S 1640
117th Congress
Senate
Transportation and Public Works
Congressional oversight
Licensing and registrations
Marine and inland water transportation
Protecting Access to American Products Act
Everywhere this bill has been
2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 13, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
May 13, 2021
Introduced in Senate
Plain-English summary
Protecting Access to American Products Act
This bill revises coastwise laws, commonly known as the Jones Act, that govern domestic transportation of merchandise or passengers by vessels. The Jones Act requires vessels transporting merchandise or passengers between Puerto Rico and other U.S. ports to be built in the Unites States, at least 75% owned by U.S. citizens, and mostly crewed by U.S. citizens.
Specifically, the bill requires the head of a federal agency to
- temporarily waive Jones Act requirements upon request if there is no product carrier that meets such requirements and a good faith effort was made to locate a product carrier that complies with such requirements,
- approve or deny a waiver within 60 days after receiving a request, and
- notify Congress of any request it receives for a temporary waiver.
What's happening now
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Committees of jurisdiction
1