,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ahgc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ac1     
#bjai,mr4 ,lee introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to establish a process for waiver of 
coastwise endorsement requirements4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,protecting ,access to ,american   
,products ,act4  #b4 ,waiver of         
coastwise endorsement requirements      
,section #abaab of title #df1 ,united   
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  7c7 ,waivers ,in
 ,cases of ,product ,carrier ,scarcity  
or ,unavailability  7#a7 ,in ,general   
,the head of an agency shall1 upon      
request1 temporarily waive the          
requirements of subsection 7a71         
including the requirement to satisfy    
section #abajc1 if the person requesting
 that waiver reasonably demonstrates to 
the head of an agency that--  7,a7 there

 is no product carrier1 with respect to 
a specified good1 that meets such       
requirements1 exists1 and is available  
to carry such good2 and  7,b7 the person
 made a good faith effort to locate a   
product carrier that complies with such 
requirements4  7#b7 ,duration ,any      
waiver issued under paragraph 7#a7 shall
 be limited in duration1 and shall      
expire by a specified date that is not  
less than #cj days after the date on    
which the waiver is issued4  7#c7       
,extension ,upon request1 if the        
circumstances under which a waiver was  
issued under paragraph 7#a7 have not    
substantially changed1 the head of an   
agency shall1 without delay1 grant one  
or more extensions to a waiver issued   
under paragraph 7#a71 for periods of not
 less than #ae days each4  7#d7         
,deadline for waiver response  7,a7     
,response deadline ,not later than #fj  
days after receiving a request for a    
waiver under paragraph 7#a71 the head of
 an agency shall approve or deny such   

request4  7,b7 ,findings in support of  
denied waiver ,if the head of an agency 
denies such a request1 the head of an   
agency shall1 not later than #ad days   
after denying the request1 submit to the
 requester a report that includes the   
findings that served as the basis for   
denying the request4  7,c7 ,request     
deemed granted ,if the head of an agency
 has neither granted nor denied the     
request before the response deadline    
described in subparagraph 7,a71 the     
request shall be deemed granted on the  
date that is #fa days after the date on 
which the head of an agency received the
 request4 ,a waiver that is deemed      
granted under this subparagraph shall be
 valid for a period of #cj days4  7#e7  
,notice to ,congress  7,a7 ,in ,general 
,the head of an agency shall notify     
,congress-- 7i7 of any request for a    
temporary waiver under this subsection1 
not later than #dh hours after receiving
 such request2 and  7ii7 of the issuance
 of any such waiver1 not later than #dh 

hours after such issuance4  7,b7        
,contents ,the head of an agency shall  
include in each notification under      
subparagraph 7,a77ii7 a detailed        
explanation of the reasons the waiver is
 necessary4  7#f7 ,definitions ,in this 
subsection3 7,a7 ,product carrier ,the  
term #8product carrier'1 with respect to
 a good1 means a vessel constructed or  
adapted primarily to carry such good in 
bulk in the cargo spaces4  7,b7 ,head of
 an agency ,the term 8head of an agency0
 means an individual1 or such individual
 acting in that capacity1 who is        
responsible for the administration of   
the navigation or vessel inspection     
laws4  4