S. 2536

119 S2536 IS: Safeguarding American Tourism Act
 U.S. Senate
 2025-07-30
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 II  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  S. 2536  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES   July 30, 2025   Mr. Lee  introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the  Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation    A BILL
To exempt large cruise ships from certain requirements applicable to passenger vessels, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Safeguarding American Tourism Act  .
2.
Adjusting applicability of certain PVSA and Jones Act requirements
(a)
PVSA domestic requirements
Section 55103 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
(c)
Nonapplicablity
This section shall not apply to any vessel with 800 or more passenger berths.
 .
(b)
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 with 800 or more passenger berths and 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
(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)
has 800 or more passenger berths and transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port; and
 .
(c)
Adjustment of citizenship and Navy Reserve requirements
Section 8103(k) of title 46, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
(k)
Nonapplicability to certain passenger vessels
Subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to any vessel with 800 or more passenger berths and that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port.
 .
3.
Adjustments relating to permits for alien crewmen to land temporarily in the United States
Section 252(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1282(a) ) is amended—
(1)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
(A)
by striking  he may, in his discretion,  and inserting  the officer may ; and
(B)
by striking  a period of time, in any event, not to exceed  and inserting  the period during which such crewman is in possession of a valid, unexpired visa issued pursuant to such paragraph, if such officer is satisfied the crewman intends to depart ; and
(2)
by striking paragraphs (1) through (3) and inserting the following:
(1)
on the vessel or aircraft on which such crewman arrived; or
(2)
on a vessel or aircraft other than the vessel or aircraft on which such crewman arrived.
 .
4.
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.