Extending Limits of U.S. Customs Waters Act

Bill: 117-hr-5852
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Waltz, Michael [R-FL-6]
Introduced: 2021-11-03
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Customs enforcement

Geography and mapping

International law and treaties

Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Latest action: action_date: 2021-11-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-11-03
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Extending Limits of U.S. Customs Waters Act</strong></p> <p>This bill extends the customs waters territory of the United States.</p> <p>Under current law, <em>customs waters</em> means waters within four leagues of the coast of the United States. This bill revises the definition to include (1) the territorial sea of the United States to the limits permitted by international law in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 5928, dated December 27, 1988, that extended such limits to 12 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States; and (2) the contiguous zone of the United States to the limits permitted by international law in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 7219, dated September 2, 1999, that extended such limits to 24 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5852 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 3, 2021 Mr. Waltz (for himself, Mrs. Murphy of Florida , Mr. Mast , Mr. Rutherford , and Mr. Palazzo ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To extend the customs waters of the United States from 12 nautical miles to 24 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States, consistent with Presidential Proclamation 7219.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Extending Limits of U.S. Customs Waters Act . 2. Definition of customs waters (a) Tariff Act of 1930 Section 401(j) of the Tariff Act of 1930 ( 19 U.S.C. 1401(j) ) is amended— (1) by striking means, in the case and inserting the following: “means— (1) in the case ; (2) by striking of the coast of the United States the first place it appears and inserting from the baselines of the United States (determined in accordance with international law) ; (3) by striking and, in the case and inserting the following: “; and (2) in the case ; and (4) by striking the waters within four leagues of the coast of the United States. and inserting the following: “the waters within— (A) the territorial sea of the United States, to the limits permitted by international law in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 5928 of December 27, 1988; and (B) the contiguous zone of the United States, to the limits permitted by international law in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 7219 of September 2, 1999. . (b) Anti-Smuggling Act Section 401(c) of the Anti-Smuggling Act ( 19 U.S.C. 1709(c) ) is amended— (1) by striking means, in the case and inserting the following: “means— (1) in the case ; (2) by striking of the coast of the United States the first place it appears and inserting from the baselines of the United States (determined in accordance with international law) ; (3) by striking and, in the case and inserting the following: “; and (2) in the case ; and (4) by striking the waters within four leagues of the coast of the United States. and inserting the following: “the waters within— (A) the territorial sea of the United States, to the limits permitted by international law in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 5928 of December 27, 1988; and (B) the contiguous zone of the United States, to the limits permitted by international law in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 7219 of September 2, 1999. . (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall take effect on the day after the date of the enactment of this Act.