Safeguarding American Tourism Act

Bill: 117-s-1998
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Introduced: 2021-06-09
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Citizenship and naturalization

Foreign labor

Immigration status and procedures

Licensing and registrations

Marine and inland water transportation

Navigation, waterways, harbors

Transportation employees

Visas and passports
Latest action: action_date: 2021-06-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-06-09
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Safeguarding American Tourism Act</strong></p> <p>This bill allows foreign vessels that have 800 or more passenger berths to transport passengers between U.S. ports and places. (Under current law, such vessels generally must be built in the United States and owned and crewed by U.S. citizens.)</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1998 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 9, 2021 Mr. Lee introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To exempt large cruise ships from certain requirements applicable to passenger vessels, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Safeguarding American Tourism Act . 2. Adjusting applicability of certain PVSA and Jones Act requirements (a) PVSA domestic requirements Section 55103(a) of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (c) Nonapplicablity This section shall not apply to any vessel with 800 or more passenger berths. . (b) Jones Act requirements Chapter 121 of title 46, United States Code, is amended— (1) in section 12103, by adding at the end the following: (d) Nonapplicability The requirements of this section shall not apply to any vessel with 800 or more passenger berths and that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port. ; (2) in section 12112(a)— (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting except in the case of a vessel described in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2), before satisfies ; and (B) in paragraph (2)— (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking or after the semicolon; (ii) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking ; and and inserting ; or ; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: (C) has 800 or more passenger berths and transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port; and . (c) Adjustment of citizenship and Navy Reserve requirements Section 8103(k) of title 46, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: (k) Nonapplicability to certain passenger vessels Subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to any vessel with 800 or more passenger berths and that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port. . 3. Adjustments relating to permits to land temporarily for alien crewmen Section 252(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1282(a) ) is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking not to exceed— and all that follows through the period at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting “not to exceed the period of time during which the crewman is in possession of a valid, unexpired visa issued pursuant to such paragraph, if the immigration officer is satisfied that the crewman intends to depart— (1) on the vessel or aircraft on which the crewman arrived; or (2) on a vessel or aircraft other than the vessel or aircraft on which the crewman arrived. . 4. Rule of construction Nothing in the amendments made by this Act shall be construed to exempt a vessel that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port, from any applicable law of the United States except as explicitly provided in such amendments.