July 30, 2025
Mr. Lee introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
To enable passenger vessels that were not built in the United States to receive coastwise endorsement, 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 Protecting Jobs in American Ports Act
.
Sec. 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Section 12121 of title 46, United States Code, is repealed.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.