A bill to amend the Shipping Act, 1916, in order to facilitate intermodal transportation.

Defines the term "common carrier by water" under the Shipping Act of 1916 as including an intermodal carrier.

States that "intermodal carrier" means a common carrier by water (except a nonvessel operating common carrier) holding itself out as a common carrier to provide through intermodal transportation of property, part of which involves the foreign or domestic offshore waterborne commerce of the United States and part of which invlolves movements outside of or within the United States, including intercoastal or coastwise water transportation or transportation on the Great Lakes, or transportation within a possession or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, which carrier does one or more of the following: (1) quotes single factor rates for an intermodal service over a through route; (2) assumes responsibility for the through transportation of such property from place of receipt to place of delivery; and (3) utilizes for a portion of the transportation its own facilities and instrumentalities and for a portion of the transportation the underlying facilities and instrumentalities of another common carrier or carriers.