To amend title 46, United States Code, to allow transportation of merchandise in noncontiguous trade on foreign-flag vessels, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The bill amends Jones Act (46 USC 55102) to exempt noncontiguous trade from U.S.-built vessel requirement for foreign qualified freight vessels (1,000+ gross tons, foreign-built, U.S.-crew), exempts foreign qualified freight vessels from citizenship requirements (46 USC 50501) and vessel transfer approval requirements, and allows Secretary to grant pre-documentation approval to facilitate transfer, and establishes federal court jurisdiction for Jones Act injury claims against foreign employers using U.S. It relies on compliance mandates, exemptions, trade restrictions, and liability protections. The main policy areas are Transportation, Defense, and Environment.
Who Benefits and How
Foreign-built vessel operators could gain revenue opportunities, Maritime workers on foreign-flag vessels in U.S. trade could face reduced risk, and Foreign vessel owners seeking to enter noncontiguous trade could face fewer barriers.
Who Bears the Burden and How
U.S. shipbuilding industry could lose revenue opportunities, Non-citizen vessel operators in domestic coastwise trade would take on compliance duties, and Jones Act vessel operators on noncontiguous routes could lose revenue opportunities.
Key Provisions
- Amends Jones Act (46 USC 55102) to exempt noncontiguous trade from U.S.-built vessel requirement for foreign qualified freight vessels (1,000+ gross tons, foreign-built, U.S.-crew).
- Exempts foreign qualified freight vessels from citizenship requirements (46 USC 50501) and vessel transfer approval requirements, and allows Secretary to grant pre-documentation approval to facilitate transfer...
- Establishes federal court jurisdiction for Jones Act injury claims against foreign employers using U.S.
- Sets minimum vessel safety requirements for coastwise trade at recognized international standards, with a floor provision ensuring foreign-documented vessels are held to no lower standard than applied to U.S. vessels.
- Requires all vessels in U.S. coastwise trade, whether U.S.-documented or foreign, to comply with all applicable U.S. and international environmental standards.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
The bill amends Jones Act (46 USC 55102) to exempt noncontiguous trade from U.S.-built vessel requirement for foreign qualified freight vessels (1,000+ gross tons, foreign-built, U.S.-crew), exempts foreign qualified freight vessels from citizenship requirements (46 USC 50501) and vessel transfer approval requirements, and allows Secretary to grant pre-documentation approval to facilitate transfer, and establishes federal court jurisdiction for Jones Act injury claims against foreign employers using U.S.
Key Policy Areas
Transportation, Defense, Environment
Primary Purpose
The bill amends Jones Act (46 USC 55102) to exempt noncontiguous trade from U.S.-built vessel requirement for foreign qualified freight vessels (1,000+ gross tons, foreign-built, U.S.-crew), exempts foreign qualified freight vessels from citizenship requirements (46 USC 50501) and vessel transfer approval requirements, and allows Secretary to grant pre-documentation approval to facilitate transfer, and establishes federal court jurisdiction for Jones Act injury claims against foreign employers using U.S.
Policy Domains
Section 2 - Noncontiguous trade exemption from Jones Act
Identified Gains
- Foreign-built vessel operators
- Maritime workers on foreign-flag vessels in U.S. trade
- Foreign vessel owners seeking to enter noncontiguous trade
- U.S. maritime industry (competitive pressure)
- Marine environment and coastal communities
Identified Costs
- U.S. shipbuilding industry
- Non-citizen vessel operators in domestic coastwise trade
- Jones Act vessel operators on noncontiguous routes
- Foreign-documented vessels in U.S. coastwise trade
- Foreign vessels entering U.S. coastwise trade
Sponsors
Ed Case
D-HI | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Case (for himself and Mr. Moylan) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Foreign vessel operators using U.S. ports, Foreign vessel owners seeking to enter noncontiguous trade, Foreign vessels entering U.S. coastwise trade
Positive-direction: Foreign vessel owners seeking to enter noncontiguous trade, Foreign-built vessel operators, Maritime workers on foreign-flag vessels in U.S. trade, Vessel employers participating in LHWCA
Negative-direction: Foreign vessel operators using U.S. ports, Foreign vessels entering U.S. coastwise trade, Foreign-documented vessels in U.S. coastwise trade, Jones Act vessel operators on noncontiguous routes, Non-citizen vessel operators in domestic coastwise trade, U.S. maritime industry (competitive pressure)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "secretary_dot"
- → Secretary of Transportation
- "secretary_dot"
- → Secretary of Transportation
- "secretary_dot"
- → Secretary of Transportation
- "secretary_labor"
- → Secretary of Labor
- "coast_guard"
- → Coast Guard
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Freight vessel of 1,000+ gross tons not built in the U.S., registered in a foreign country, employing U.S. citizens to the extent required under section 12102
As defined in section 53501 of title 46 - trade between U.S. mainland and noncontiguous territories (Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, etc.)
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology