,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #djdj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #g1     
#bjbb,mr4 ,reed 7for himself and ,mr4   
,whitehouse7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to amend subtitle ,,iv of title #df1 
,united ,states ,code1 with respect to  
ship agents1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,ship ,agent ,licensure ,act of 
#bjbb4  #b4 ,definitions ,section #djajb
 of title #df1 ,united ,states ,code1 is
 amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating        
paragraphs 7#bb7 through 7#bf7 as       
paragraphs 7#bc7 through 7#bg71         
respectively2 and  7#b7 by inserting    
after paragraph 7#ba7 the following3    
7#bb7 ,ship agent ,the term ship agent  
means a person-- 7,a7 engaged in the    
business of representing a ship's owner1
 operator1 or charterer 7referred to in 
this paragraph as the principal7 in     

performing carriage while in a port of  
the ,united ,states2 and  7,b7 who is   
responsible to the principal for-- 7i7  
port entry1 berthing1 and departure2    
7ii7 port husbandry services2  7iii7    
crew changes and repatriations2  7iv7   
receiving or releasing cargo on behalf  
of the principal2 or  7v7 interfacing   
with various ,federal agencies with     
respect to port safety1 supply chain    
efficiency1 maritime security1 and the  
environment2 and  7,c7 who is not owned 
or controlled by a common carrier or    
cruise line4  4  #c4 ,ship agents  7a7  
,in general ,title #df1 ,united ,states 
,code1 is amended by inserting after    
chapter #dji the following3  #daj ,ship 
agents  ,sec4#dajja4 ,definition of     
,commission4#dajjb4 ,license            
requirement4#dajjc4 ,financial          
responsibility4#dajjd4 ,suspension or   
revocation of license4  #dajja4         
,definition of ,commission ,in this     
chapter1 the term ,commission means the 
,federal ,maritime ,commission4  #dajjb4

 ,license requirement  7a7 ,in general  
,subject to subsection 7b71 a person in 
the ,united ,states shall not advertise1
 hold oneself out1 or act as a ship     
agent or provide ship agent services in 
the ,united ,states unless the person is
 domiciled in the ,united ,states and   
holds a license issued by the           
,commission4 ,the ,commission shall     
issue a license to a person that the    
,commission determines to be qualified  
by experience and character to act as a 
ship agent4  7b7 ,exception ,a person   
whose primary business is the provision 
of ocean transportation by water may    
provide ship agent services for its own 
account without a ship agent license    
under this section4  7c7 ,qualifications
 ,the ,commission shall establish such  
other ship agent qualifications as are  
necessary4 ,in establishing             
qualifications1 the ,commission shall   
consider recognized national and        
international standards for ship agency4
  #dajjc4 ,financial responsibility  7a7

 ,in general ,a person may not          
advertise1 hold oneself out1 or act as a
 ship agent unless the person furnishes 
a bond1 proof of insurance1 or other    
surety in a form and amount determined  
by the ,commission to insure financial  
responsibility4  7b7 ,scope of financial
 responsibility ,a bond1 insurance1 or  
other surety obtained under this        
section-- 7#a7 shall be available to pay
 any penalty assessed under section     
#daaji of this title or any order for   
reparation issued under section #dacje  
of this title2  7#b7 may be available to
 pay any claim against a ship agent     
arising from its ship agency services-- 
7,a7 with the consent of the insured    
ship agent and subject to review by the 
surety company2 or  7,b7 when the claim 
is determined valid by the surety       
company after the ship agent has failed 
to respond to adequate notice to address
 the validity of the claim2 and  7#c7   
shall be available to pay any judgment  
for damages against a ship agent arising

 from its ship agency services1 if the  
claimant has first attempted to resolve 
the claim under paragraph 7#b7 and the  
claim has not been resolved within a    
reasonable period of time4  7c7         
,regulations on court judgments ,the    
,commission shall prescribe regulations 
for the purpose of protecting the       
interests of claimants1 ship agents1 and
 surety companies with respect to the   
process of pursuing claims against ship 
agent bonds1 insurance1 or sureties     
through court judgments4 ,the           
regulations shall provide that a        
judgment for monetary damages may not be
 enforced except to the extent that the 
damages claimed arise from the ship     
agency services of the insured ship     
agent1 as defined by the ,commission4   
#dajjd4 ,suspension or revocation of    
license  7a7 ,failure ,to maintain      
qualifications or ,to comply ,the       
,commission1 after notice and           
opportunity for a hearing1 shall suspend
 or revoke a ship agent license if the  

,commission finds that the ship agent-- 
7#a7 is not qualified to provide ship   
agency services2 or  7#b7 willfully     
failed to comply with a provision of    
this part or with an order or regulation
 of the ,commission4  7b7 ,failure ,to  
maintain bond1 proof of insurance1 or   
other surety ,the ,commission may revoke
 a ship agent license for failure to    
maintain a bond1 proof of insurance1 or 
other surety as required by section     
#dajjb7;a7 of this title4  4  7b7       
,conforming amendments for tables of    
chapters ,the table of chapters at the  
beginning of title #df1 ,united ,states 
,code1 and at the beginning of subtitle 
,,iv of such title are each amended by  
inserting after the item relating to    
chapter #dji the following3  #daj4 ,ship
 ,agents#dajja4  4