Vessel Navigation and Safety Improvement Act

Vessel Navigation and Safety Improvement Act - Directs the Coast Guard's Commandant to issue regulations requiring: (1) that any pilot serving on a self-propelled, commercial vessel of at least 300 gross tons carry and use a portable electronic device equipped for navigational purposes and capable of being connected to an Automatic Identification System; and (2) related pilot training.

Allows the Commandant to exempt a pilot by certifying that such a device is not necessary where the pilot operates.

[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5428 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5428

   To direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to issue regulations 
  requiring pilots of certain vessels to carry and utilize a portable 
  electronic device equipped for navigational purposes, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2008

Mrs. Tauscher introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to issue regulations 
  requiring pilots of certain vessels to carry and utilize a portable 
  electronic device equipped for navigational purposes, 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 ``Vessel Navigation and Safety 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR PILOTS TO CARRY AND UTILIZE PORTABLE ELECTRONIC 
              NAVIGATIONAL DEVICE.

    (a) In General.--The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall issue 
regulations that--
            (1) require that any pilot licensed under subtitle II of 
        title 46, United States Code, while serving under the authority 
        of that license as a pilot on a covered vessel, shall carry and 
        utilize a portable electronic device that is--
                    (A) equipped for navigational purposes; and
                    (B) capable of being connected to an Automatic 
                Identification System, in accordance with the 
                International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 
                Chapter V, Regulation 19.2; and
            (2) require such pilots to obtain training in the use of 
        such electronic devices, and prescribe requirements for such 
        training.
    (b) Deadlines for Compliance.--The regulations shall require such 
pilots to--
            (1) carry and utilize electronic devices pursuant to 
        subsection (a)(1) by no later than 18 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act; and
            (2) begin training pursuant to subsection (a)(2) by no 
        later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this 
        Act.
    (c) Exemptions.--The Commandant may exempt a pilot from the 
requirement under subsection (a)(1) if the Commandant certifies that a 
portable electronic device is not necessary for the safe navigation of 
a covered vessel on the waters where the pilot operates.
    (d) Covered Vessel Defined.--In this section the term ``covered 
vessel'' means a self-propelled, commercial vessel of 300 gross tons or 
more.
                                 <all>