S. 4040: Ship Agent Licensure Act of 2022

117th Congress · introduced 2022-04-07 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2095)

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2022-04-07 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] · 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. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2095) 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

Ship Agent Licensure Act of 2022

Plain summary

Ship Agent Licensure Act of 2022 This bill revises provisions related to ocean shipping policies. Specifically, the bill sets forth a definition for the term ship agent to include a person who is engaged in the business of representing a ship's owner, operator, or charterer in performing carriage while in a port of the United States; responsible for certain services such as crew changes and repatriations; and not owned or controlled by a common carrier or cruise line; prohibits a person in the United States from advertising, holding out, or acting as a ship agent or providing ship agent services in the United States unless the person is domiciled in the United States and holds a license issued by the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC); prohibits a person from advertising, holding out, or acting as a ship agent unless the person furnishes a bond, proof of insurance, or other surety in a form and amount determined by the FMC to insure financial responsibility; and requires the FMC to suspend or revoke a ship agent license if it finds that the ship agent is not qualified to provide ship agency services or willfully failed to comply with provisions in the bill or with an order or regulation of the FMC.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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

Ship Agent Licensure Act of 2022

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. Reed, Jack [D-RI] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] reported raising $3.7 million (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 (3)

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).
Bond: A way to borrow money. A government sells bonds to raise money now and promises to pay it back with interest over time. Bonds repaid from taxes often need voter approval.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

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-117s4040.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/s>

Record fed-us-cong117-s4040 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117