U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced three bills aimed at repealing the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (PVSA), a law that restricts domestic passenger transport to U.S.-built, flagged, and crewed ships. According to Senator Lee, these regulations have become outdated and now hinder economic growth.
“Red tape around America’s ports is strangling our economy and boosting foreign interests,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Current law protects ships that haven’t existed for decades and creates ridiculous requirements, forcing cruise ships to take Americans to foreign ports instead of their own cities. My legislation will repeal these outdated regulations, protect American jobs, and put our economy first.”
The PVSA was originally designed to protect U.S. coastal trade by limiting passenger service between American ports to domestically built vessels. However, the United States has not produced large cruise ships in over sixty years. As a result, most cruise lines must stop at foreign ports during trips between U.S. cities, diverting tourism revenue abroad.
Senator Lee’s legislative package includes the Open America’s Ports Act, which would fully repeal the PVSA; the Protecting Jobs in American Ports Act, which would remove restrictions on non-U.S.-built vessels at American ports; and the Safeguarding American Tourism Act, which would exempt large passenger vessels from PVSA rules.
Supporters argue that removing these requirements could encourage more domestic travel by sea and keep more tourism dollars within the United States.
