Open America's Ports Act

Bill: 119-s-2537
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Introduced: 2025-07-30
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Latest action: action_date: 2025-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2537 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 30, 2025 Mr. Lee introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To adjust certain ownership and other requirements for passenger vessels, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Open America's Ports Act . 2. Repeal of PVSA and adjustment of Jones Act requirements for passenger vessels (a) Repeal of PVSA domestic requirements Section 55103 of title 46, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 ), is repealed. (b) Adjustment of 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 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) transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port; and ; and (3) in section 12121(b), by striking 55102, and 55103 and inserting and 55102 . (c) Adjustment of citizenship and Navy Reserve requirements Section 8103(k) of title 46, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: (k) Exemption for passenger vessels Subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to any 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. . (d) Conforming amendments (1) In general Chapter 551 of title 46, United States Code, is amended— (A) by repealing section 55104; and (B) in section 55121— (i) in the section heading, by striking and passengers ; (ii) by striking subsection (a); (iii) by striking (b) and all that follows through States.— ; and (iv) by striking sections 55102 and 55103 of this title do and inserting section 55102 of this title does . (2) Additional conforming amendment Section 11504(f) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 ( Public Law 117–263 ) is amended by striking 55103, . (3) Clerical amendment The table of sections for chapter 551 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking the items relating to sections 55103 and 55104. 3. 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.