[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4857 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4857
To improve passenger vessel security and safety, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 1, 2025
Ms. Matsui introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve passenger vessel security and safety, 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; REFERENCES.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Cruise Passenger
Protection Act of 2025''.
(b) References to Title 46, United States Code.--Except as
otherwise expressly provided, wherever in this Act an amendment or
repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a
section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be
made to a section or other provision of title 46, United States Code.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; references.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
TITLE I--COVERED PASSENGER VESSEL CONSUMER SERVICE AND PROTECTION
Sec. 101. Covered passenger vessel consumer service improvements.
Sec. 102. Cruise line passenger bill of rights; advisory committee for
covered passenger vessel consumer
protection.
Sec. 103. Assistance to victims of crimes on board certain passenger
vessels.
Sec. 104. Clerical amendments.
TITLE II--CRUISE VESSEL PASSENGER IMPROVEMENTS
Sec. 201. Cruise vessel chapter organization, application, and
definitions.
Sec. 202. Crime reporting and public notice.
Sec. 203. Crime prevention, documentation, and response requirements.
Sec. 204. Passenger vessel security and safety requirements.
Sec. 205. Enforcement.
Sec. 206. Technical and conforming amendments.
TITLE I--COVERED PASSENGER VESSEL CONSUMER SERVICE AND PROTECTION
SEC. 101. COVERED PASSENGER VESSEL CONSUMER SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS.
Subtitle II is amended by adding at the end the following:
``PART L--OFFICE OF MARITIME CONSUMER PROTECTION
``CHAPTER 161--OFFICE OF MARITIME CONSUMER PROTECTION
``16101. Definitions.
``16102. Application.
``16103. Office of Maritime Consumer Protection.
``16104. Covered passenger vessel consumer service improvements.
``16105. Invalidation of pre-dispute arbitration and class action
waiver clauses in certain contracts
relating to covered passenger vessel
transportation.
``Sec. 16101. Definitions
``In this chapter:
``(1) Applicable passenger.--The term `applicable
passenger' means a passenger on a covered passenger vessel who
is a citizen of the United States.
``(2) Assistant general counsel.--The term `Assistant
General Counsel' means the Assistant General Counsel for the
Office of Maritime Consumer Protection.
``(3) Covered passenger vessel.--The term `covered
passenger vessel' means a passenger vessel or small passenger
vessel to which this chapter applies, in accordance with
section 16102 of this title.
``(4) Key terms.--The term `key terms' includes terms
related to undisclosed costs and fees, indemnification,
waivers, limitations on liability, notice of claim and actions,
time limitations, arbitration, forum, and jurisdiction.
``(5) Office.--The term `Office' means the Office of
Maritime Consumer Protection.
``(6) Owner.--The term `owner' means the owner, charterer,
managing operator, master, or other individual in charge of a
vessel.
``(7) Passage contract.--The term `passage contract' means
a binding agreement for passage on a covered passenger vessel.
``(8) Secretary.--Notwithstanding section 2101 of this
title, the term `Secretary' means the Secretary of
Transportation.
``Sec. 16102. Application
``(a) In General.--This chapter applies to passenger vessels and
small passenger vessels.
``(b) Federal and State Vessels.--This chapter does not apply to--
``(1) a vessel of the United States operated by the Federal
Government; or
``(2) a vessel owned and operated by a State.
``Sec. 16103. Office of Maritime Consumer Protection
``(a) Establishment.--There is established within the Office of the
General Counsel of the Department of Transportation an Office of
Maritime Consumer Protection.
``(b) Head.--The Office shall be headed by the Assistant General
Counsel for the Office of Maritime Consumer Protection.
``(c) Duties.--The Office shall--
``(1) serve as the primary entity of the Department of
Transportation with respect to consumer protection issues
relating to covered passenger vessels (unless otherwise
provided under law), including--
``(A) carrying out the requirements of this
chapter;
``(B) providing assistance to the industry
regarding compliance assistance under this chapter;
``(C) processing consumer complaints regarding the
requirements of this chapter and other consumer
complaints regarding covered passenger vessels;
``(D) inspecting covered passenger vessels to
ensure that owners of such vessels have knowledge of
the consumer protection requirements that apply;
``(E) investigating potential consumer protection
violations regarding maritime travel; and
``(F) pursuing enforcement of such violations; and
``(2) serve as the implementing office for the duties of
the Secretary under section 102 of the Cruise Passenger
Protection Act of 2025.
``Sec. 16104. Covered passenger vessel consumer service improvements
``(a) Passage Contracts.--
``(1) Development of standards.--
``(A) Passenger vessels.--Not later than 180 days
after the date on which the advisory committee makes
its recommendations under section 102(b)(6)(C) of the
Cruise Passenger Protection Act of 2025, the Secretary,
acting through the Assistant General Counsel, shall
develop standards for use by an owner of a covered
passenger vessel that is a passenger vessel or, subject
to subparagraph (B), a small passenger vessel, to
provide a prospective applicable passenger with a
summary that highlights key terms in the passage
contract and is provided before such terms are binding.
``(B) Small passenger vessels.--The Secretary shall
determine the extent to which standards developed under
subparagraph (A) shall apply with respect to passage
contracts for small passenger vessels.
``(2) Consultation.--In developing the standards under
paragraph (1), the Secretary may consult with other Federal
agencies, persons with expertise on admiralty and maritime law,
consumer advocates, industry representatives, and such other
persons as the Secretary considers necessary.
``(3) Statute of limitations.--The statute of limitations
for filing a lawsuit against the owner of a covered passenger
vessel, which shall not be shorter than 3 years, shall be
clearly identified in the passage contract described in
paragraph (1).
``(4) Recommendations.--The standards developed under
paragraph (1) shall include recommendations regarding--
``(A) style, formatting, and placement that ensures
that the summary is conspicuous; and
``(B) terminology that ensures that the summary
is--
``(i) clear, unambiguous, and unmistakable;
and
``(ii) to the greatest extent possible,
uniform, concise, and not complex.
``(5) Periodic review.--The Secretary shall periodically
review and update, as appropriate, the standards developed
under paragraph (1).
``(6) Requirements.--Beginning on the date that is 180 days
after the date on which the standards are developed under
paragraph (1), an owner of a covered passenger vessel shall--
``(A) provide each prospective applicable passenger
with a summary in accordance with the standards that
apply to the covered passenger vessel under paragraph
(1);
``(B) include a prominently accessible link to the
summary on each internet website that the owner
maintains for prospective applicable passengers to
purchase or book passage on the covered passenger
vessel; and
``(C) include the summary in any promotional
literature or advertising, through any medium of
communication in the United States offering passage or
soliciting applicable passengers for ocean voyages
anywhere in the world, that the Secretary considers
necessary to adequately notify a prospective applicable
passenger of the key terms in the passage contract
before such terms are binding.
``(7) Preemption.--The standards developed under paragraph
(1) shall preempt any related State standards that require a
summary that provides less information to a prospective
applicable passenger than the information required to be
provided under this subsection, as determined by the Secretary.
``(b) Covered Passenger Vessel Consumer Complaints.--
``(1) Toll-free hotline and internet website link for
consumer passenger vessel complaints.--The Secretary, acting
through the Assistant General Counsel, shall--
``(A) establish a consumer complaints toll-free
hotline telephone number for applicable passengers;
``(B) establish a consumer complaints link for use
by applicable passengers on the internet website
maintained under section 16106(i); and
``(C) notify the public of--
``(i) the telephone number established
under subparagraph (A); and
``(ii) the internet website maintained
under section 16106(i).
``(2) Website.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant
General Counsel, shall--
``(A) maintain a statistical compilation of all
consumer complaints on the internet website under
section 16106(i) that provides a numerical accounting
of each category of consumer complaint;
``(B) update the data referred to in subparagraph
(A) not less frequently than monthly;
``(C) aggregate such data by covered passenger
vessel; and
``(D) identify each covered passenger vessel by
name.
``(3) Investigations of consumer complaints.--The
Secretary, acting through the Assistant General Counsel and in
coordination with other relevant Federal agencies, may
investigate consumer complaints from applicable passengers,
including--
``(A) cancellations, delays, and port skipping;
``(B) lost, damaged, and delayed baggage;
``(C) conditions on board the covered passenger
vessel;
``(D) problems in obtaining refunds for unused or
lost tickets or fare adjustments;
``(E) incorrect or incomplete information about
fares, discount fare conditions and availability,
overcharges, and fare increases;
``(F) deceptive or misleading advertising; and
``(G) compliance with Federal regulations.
``(4) Referral to federal or state agency.--The Secretary
may refer any complaint received under this subsection to the
Attorney General or a relevant Federal or State agency for
action, as appropriate.
``(5) Notice to passengers.--
``(A) Internet websites.--Each owner of a covered
passenger vessel shall include, in a conspicuous
location on each internet website that such owner
maintains for applicable passengers to purchase or book
passage on the covered passenger vessel--
``(i) the telephone number established
under paragraph (1)(A);
``(ii) the consumer complaints link
established under paragraph (1)(B); and
``(iii) any other information necessary for
an applicable passenger to submit a consumer
complaint for resolution.
``(B) Boarding documentation.--The owner of a
covered passenger vessel shall include the telephone
number and internet address of the link for consumer
complaints established under paragraph (1) on--
``(i) any promotional literature or
advertising, through any medium of
communication in the United States offering
passage or soliciting applicable passengers for
ocean voyages on covered passenger vessels,
that the Secretary considers necessary to
adequately notify such prospective passenger of
the telephone number and internet address; and
``(ii) any electronic confirmation of the
purchase of passage on a covered passenger
vessel.
``(c) Penalties.--
``(1) Civil penalty.--The Secretary, acting through the
Assistant General Counsel, may impose on any person that
violates this section or a regulation under this section a
civil penalty of not more than $25,000 for each day during
which the violation continues. The Secretary, acting through
the Assistant General Counsel, may bring an action to pursue a
penalty under this paragraph in an appropriate district court
of the United States.
``(2) Criminal penalty.--Any person that willfully violates
this section or a regulation under this section shall be fined
not more than $250,000 or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or
both.
``(d) Rulemaking.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant
General Counsel, shall issue such regulations as are necessary to
implement this section.
``Sec. 16105. Invalidation of pre-dispute arbitration and class action
waiver clauses in certain contracts relating to covered
passenger vessel transportation
``(a) Covered Contract.--In this section, the term `covered
contract' means a contract for the purchase of a ticket for
transportation on a covered passenger vessel.
``(b) Arbitration.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
arbitration may be used to settle a controversy arising from or
relating to a provision of a covered contract only if, after the
controversy arises, all parties to the controversy consent, in writing,
to use arbitration to settle the controversy.
``(c) Class Actions.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
no predispute joint-action waiver shall be valid or enforceable with
respect to any alleged claim regarding a covered contract.
``(d) Court Determinations.--An issue as to whether this section
applies with respect to a dispute shall be determined under Federal
law. The applicability of this section to an agreement to arbitrate and
the validity and enforceability of a covered contract shall be
determined by a court, rather than an arbitrator, irrespective of
whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration
agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the
covered contract containing such agreement, and irrespective of whether
the agreement purports to delegate such determinations to an
arbitrator.
``(e) Applicability.--This section shall apply with respect to
contracts entered into, or renewed, on or after the date of the
enactment of the Cruise Passenger Protection Act of 2025.''.
SEC. 102. CRUISE LINE PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS; ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR
COVERED PASSENGER VESSEL CONSUMER PROTECTION.
(a) Bill of Rights.--
(1) Enforceability.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation,
acting through the Assistant General Counsel for the Office of
Maritime Consumer Protection, shall determine whether any of
the enumerated rights in the international cruise line
passenger bill of rights, which was adopted in 2013 by the
members of the Cruise Lines International Association, are
enforceable under Federal law.
(2) Required statement.--The Secretary of Transportation,
acting through the Assistant General Counsel for the Office of
Maritime Consumer Protection, shall include in the standards
developed under section 16104(a) of title 46, United States
Code, a statement informing a prospective passenger--
(A) which rights referred to in paragraph (1) are
legally enforceable; and
(B) how a passenger or prospective passenger might
pursue such enforcement, including identifying any
action, including a private cause of action, an
administrative action, or any other method of
enforcement, that may be taken or pursued.
(b) Advisory Committee for Covered Passenger Vessel Consumer
Protection.--
(1) Definition of covered passenger vessel.--In this
subsection, the term ``covered passenger vessel'' means a
passenger vessel or small passenger vessel to which chapter 161
of title 46, United States Code, applies.
(2) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, acting
through the Assistant General Counsel for the Office of
Maritime