Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Protecting Jobs in American Ports Act”.
Protecting Jobs in American Ports Act
A BILL
To enable passenger vessels that were not built in the United States to receive coastwise endorsement, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Coastwise endorsement for passenger vessels
In general— Section 12112(a)(2)(B) of title 46, United States Code, is amended—
in clause (ii), by striking “; or” and inserting a semicolon;
in clause (iii), by striking “; and” and inserting “; or”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(iv) is 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; and”
Conforming amendment— Section 12121 of title 46, United States Code, is repealed.
Rule of construction— Nothing in the amendments made by this section 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.