S. 1820: Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2009

111th Congress · introduced 2009-10-21 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S10638-10641)

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-10-21 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] · 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 S10638-10641) 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

Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2009

Plain summary

Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2009 - Declares the purpose of this Act to be the establishment of national standards and prohibitions for discharges from cruise vessels. Defines "cruise vessel" as a passenger vessel that is authorized to carry at least 250 passengers and has onboard sleeping facilities for each passenger. Excludes vessels owned or operated by federal, state, or local governments. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to prohibit cruise vessels departing from, or calling on, a U.S. port from discharging effluents, including sewage or sewage sludge, incinerator ash, hazardous waste, graywater, or bilge water, into navigable waters. Allows an exception for discharges made solely to secure the safety of a cruise vessel or to save a human life at sea. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) promulgate effluent limits for sewage, graywater, and bilge water discharges from cruise vessels; (2) establish dates for compliance with such limits; (3) require sampling, monitoring, and reporting to ensure compliance with such limits and other applicable requirements; and (4) establish an inspection program to ensure the compliance of cruise vessels with the requirements of this Act. Requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with the Administrator, to establish and carry out a program for hiring and placing trained, independent, observers on cruise vessels to monitor and inspect vessel operations, equipment, and discharges. Establishes in the Treasury the Cruise Vessel Pollution Control Fund. Requires the Commandant and the Administrator to collect fees from cruise vessels and deposit such fees in the Fund for use in carrying out this Act.

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

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2009

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. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] reported raising $84,084 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s1820.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s1820 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111