,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bgii  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #af1 #bjai,mr4  
,carson of ,indiana introduced the      
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to         
implement recommendations related to the
 safety of amphibious passenger vessels1
 and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,duck ,boat ,safety ,act4  #b4          
,requirements for amphibious passenger  
vessels to remain afloat and upright in 
the event of flooding  7a7 ,reserve     
buoyancy for amphibious passenger       
vessels through passive means  7#a7     
,regulations required ,not later than #a
 year after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,commandant of the      
,coast ,guard shall prescribe in        
regulations requirements that operators 
of amphibious passenger vessels provide 
reserve buoyancy for such vessels       
through passive means1 including        

watertight compartmentalization1        
built-in flotation1 or such other means 
as the ,commandant shall specify in the 
regulations1 in order to ensure that    
such vessels remain afloat and upright  
in the event of flooding1 including when
 carrying a full complement of          
passengers and crew4  7#b7 ,deadline for
 compliance ,the regulations required by
 paragraph 7#a7 shall require compliance
 with the requirements in the           
regulations by operators of amphibious  
passenger vessels by such date1 not     
later than #bd months after the date of 
the enactment of this ,act1 as the      
,commandant shall specify in the        
regulations4  7b7 ,interim requirements 
,commencing as of the date the          
regulations required by subsection 7a7  
are prescribed1 the ,commandant of the  
,coast ,guard shall require that        
operators of amphibious passenger       
vessels that are not in compliance with 
the requirements in the regulations do  
the following3  7#a7 ,remove the        

canopies of such vessels for waterborne 
operations1 or install in such vehicles 
a canopy that does not restrict either  
horizontal or vertical escape by        
passengers in the event of flooding or  
sinking4  7#b7 ,if the canopy is removed
 from any such vessel pursuant to       
paragraph 7#a71 require that all        
passengers don a ,coast ,guard          
type-approved personal flotation device 
before the onset of waterborne          
operations of such vessel4  7#c7        
,reengineer such vessels to permanently 
close all unnecessary access plugs and  
to reduce all through-hull penetrations 
to the minimum number and size necessary
 for operation4  7#d7 ,install in such  
vessels independently powered electric  
bilge pumps that are capable of         
dewatering such vessels at the volume of
 the largest remaining penetration in   
order to supplement either an operable  
,higgins pump or a dewatering pump of   
equivalent or greater capacity4  7#e7   
,install in such vessels not fewer than 

four independently powered bilge alarms4
  7#f7 ,inspect any such vessel in water
 after each time a through-hull         
penetration of such vessel has been     
removed or uncovered4  7#g7 ,verify the 
watertight integrity of any such vessel 
in the water at the outset of each      
waterborne departure of such vessel4    
7#h7 ,otherwise comply with any other   
provisions of ,navigation and ,vessel   
,inspection ,circular #a-ja in the      
inspection1 configuration1 and operation
 of such vessels4  7c7 ,prohibition on  
operation of noncompliant vessels ,the  
following amphibious passenger vessels  
may not operate on ,united ,states      
waterways3 7#a7 ,commencing as of the   
date the regulations required by        
subsection 7a7 are prescribed1 any      
amphibious passenger vessel whose       
configuration or operation does not     
comply with the requirements in         
subsection 7b74  7#b7 ,commencing as of 
the date specified by the ,commandant of
 the ,coast ,guard pursuant to          

subsection 7a77#b71 any amphibious      
passenger vessel whose configuration or 
operation does not comply with the      
requirements in the regulations under   
subsection 7a77#a74