Noncontiguous Shipping Competition Act

Bill: 119-hr-665
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]
Introduced: 2025-01-23
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Latest action: action_date: 2025-02-04
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E90-91)

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-23
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Noncontiguous Shipping Competition Act </strong></p><p>This bill revises coastwise laws, commonly known as the Jones Act, that govern domestic transportation of merchandise or passengers by vessels.</p><p>The Jones&nbsp;Act generally requires that a vessel transporting merchandise or passengers&nbsp;from one U.S. point to another U.S. point be (1) built in the United States, (2)&nbsp;at least 75% owned by U.S. citizens, and (3) mostly crewed by U.S. citizens. The act also includes several exemptions and exceptions.</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 coastwise qualified 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.&nbsp;(Generally, <em>noncontiguous trade</em> is trade between two U.S. points where at least one of the points is in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or an insular territory or U.S. possession.)</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 665 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 23, 2025 Mr. Case (for himself and Mr. Moylan ) 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. .