S. 2490: Ballast Water Management Act of 2004

108th Congress · introduced 2004-06-02 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6354-6358)

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2004-06-02 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Inouye, Daniel K. [D-HI] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6354-6358) Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Ballast Water Management Act of 2004

Plain summary

Ballast Water Management Act of 2004 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to revise certain aquatic invasive species prevention requirements to: (1) apply them to certain U.S. vessels and to certain foreign vessels that are en route to, or have departed from, a U.S. port; and (2) establish ballast water and sediment management standards for vessels of the armed forces. Prohibits, with specified exceptions, a person from uptaking or discharging ballast water and sediment from a U.S. vessel operating in U.S. or non-U.S. waters. Requires a vessel to conduct all its ballast water management operations in accordance with a ballast water management plan that meets the requirements prescribed and approved by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating. Requires a vessel before discharging ballast water into U.S. waters to conduct ballast water treatment so that the discharged ballast water will contain no more than a specified level of living organisms or microbes. Prohibits an operator of a vessel, until the vessel conducts such treatment, from uptaking or discharging ballast water unless the operator conducts a ballast water exchange in a manner that results in an efficiency of at least 95 percent volumetric exchange of the ballast water for each ballast water tank. Sets forth certain certification procedures with respect to vessel ballast water management plans and equipment used for ballast water and sediment management. Sets forth civil penalties for persons who violate the requirements of this Act. Urges the Secretary to negotiate with foreign countries to develop and implement an international program for preventing the unintentional introduction and spread of nonindigenous species.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Ballast Water Management Act of 2004

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Inouye, Daniel K. [D-HI] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-108s2490.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/108/s>

Record fed-us-cong108-s2490 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108