Cruise Passenger Protection Act of 2019

Cruise Passenger Protection Act of 2019

This bill revises provisions related to passenger vessel security and safety.

The bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to develop standards for cruise ship owners to provide passengers with a conspicuous and unambiguous summary of key terms of passage contracts before they are binding. Vessel owners must provide each passenger with a summary meeting those standards and include the summary in promotional literature. The bill prescribes civil and criminal penalties for violations.

DOT must (1) establish a hotline for passenger complaints, (2) determine whether any of the enumerated rights in the international cruise line passenger bill of rights (adopted by the members of the Cruise Lines International Association) are enforceable under federal law, and (3) establish an advisory committee for passenger vessel consumer protection.

Vessel owners must ensure that a vessel is staffed with sea marshals and medical staff.

DOT must

• designate a director of victim support services,
• establish a 24-hour telephone number for crime victims,
• develop a written summary of rights for crime victims,
• maintain a statistical compilation of reported incidents, and
• study the feasibility of having an individual on board each vessel to provide victim support and related services.

The Department of Homeland Security may withhold or revoke the clearance of, and the Coast Guard may deny entry into the United States to, any vessel owner who commits an act or omission for which a penalty is imposed under this bill or fails to pay the penalty.