Directs the Secretary of Transportation (the Secretary) to prescribe water transportation security measures to protect passengers and property boarding passenger vessels from acts of criminal violence and piracy.
Requires such regulations to cover: (1) the screening of all persons and property by weapon-detecting procedures; (2) the construction and design of such vessels to protect persons and property from acts of criminal violence and piracy; (3) a requirement that U.S. port authorities provide law enforcement programs which may use State, local, and private law enforcement personnel; and (4) a prohibition against the disclosure of certain information obtained in research and development activities regarding water transportation security measures.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) submit semiannual reports to the Congress regarding the effectiveness of screening procedures; (2) conduct research and development activities regarding security measures implementation; and (3) prescribe uniform training standards for law enforcement personnel used in water transportation security programs (including State, local, and private law enforcement personnel).
Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) permit port authorities to use, on a reimbursable basis, Federal law enforcement personnel to supplement State, local, and private law enforcement personnel; and (2) provide training for personnel used to implement the water transportation security program.
Authorizes the President to suspend the rights of common carriers (and foreign common carriers) to engage in foreign water transportation and commerce to and from a foreign nation which the President has found: (1) supports terrorist organizations which illegally seize commercial passenger vessels as an instrument of policy; or (2) maintains water service between itself and a foreign nation which supports such terrorist organizations.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) assess the security measures at specified foreign ports and report a summary of such assessments to the Congress; (2) notify the foreign government concerned (after advising the Secretary of State) if the Secretary determines that its port security measures are insufficient; and (3) publicize the identity of such port in the Federal Register, the news media, and at all United States ports regularly served by scheduled common carrier operations.
Requires each common carrier and foreign common carrier providing service between the United States and such port to provide written notice of the Secretary's determination to any passenger purchasing a water transportation ticket between the United States and such port.
Authorizes the Secretary (with the approval of the Secretary of State) to impose certain restrictions upon the operating authority of any common carrier or foreign common carrier to engage in water transportation using such port.
Authorizes the President to prohibit common carrier service between the United States and any foreign port served by passenger vessels sailing to or from ports exercising insufficient security measures.
Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress regarding: (1) actions taken with respect to ports determined to exercise insufficient security measures; and (2) any sanctions that have been lifted by the Secretary.
Requires the Secretary to immediately suspend, without notice or hearing and with the approval of the Secretary of State, common carrier foreign water transportation rights if the Secretary determines that the public safety or interest requires the immediate suspension of service connections from a foreign port.
Requires the Secretary of State to issue specified travel advisories upon notification by the Secretary that a public safety threat exists at a port determined by the Secretary to exercise insufficient security measures.
Requires the Secretary to suspend all foreign assistance to any country determined to be a high terrorist threat country by the Secretary of State, and whose port security measures have been determined ineffective by the Secretary.
Requires congressional notification upon the removal of any foreign aid or travel advisory sanction.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Referred to House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.
Executive Comment Requested from DOT, State.
Referred to Subcommittee on Merchant Marine.
Referred to Subcommittee on Arms Control, International Security and Science.
Referred to Subcommittee on International Operations.
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