[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9899 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9899

To amend title 46, United States Code, to assign specified liability to 
    a person who transfers title of a commercial vessel, or former 
commercial vessel, to a transferee for use as a recreational vessel if 
 the transferee does not have applicable insurance at the time of the 
         transfer and the vessel sinks, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 1, 2024

   Mr. Harder of California introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in 
    addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 46, United States Code, to assign specified liability to 
    a person who transfers title of a commercial vessel, or former 
commercial vessel, to a transferee for use as a recreational vessel if 
 the transferee does not have applicable insurance at the time of the 
         transfer and the vessel sinks, 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 ``Abandoned Vessel Prevention Act''.

SEC. 2. LIABILITY FOR SPECIFIED EXPENSES RESULTING FROM SINKING OF 
              CERTAIN DECOMMISSIONED COMMERCIAL VESSELS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 301 of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 30107. Liability for specified expenses resulting from sinking 
              of certain decommissioned commercial vessels
    ``(a) Liability for Transferor.--Except as provided in subsection 
(b), any person who transfers title of a covered vessel to another for 
use as a recreational vessel shall be liable for any specified expenses 
resulting from the vessel sinking on navigable waters of the United 
States.
    ``(b) Exceptions.--
            ``(1) Vessel length; vessel age.--Subsection (a) shall not 
        apply to a vessel less than 35 feet in length or fewer than 40 
        years old.
            ``(2) Insurance.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to a 
        person who transfers title of a covered vessel to a person who, 
        at the time of the transfer, has insurance--
                    ``(A) applicable to the vessel for the 12-month 
                period beginning on the date of the transfer; and
                    ``(B) that, in the case the vessel sinks, covers 
                specified expenses.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Commercial vessel.--The term `commercial vessel' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 4462(a)(4) of the 
        Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 4462(a)(4)).
            ``(2) Covered vessel.--The term `covered vessel' means--
                    ``(A) commercial vessel; or
                    ``(B) a recreational vessel that was previously a 
                commercial vessel.
            ``(3) Specified expenses.--The term `specified expenses' 
        mean, with respect to a sunken vessel--
                    ``(A) damages attributable to the sinking of the 
                vessel; and
                    ``(B) expenses relating to--
                            ``(i) removal of the vessel and any debris;
                            ``(ii) clean-up of any pollution 
                        attributable to the sinking of the vessel; and
                            ``(iii) any shut down of, or repairs or 
                        maintenance to, a water intake pump as a result 
                        of pollution attributable to the sinking of the 
                        vessel.
            ``(4) Recreational vessel.--The term `recreational vessel' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 2101 of title 46, 
        United States Code.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 301 of 
title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new item:

``30107. Liability for specified expenses resulting from sinking of 
                            certain decommissioned commercial 
                            vessels.''.
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