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
This bill would allow foreign-built cargo ships of 1,000 gross tons or more to carry freight between the U.S. mainland and noncontiguous territories (Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.), partially lifting the Jones Act requirement that such vessels be built in the United States. The vessels must still employ American citizens, obtain U.S. documentation, and comply with all U.S. environmental and labor standards. The bill establishes federal court jurisdiction for injury claims against foreign vessel operators, allows employers to participate in workers compensation programs, and requires all coastwise vessels to meet international safety and 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.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Partially exempts noncontiguous trade (shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and other U.S. territories) from the Jones Act requirement that coastwise cargo be carried on U.S.-built vessels, allowing foreign-built freight vessels of 1,000+ gross tons to carry cargo in noncontiguous trade if they employ U.S. citizens and obtain documentation.
Who Benefits
- Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and other noncontiguous territory consumers and businesses (lower shipping costs)
- Foreign-built vessel operators entering noncontiguous trade
- Importers and exporters in noncontiguous territories
Who Bears Costs
- U.S. domestic shipbuilding industry (reduced captive market)
- Jones Act vessel operators currently serving noncontiguous routes
- U.S.-built vessel owners (competitive disadvantage)
Key Policy Areas
{'domain': 'Trade', 'evidence': 'Amends 46 USC 55102 (Jones Act) to exempt noncontiguous trade from U.S.-built vessel requirement for qualifying foreign-built freight vessels'}, {'domain': 'Transportation', 'evidence': 'Modifies coastwise trade vessel documentation, citizenship, and transfer requirements under title 46 USC'}, {'domain': 'Labor', 'evidence': 'Requires U.S. citizen crew, extends Jones Act jurisdiction to foreign employers, allows employer participation in Longshore workers compensation, mandates international labor standards'}
Primary Purpose
Partially exempts noncontiguous trade (shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and other U.S. territories) from the Jones Act requirement that coastwise cargo be carried on U.S.-built vessels, allowing foreign-built freight vessels of 1,000+ gross tons to carry cargo in noncontiguous trade if they employ U.S. citizens and obtain documentation.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Narrowly targets the Jones Act U.S.-build requirement for noncontiguous territory trade only, preserving the cabotage law for mainland coastwise shipping while reducing shipping costs to island and remote territories"
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