119-hr3940

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3940 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3940

To repeal the Jones Act restrictions on coastwise trade, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 12, 2025

Mr. McClintock introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To repeal the Jones Act restrictions on coastwise trade, 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 ``Open America's Waters Act''.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF CERTAIN LIMITATIONS ON COASTWISE TRADE.

    (a) In General.--

Section 12112

    (a) of title 46, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows:
 ``

    (a) In General.--A coastwise endorsement may be issued for a 
vessel that qualifies under the laws of the United States to engage in 
the coastwise trade.''.

    (b) Regulations.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard 
shall issue regulations to implement the amendment made by subsection

    (a) that require all vessels permitted to engage in the coastwise trade 
to meet all appropriate safety and security requirements.
            (c) Conforming Amendments.--

    (1) Tank vessel construction standards.--

Section 3703a
            (c) (1)
            (C) of title 46, United States Code, is amended by 
 striking ``and is qualified for documentation as a wrecked 
 vessel under 

section 12112 of this title''.

    (2) Liquified gas tankers.--

Section 12120 of such title is 
 amended by striking ``, if the 
 vessel--'' and all that follows and inserting a period.

    (3) Small passenger vessels.--

Section 12121

    (b) of such 
 title is amended--
        (A) by striking ``12112,''; and
        (B) by striking ``12132,''.

    (4) Loss of coastwise trade privileges.--

Section 12132 of 
 such title is repealed.

    (5) Oil spill response vessels.--

Section 12117

    (b) of such 
 title is amended by striking ``sections 12103, 12132, and 
 50501'' and inserting ``sections 12103 and 50501''.

    (6) Optional regulatory measurement.--

Section 14305

    (a)

    (6) of such title is amended by striking ``sections 12118 and 
 12132'' and inserting ``

section 12118''.

    (7) Court sales of undocumented vessels.--

Section 31329

    (b) of such title is amended--
        (A) in paragraph

    (1) , by striking ``;'' and 
 inserting ``; and'';
        (B) in paragraph

    (2) , by striking ``; and'' and 
 inserting a period; and
            (C) by striking paragraph

    (3) .

    (8) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 
 121 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
 item relating to 

section 12132.
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