U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced three legislative proposals aimed at repealing the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (PVSA), a law that restricts domestic waterborne passenger transportation to ships that are U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged, and primarily U.S.-crewed and owned.
Senator Lee stated, “Red tape around America’s ports is strangling our economy and boosting foreign interests. Current law protects ships that haven’t existed for decades and creates ridiculous requirements, forcing cruise ships to take Americans to foreign ports instead of their own cities. My legislation will repeal these outdated regulations, protect American jobs, and put our economy first.”
The PVSA was initially designed to shield America’s coastal trade and tourism from foreign competition but includes an exemption for vessels stopping at “distant foreign ports.” Due to the lack of large cruise ship production in the United States over the past sixty years, most cruise ships must stop at non-U.S. ports during domestic routes to comply with the law. This requirement often shifts economic benefits from American cities to foreign destinations.
Senator Lee’s legislative package seeks to address these issues through three bills:
– The Open America’s Ports Act would fully repeal the PVSA.
– The Protecting Jobs in American Ports Act would remove restrictions on non-U.S.-built vessels receiving standard treatment at American ports.
– The Safeguarding American Tourism Act would exempt large passenger vessels with 800 or more berths from PVSA requirements.
According to Senator Lee’s office, these measures are intended to eliminate what he describes as burdensome regulations that no longer serve their original purpose and now hinder American tourism and job creation.
