Cruise Line Accurate Safety Statistics Act - Requires the owner of a cruise ship that calls at a U.S. port to report to the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating each: (1) crime that occurred on the cruise ship in which a U.S. citizen was a victim; (2) incident on a cruise ship in which a U.S. citizen was missing or reported overboard for four hours or more; and (3) crime and incident that occurred on the cruise ship in the preceding three-month period. Requires the Secretary to make such information available to the public, including on a site on the Internet.
Directs the Secretary to inspect each cruise ship that enters a U.S. port to determine whether such ship has adequate equipment and trained personnel to investigate such crimes.
Requires a cruise line that sells a ticket for carriage of an individual on a cruise ship that will call at a U.S. port to: (1) refer such individual to the Internet site before selling the ticket; and (2) provide the individual with the name of each country the cruise ship will visit, as well as the locations of each U.S. embassy and consulate in such country.
Sets forth civil penalties for persons that violate the requirements of this Act.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5707 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5707
To require the owner of a cruise ship that calls at a port in the
United States to report to the Secretary of the department in which the
Coast Guard is operating crimes that occur on the cruise ship in which
a citizen of the United States was a victim, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 28, 2006
Mr. Shays (for himself and Mrs. Maloney) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the owner of a cruise ship that calls at a port in the
United States to report to the Secretary of the department in which the
Coast Guard is operating crimes that occur on the cruise ship in which
a citizen of the United States was a victim, 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 ``Cruise Line Accurate Safety
Statistics Act''.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO REPORT CRIMES AND OTHER INFORMATION.
(a) Requirement.--The owner of a cruise ship that calls at a port
in the United States shall report to the Secretary--
(1) each covered crime that occurred on the cruise ship in
the course of the voyage (or voyage segment) that ends at that
port, in which a citizen of the United States was a victim, by
not later than 4 hours after the crime is reported to the
master of the cruise ship;
(2) each incident on the cruise ship in the course of the
voyage (or voyage segment) in which a citizen of the United
States was missing or reported overboard for a period of 4
hours or more, by not later than 4 hours after the incident is
reported to the master of the cruise ship; and
(3) by not later than the end of each of March, June,
September, and December of each year--
(A) each crime that occurred on the cruise ship in
the preceding 3-month period; and
(B) each incident on the cruise ship in the
preceding 3-month period in which an individual was
missing or reported overboard for a period of 4 hours
or more.
(b) Availability of Information.--The Secretary shall make
information reported under this section available to the public,
including on a site on the Internet.
SEC. 3. INSPECTION OF CRUISE SHIPS.
(a) Requirement.--The Secretary shall inspect each cruise ship that
seeks to enter a port in the United States to determine whether the
cruise ship has adequate equipment and trained personnel to investigate
covered crimes on the vessel in accordance with regulations under
subsection (b).
(b) Regulations.--The Secretary shall issue regulations by not
later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act that
establish what constitutes adequate equipment and trained personnel for
purposes of this section.
SEC. 4. DISCLOSURES BY CRUISE LINES.
(a) Requirement.--Any cruise line that sells a ticket for carriage
of an individual on a cruise ship that, during such carriage, will call
at a port in the United States shall--
(1) before selling the ticket, refer the individual to the
Internet site referred to in section 2(b); and
(2) provide to the individual--
(A) the name of each country the cruise ship will
visit during the course of such carriage; and
(B) the locations in such country of the embassy
and each consulate of the United States.
(b) Regulations.--The Secretary shall issue regulations by not
later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act that
establish what constitutes a cruise line for purposes of this section.
SEC. 5. PENALTY.
(a) In General.--A person shall be liable for a civil penalty of
not more than $250,000, if--
(1) the person is the owner of a cruise ship and--
(A) the person fails to report in accordance with
section 2; or
(B) the Secretary determines in an inspection of
the cruise ship under section 3 that the cruise ship
does not have adequate equipment and trained personnel;
or
(2) the person fails to provide information to the
purchaser of a cruise ship ticket as required by section 4.
(b) Assessment of Penalty.--The Secretary shall assess a civil
penalty under this section.
(c) Liability in Rem.--A cruise ship shall be liable in rem for a
civil penalty under subsection (a)(1) that is assessed with respect to
the cruise ship.
(d) Denial of Entry.--The Secretary of the department in which the
Coast Guard is operating may deny entry into the United States to a
cruise vessel if the owner of the cruise vessel--
(1) commits an act or omission for which a civil penalty
may be imposed under this subsection (a)(1); or
(2) fails to pay a civil penalty imposed on the owner under
this section.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Covered crime.--The term ``covered crime'' means--
(A) any act or omission that, if committed in an
area subject to the jurisdiction of the United States,
would be a violation of--
(i) section 81 of title 18, United States
Code (relating to arson);
(ii) section 114 of such title (relating to
maiming);
(iii) section 611 of such title (relating
to certain crimes within the special maritime
and territorial jurisdiction);
(iv) section 1111 of such title (relating
to murder);
(v) section 1112 of such title (relating to
manslaughter);
(vi) section 1201 of such title (relating
to kidnaping); or
(vii) section 2241 of such title (relating
to aggravated sexual abuse); and
(B) any assault that, if committed in an area
subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, would
be a violation of section 13 of title 18, United States
Code.
(2) Cruise ship.--The term ``cruise ship''--
(A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), means
any vessel over 100 gross registered tons, that--
(i) is capable of carrying more than 12
passengers for hire;
(ii) carries passengers for hire on a
voyage lasting more than 24 hours, any part of
which is on the high seas; and
(iii) embarks or disembarks passengers in
the United States (including any commonwealth
or territories of the United States); and
(B) does not include a ferry that--
(i) has been issued a Certificate of
Inspection endorsed for lakes, bays, and
sounds; and
(ii) transits international waters for only
short periods of time on frequent schedules.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
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