S. 1717: A bill to amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.
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S. 1717: A bill to amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.
114th Congress · introduced 2015-07-08 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 658.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2015-07-08 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 658. 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.
Official title
A bill to amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.
Plain summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) (Sec. 1) This bill extends through October 31, 2028, the exemption of certain vessels from the requirement that U.S. passenger vessels having berth or stateroom accommodations for at least 50 passengers be constructed of fire-retardant materials in order to be granted a certificate of inspection. The bill continues to apply this exemption only to vessels in operation before January 1, 1968, which operate only within the Boundary Line (the dividing point between inland waters and high seas). An owner or managing operator of an exempt vessel shall: notify crew members (currently, only prospective passengers) that the vessel does not comply with applicable fire safety standards due primarily to the wooden construction of passenger berthing areas; and make annual structural alterations to at least 10% of vessel areas that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials and provide advance notice to the Coast Guard of such alterations. Any noncombustible material requirements prescribed by the Coast Guard (with which an exempt vessel is still required to comply) shall be consistent with the preservation of a vessel's historic integrity in areas carrying or accessible to passengers or generally visible to the public.
Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
A bill to amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment)
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] · 8 cosponsors
Cosponsors on this site
John Boozman (R-AR), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
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 (2)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
- Exemption
- A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s1717.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>
Record fed-us-cong114-s1717 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114