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Pay Back America Act of 2004

Introduced: July 22, 2004 Introduced by: Meeks, Gregory W. Democratic · New York See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 23, 2004
Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
Jul 22, 2004
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jul 22, 2004
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Pay Back America Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a per passenger tax on covered international voyages of commercial passenger vessels.

Establishes the Caribbean Ports and Infrastructure Protection Trust Fund (Caribbean Fund) and the Water and Marine Wildlife Protection Trust Fund (Wildlife Fund) in the Treasury. Appropriates to those funds a percentage of the above-referenced taxes.

Authorizes the Secretary of of the Treasury to make specified payments from the Caribbean Fund to the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Bermuda, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Requires amounts in the Wildlife Fund to be used for ocean waste cleanup or enforcement of restrictions on ocean dumping.

Directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to issue regulations requiring cruise vessels entering U.S. ports or places to have: (1) posted notice that passengers may report illegal dumping from the vessel by calling a toll-free number; and (2) included such notice on each ticket sold.

Prohibits: (1) vessels from entering U.S. ports or places absent properly functioning pollution prevention equipment or compliance with notice requirements; (2) false entries in a vessel's oil record book or record of shore-side disposal; (3) operation of cruise vessels in U.S. foreign or domestic commerce that fail to comply with notice requirements.

Requires biannual inspections of vessels.

What's happening now July 23, 2004

Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3