[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2430 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2430

        To prevent maritime emergencies, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 6, 2007

 Mrs. Boxer (for herself and Mrs. Feinstein) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
        To prevent maritime emergencies, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Maritime Emergency Prevention Act of 
2007''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 5 of title 14, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 99. Emergency command authority
    ``(a) In General.--Using the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) 
maintained under the Ports and Waterways Safety Act of 1972 (Public Law 
107-340; 33 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.), the Secretary may command the person 
directing the movements of a vessel to modify the speed or direction of 
a vessel in the event of an emergency or hazardous conditions as 
determined by the local Coast Guard VTS director.
    ``(b) Limitation on Civil Actions.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, a civil action for damages may not be filed in any Federal 
        or State court against the Secretary or any officer in relation 
        to the exercise of authority under this section.
            ``(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
        construed to limit any immunity, privilege, or defense under 
        any other provision of law.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``99. Emergency command authority.''.

SEC. 3. LAPTOP NAVIGATION REQUIREMENT FOR FEDERALLY LICENSED PILOTS.

    The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall require that, beginning not 
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, any 
pilot licensed under subtitle II of title 46, United States Code, who 
directs the movement of a vessel in circumstances in which the 
applicable State or local pilotage authority determines that 
utilization of a laptop computer equipped with a navigation system 
aboard is practicable and necessary, the pilot shall carry and utilize 
a laptop computer so equipped for navigation purposes.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for the 
upgrading of Coast Guard equipment and technology for the Vessel 
Traffic Service.
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