S2537-119

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Open America's Ports Act.

2. Repeal of PVSA and adjustment of Jones Act requirements for passenger vessels Section 55103 of title 46, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886), is repealed. Chapter 121 of title 46, United States Code, is amended— in section 12103, by adding at the end the following: The requirements of this section shall not apply to any vessel that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port. in section 12112(a)— in paragraph (1), by inserting except in the case of a vessel described in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2), before satisfies; and in paragraph (2)— in subparagraph (A), by striking or after the semicolon; in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking ; and and inserting ; or; and by adding at the end the following: transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port; and in section 12121(b), by striking 55102, and 55103 and inserting and 55102. Section 8103(k) of title 46, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: Subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to any vessel that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port. Chapter 551 of title 46, United States Code, is amended— by repealing section 55104; and in section 55121— in the section heading, by striking and passengers; by striking subsection (a); by striking (b) and all that follows through States.—; and by striking sections 55102 and 55103 of this title do and inserting section 55102 of this title does. Section 11504(f) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117–263) is amended by striking 55103,. The table of sections for chapter 551 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking the items relating to sections 55103 and 55104. (d)NonapplicabilityThe requirements of this section shall not apply to any vessel that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port.; (C)transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port; and; and (k)Exemption for passenger vesselsSubsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to any vessel that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port..

3. Rule of construction Nothing in the amendments made by this Act shall be construed to exempt a vessel that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port, from any applicable law of the United States except as explicitly provided in such amendments.