Alaska Tourism Restoration Act
Latest action · May 17, 2021 Held at the desk.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMar 4, 2021
- Passed SenateMay 13, 2021
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Alaska Tourism Restoration Act
This bill temporarily allows specific foreign-owned and foreign-flagged cruise ships to transport passengers directly between ports in the states of Washington and Alaska without stopping in Canada. Under current law, these ships cannot transport passengers from one U.S. port to another without stopping in a foreign country.
The bill deems a round trip voyage between ports in the states of Washington and Alaska as a foreign voyage if (1) during the voyage, the operators of such voyage send U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Border Services Agency an email containing the names of each alien crew member with a valid nonimmigrant work visa; and (2) the voyage begins not later than February 28, 2022. The operators of these voyages must also retain a COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Authority to conduct these voyages shall terminate on March 31, 2022, or when Canada lifts its COVID-related restrictions, whichever occurs first. Voyages may not occur during any period for which the CDC has issued an order to suspend cruise ship operations.
The bill also directs the Department of Transportation to require, through regulations, the installation of automated external defibrillators on passenger vessels (including cruise ships).
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Mar 4, 2021.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-AK | Dan Sullivan | Original | Mar 4, 2021 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Referred Mar 4, 2021Discharged May 13, 2021 |
Actions 8
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 17, 2021Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- May 17, 2021Received in the House.
- May 17, 2021Held at the desk.
- May 13, 2021Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- May 13, 2021Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S2510-2512)
- May 13, 2021Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S2510)
- Mar 4, 2021Introduced in Senate
- Mar 4, 2021Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In the Congressional Record 2
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S2510–S2512Amendments S2510, S2530 | Dan Sullivan R-AK, Lisa Murkowski R-AK (amendment) | May 13, 2021 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S2343–S2346Amendments S2384 | Dan Sullivan R-AK, Lisa Murkowski R-AK, Mike Lee R-UT (amendment), Richard Blumenthal D-CT | Apr 29, 2021 |
Amendments 4
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 1489 | To replace section 3 with provisions on COVID-19 mitigation guidance for cruise ships and resumption of cruise ship operations. | Mike Lee R-UT | Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. |
| SA 1490 | To strike section 3. | Mike Lee R-UT | Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. |
| SA 1491 | To improve the bill. | Mike Lee R-UT | Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. |
| SA 1492 | In the nature of a substitute. | Lisa Murkowski R-AK | Amendment SA 1492 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 1318 | Alaska Tourism Restoration Act | Identical bill | May 24, 2021 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to restrict the imposition by the Secretary of Homeland Security of fines, penalties, duties, or tariffs applicable only to coastwise voyages, or prohibit otherwise qualified non-United States citizens from serving as crew, on specified vessels transporting passengers between the State of Washington and the State of Alaska, to address a Canadian cruise ship ban and the extraordinary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Alaskan communities, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Alaska Tourism Recovery Act
- Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
- Alaska Tourism Restoration Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Transportation and Public Works.
- Alaska
- Canada
- Cardiovascular and respiratory health
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Emergency medical services and trauma care
- Infectious and parasitic diseases
- Marine and inland water transportation
- Transportation and Public Works
- Transportation employees
- Transportation safety and security
- Travel and tourism
- Washington State
Text 2
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 13, 2021Engrossed in Senate
- Mar 4, 2021Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
