,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajca  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #d1     
#bjai,mr4 ,hawley introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,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 ,enhancement ,act of #bjai4  #b4
 ,safety requirements for amphibious    
passenger vessels  7a7 ,remaining afloat
 and upright in the event of flooding   
7#a7 ,regulations required ,not later   
than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,commandant 
of the ,coast ,guard shall prescribe in 
regulations 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 ,interim     
requirements ,commencing as of the date 
the regulations required by paragraph   
7#a7 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 vessels a
 ,coast ,guard-approved 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 subparagraph 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#c7 ,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 paragraph 7#a7  
are prescribed1 any amphibious passenger
 vessel whose configuration or operation
 does not comply with the requirements  
in paragraph 7#b74  7,b7 ,commencing as 
of the date specified by the ,commandant
 of the ,coast ,guard pursuant to       
subsection 7d71 any amphibious passenger
 vessel whose configuration or operation
 does not comply with the requirements  
in the regulations under paragraph 7#a74
  7b7 ,severe weather emergency         
preparedness ,not later than #ahj days  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,commandant of the ,coast     
,guard shall prescribe in regulations-- 
7#a7 the limiting environmental         
conditions1 such as weather1 in which   
amphibious passenger vessels may safely 
operate1 and a requirement that such    
limiting conditions be described in the 
certificate of inspection of each       

amphibious passenger vessel2  7#b7 that 
an operator of an amphibious passenger  
vessel-- 7,a7 check the ,national       
,weather ,service forecast before       
getting underway and periodically while 
underway2 and  7,b7 in the case of a    
watch or warning issued for wind speeds 
exceeding the wind speed equivalent used
 to certify the stability of an         
amphibious passenger vessel1 proceed to 
the nearest harbor or safe refuge2 and  
7#c7 that an amphibious passenger vessel
 certified to operate on partially      
protected waters have a weather monitor 
radio receiver at the operator station  
that may be automatically activated by  
the warning alarm device of the         
,national ,weather ,service4  7c7       
,additional safety measures ,not later  
than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,commandant 
of the ,coast ,guard shall prescribe in 
regulations that-- 7#a7 operators of    
amphibious passenger vessels inform     
passengers that seat belts may not be   

worn during waterborne operations2 and  
7#b7 before the commencement of         
waterborne operations1 a crew member    
visually check that each passenger has  
unbuckled his or her seatbelt4  7d7     
,deadline for compliance ,the           
regulations required by subsections 7a7 
through 7c7 shall require compliance    
with the requirements in the regulations
 by operators of amphibious passenger   
vessels by such date1 not later than #b 
years after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act1 as the ,commandant shall    
specify in the regulations4