[Congressional Bills 118th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4538 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4538 To adjust certain ownership and other requirements for passenger vessels, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 13, 2024 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. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Open America's Ports Act''. SEC. 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55103 of title 46, United States Code (commonly referred to as the ``Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886''), is repealed.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,''. SEC. 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. <all>