[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3955 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3955

   To amend title 46, United States Code, to protect seamen against 
                           economic reprisal.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 1998

 Mr. Boswell introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 46, United States Code, to protect seamen against 
                           economic reprisal.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Protection of Seamen Against 
Economic Reprisal Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF SEAMEN AGAINST ECONOMIC REPRISAL.

    Section 2114 of title 46, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
    ``(a) An owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, master, or 
individual in charge of a vessel may not discharge, temporarily remove, 
or in any manner discriminate against a seaman because the seaman--
            ``(1) in good faith has reported or is about to report to 
        the Coast Guard that the seaman believes that a violation of 
        this subtitle, or a regulation issued under this subtitle, has 
        occurred; or
            ``(2) refuses to violate this subtitle or a regulation 
        issued under this subtitle.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1) by striking ``and'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (B) in paragraph (2) by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) an award of costs and reasonable attorney's fees to a 
        prevailing plaintiff.''.
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