119-hr2500

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2500 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2500

To amend title 46, United States Code, to assign specified liability to 
 a person who transfers title of a commercial vessel, or former 
commercial vessel, to a transferee for use as a recreational vessel if 
 the transferee does not have applicable insurance at the time of the 
 transfer and the vessel sinks, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 31, 2025

Mr. Harder of California (for himself and Mr. Garamendi) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 
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

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend title 46, United States Code, to assign specified liability to 
 a person who transfers title of a commercial vessel, or former 
commercial vessel, to a transferee for use as a recreational vessel if 
 the transferee does not have applicable insurance at the time of the 
 transfer and the vessel sinks, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Abandoned Vessel Prevention Act''.

SEC. 2. LIABILITY FOR SPECIFIED EXPENSES RESULTING FROM SINKING OF 
 CERTAIN DECOMMISSIONED COMMERCIAL VESSELS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 301 of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``

Sec. 30107. Liability for specified expenses resulting from sinking 
 of certain decommissioned commercial vessels
 ``

    (a) Liability for Transferor.--Except as provided in subsection

    (b) , any person who transfers title of a covered vessel to another for 
use as a recreational vessel shall be liable for any specified expenses 
resulting from the vessel sinking on navigable waters of the United 
States.
 ``

    (b) Exceptions.--
 ``

    (1) Vessel length; vessel age.--Subsection

    (a) shall not 
 apply to a vessel less than 35 feet in length or fewer than 40 
 years old.
 ``

    (2) Insurance.--Subsection

    (a) shall not apply to a 
 person who transfers title of a covered vessel to a person who, 
 at the time of the transfer, has insurance--
 ``
        (A) applicable to the vessel for the 12-month 
 period beginning on the date of the transfer; and
 ``
        (B) that, in the case the vessel sinks, covers 
 specified expenses.
 ``
            (c) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Commercial vessel.--The term `commercial vessel' has 
 the meaning given such term in 

section 4462

    (a)

    (4) of the 
 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 4462

    (a)

    (4) ).
 ``

    (2) Covered vessel.--The term `covered vessel' means--
 ``
        (A) commercial vessel; or
 ``
        (B) a recreational vessel that was previously a 
 commercial vessel.
 ``

    (3) Specified expenses.--The term `specified expenses' 
 mean, with respect to a sunken vessel--
 ``
        (A) damages attributable to the sinking of the 
 vessel; and
 ``
        (B) expenses relating to--
 ``
            (i) removal of the vessel and any debris;
 ``
            (ii) clean-up of any pollution 
 attributable to the sinking of the vessel; and
 ``
            (iii) any shut down of, or repairs or 
 maintenance to, a water intake pump as a result 
 of pollution attributable to the sinking of the 
 vessel.
 ``

    (4) Recreational vessel.--The term `recreational vessel' 
 has the meaning given such term in 

section 2101 of title 46, 
 United States Code.''.

    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 301 of 
title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new item:

``30107. Liability for specified expenses resulting from sinking of 
 certain decommissioned commercial 
 vessels.''.
 <all>