Duck Boat Safety Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2799 To implement recommendations related to the safety of amphibious passenger vessels, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 16, 2019 Mr. CARSON of Indiana introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To implement recommendations related to the safety of amphibious passenger vessels, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Duck Boat Safety 4 Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR AMPHIBIOUS PASSENGER 6 VESSELS TO REMAIN AFLOAT AND UPRIGHT 7 IN THE EVENT OF FLOODING. 8 (a) RESERVE BUOYANCY FOR AMPHIBIOUS PAS- 9 SENGER VESSELS THROUGH PASSIVE MEANS.— 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 May 29, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2799.IH H2799 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 2799 IH (1) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 2 the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall prescribe 3 in regulations requirements that operators of am- 4 phibious passenger vessels provide reserve buoyancy 5 for such vessels through passive means, including 6 watertight compartmentalization, built-in flotation, 7 or such other means as the Commandant shall speci- 8 fy in the regulations, in order to ensure that such 9 vessels remain afloat and upright in the event of 10 flooding, including when carrying a full complement 11 of passengers and crew. 12 (2) DEADLINE FOR COMPLIANCE.—The regula- 13 tions required by paragraph (1) shall require compli- 14 ance with the requirements in the regulations by op- 15 erators of amphibious passenger vessels by such 16 date, not later than 24 months after the date of the 17 enactment of this Act, as the Commandant shall 18 specify in the regulations. 19 (b) INTERIM REQUIREMENTS.—Commencing as of 20 the date the regulations required by subsection (a) are 21 prescribed, the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall re- 22 quire that operators of amphibious passenger vessels that 23 are not in compliance with the requirements in the regula- 24 tions do the following: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 May 29, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2799.IH H2799 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 2799 IH (1) Remove the canopies of such vessels for wa- 1 terborne operations, or install in such vehicles a can- 2 opy that does not restrict either horizontal or 3 vertical escape by passengers in the event of flooding 4 or sinking. 5 (2) If the canopy is removed from any such ves- 6 sel pursuant to paragraph (1), require that all pas- 7 sengers don a Coast Guard type-approved personal 8 flotation device before the onset of waterborne oper- 9 ations of such vessel. 10 (3) Reengineer such vessels to permanently 11 close all unnecessary access plugs and to reduce all 12 through-hull penetrations to the minimum number 13 and size necessary for operation. 14 (4) Install in such vessels independently pow- 15 ered electric bilge pumps that are capable of dewa- 16 tering such vessels at the volume of the largest re- 17 maining penetration in order to supplement either 18 an operable Higgins pump or a dewatering pump of 19 equivalent or greater capacity. 20 (5) Install in such vessels not fewer than four 21 independently powered bilge alarms. 22 (6) Inspect any such vessel in water after each 23 time a through-hull penetration of such vessel has 24 been removed or uncovered. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 May 29, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2799.IH H2799 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 2799 IH (7) Verify the watertight integrity of any such 1 vessel in the water at the outset of each waterborne 2 departure of such vessel. 3 (8) Otherwise comply with any other provisions 4 of Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 1–01 5 in the inspection, configuration, and operation of 6 such vessels. 7 (c) PROHIBITION ON OPERATION OF NONCOMPLIANT 8 VESSELS.—The following amphibious passenger vessels 9 may not operate on United States waterways: 10 (1) Commencing as of the date the regulations 11 required by subsection (a) are prescribed, any am- 12 phibious passenger vessel whose configuration or op- 13 eration does not comply with the requirements in 14 subsection (b). 15 (2) Commencing as of the date specified by the 16 Commandant of the Coast Guard pursuant to sub- 17 section (a)(2), any amphibious passenger vessel 18 whose configuration or operation does not comply 19 with the requirements in the regulations under sub- 20 section (a)(1). 21 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 May 29, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2799.IH H2799 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS