Protecting Jobs in American Ports Act

Bill: 119-s-2535
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. 2535 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 enable passenger vessels that were not built in the United States to receive coastwise endorsement, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Jobs in American Ports Act . 2. Coastwise endorsement for passenger vessels (a) In general Section 12112(a)(2)(B) of title 46, United States Code, is amended— (1) in clause (ii), by striking ; or and inserting a semicolon; (2) in clause (iii), by striking ; and and inserting ; or ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (iv) is 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; and . (b) Conforming amendment Section 12121 of title 46, United States Code, is repealed. (c) Rule of construction Nothing in the amendments made by this section 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.