Navigation Safety Act of 2019
This bill revises certain standards for shipping safety with respect to vessel operations.
Specifically, the bill
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2926 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2926
To amend title 46, United States Code, to adjust certain standards for
shipping safety, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 22, 2019
Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 46, United States Code, to adjust certain standards for
shipping 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.
This Act may be cited as the ``Navigation Safety Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC CHARTS; EQUIVALENCY.
(a) Requirements.--Section 3105(a)(1) of title 46, United States
Code, is amended to read as follows:
``(1) Electronic charts in lieu of marine charts, charts,
and maps.--Subject to paragraph (2), the following vessels,
while operating on the navigable waters of the United States,
shall be equipped with and operate electronic navigational
charts conforming to a standard acceptable to the Secretary in
lieu of any marine charts, charts, and maps required by titles
33 and 46, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the
date of the enactment of this paragraph:
``(A) A self-propelled commercial vessel of at
least 65 feet in overall length.
``(B) A vessel carrying more than a number of
passengers for hire determined by the Secretary.
``(C) A towing vessel of more than 26 feet in
overall length and 600 horsepower.
``(D) Any other vessel for which the Secretary
decides that electronic charts are necessary for the
safe navigation of the vessel.''.
(b) Exemptions and Waivers.--Section 3105(a)(2) of title 46, United
States Code, is amended by--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``operates; and'' and
inserting ``operates;'';
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``those waters.'' and
inserting ``those waters; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) permit vessels that operate solely landward
of the baseline from which the territorial sea of the
United States is measured to utilize software-based,
platform-independent electronic chart systems that the
Secretary determines are capable of displaying
electronic navigational charts with necessary scale and
detail to ensure safe navigation for the intended
voyage.''.
SEC. 3. OFFSHORE NAVIGATION.
(a) Port Access Routes.--Section 70003(e) of title 46, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``continues; and'' and
inserting ``continues;'';
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) shall, unless otherwise authorized by the Secretary,
and notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter,
require--
``(A) a 2-nautical-mile buffer between the parallel
outer or seaward boundary of a traffic lane and any
offshore structure affixed to the submerged land of the
Outer Continental Shelf; and
``(B) a 5-nautical-mile buffer between the entry or
exit of any traffic separation scheme and any offshore
structure.''.
(b) Navigation; Conflict Mitigation.--Not later than 1 year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the department
in which the Coast Guard is operating shall implement the
recommendations of the Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study, docket
number USCG-2011-0351, dated February 24, 2016, including any
recommendations in the appendices thereto.
(c) Fairways.--Not later than July 1, 2021, the Commandant of the
Coast Guard shall conduct a review of navigation on the East Coast of
the United States and submit recommendations for new fairways on such
coast to facilitate commerce to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
SEC. 4. SAFETY OF SPECIAL ACTIVITIES.
(a) In General.--Title 46, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after section 70005 the following:
``Sec. 70006. Safety of special activities
``(a) In General.--The Secretary may establish a safety zone to
address special activities in the exclusive economic zone.
``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `safety zone' has the meaning provided in
section 165.20 of title 33, Code of Federal Regulations.
``(2) The term `special activities' includes--
``(A) space activities, including launch and
reentry, as those terms are defined in section 50902 of
title 51, carried out by United States citizens; and
``(B) offshore energy development activities, as
described in section 8(p)(1)(C) of the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(1)(C)),
on or near a fixed platform.
``(3) The term `United States citizen' has the same meaning
as the term `eligible owners' in section 12103.
``(4) The term `fixed platform' means an artificial island,
installation, or structure permanently attached to the sea-bed
for the purpose of exploration or exploitation of resources or
for other economic purposes.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 700 of title 46,
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 70005 the following:
``70006. Safety of special activities.''.
(c) Regulations.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the department in
which the Coast Guard is operating shall establish regulations
to implement this section.
(2) Alignment with other regulations.--Such regulations
shall align with subchapter C of chapter III of title 14, Code
of Federal Regulations.
SEC. 5. TOWING VESSELS; OPERATION OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY LINE.
(a) Interim Exemption.--A towing vessel to which this section
applies is exempt from any additional requirements of subtitle II of
title 46, United States Code, and chapter I of title 33 and chapter I
of title 46, Code of Federal Regulations that would result solely from
such vessel operating outside the Boundary Line (as such term is
defined in section 103 of title 46, United States Code) if such
vessel--
(1) is listed as a response vessel on a vessel response
plan and is operating outside the Boundary Line solely to
perform duties of a response vessel; or
(2) is operating outside the Boundary Line solely to
perform operations necessary to escort a vessel with limited
maneuverability.
(b) Applicability.--This section applies to a towing vessel--
(1) that is subject to inspection under chapter 33 of title
46, United States Code, and subchapter M of title 46, Code of
Federal Regulations;
(2) with only ``Lakes, Bays, and Sounds'' or ``Rivers''
routes recorded on such vessel's certificate of documentation
under section 176.110 of title 46, Code of Federal Regulations;
and
(3)(A) that, with respect to a vessel that is described in
subsection (a)(1), is listed on a vessel response plan under
part 155 of title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, on the date
of the enactment of this Act; or
(B) that, with respect to a vessel described in subsection
(a)(2), is regularly engages in harbor assist operations,
including the docking, undocking, mooring, unmooring, and
escorting of vessels with limited maneuverability.
(c) Limitations.--A vessel exempted under subsection (a) is subject
to the following operating limitations:
(1) Response vessels.--The voyage of a vessel exempted
under subsection (a)(1) shall--
(A) be less than 12 hours in total duration; and
(B) originate and end in the inspection zone of a
single Officer In-Charge, Marine Inspection, as defined
in section 3305(d)(4) of title 46, United States Code.
(2) Escort vessels.--The voyage of a vessel exempted under
subsection (a)(2) shall--
(A) be less than 12 hours in total duration;
(B) originate and end in the inspection zone of a
single Officer In-Charge, Marine Inspection, as such
term is defined in section 3305(d)(4) of title 46,
United States Code; and
(C) occurs no further than 10 nautical miles from
the Boundary Line.
(d) Termination.--The interim exemption provided under subsection
(a) shall terminate on July 22, 2023.
(e) Restriction.--The Officer In-Charge, Marine Inspection, as
defined in section 3305(d)(4) of title 46, United States Code, for an
inspection zone may restrict operations under the exemptions provided
under subsection (a) for safety purposes.
(f) Briefing.--Not later than July 22, 2022, the Commandant of the
Coast Guard shall brief the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate regarding the
following:
(1) The impacts of the interim exemptions provided under
this section.
(2) Any safety concerns regarding the expiration of such
interim exemptions.
(3) Whether such interim exemptions should be extended or
made permanent in the interests of safety.
<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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