterways, harbors
Latest action: action_date: 2019-12-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-12-19
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Noncontiguous Shipping Competition Act </b></p> <p>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 that vessels transporting merchandise or passengers between Puerto Rico and other U.S. ports be built in the United States, be at least 75% owned by U.S. citizens, and be mostly crewed by U.S. citizens.</p> <p>The bill exempts carriage on a route in noncontiguous trade from Jones Act requirements unless (1) at least three owners or operators of certain coastwise vessels regularly operate such a vessel on the route, (2) each of such owners or operators transports at least 20% of the volume of goods on that route, and (3) none of such owners or operators are under common ownership.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5500 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 19, 2019 Mr. Case introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt certain noncontiguous trade from the coastwise laws.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Noncontiguous Shipping Competition Act . 2. Shipping: Exemption of certain noncontiguous trade from the coastwise laws Section 55101(b) of title 46, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (2), by striking or after the semicolon; (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and inserting ; or ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (4) carriage on a route in noncontiguous trade (as that term is defined in section 53501), unless— (A) at least three owners or operators of coastwise qualified vessels (as that term is defined in section 55108(a)) regularly operate such a vessel on such route; (B) each of such owners or operators transports at least 20 percent of the volume of goods on that route; and (C) none of such owners or operators are under common ownership. .