[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3376 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3376

To amend title 46, United States Code, to ensure the traditional right 
 of self-defense of United States mariners against acts of piracy, and 
                          for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 29, 2009

 Mr. LoBiondo (for himself and Mr. Cummings) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 46, United States Code, to ensure the traditional right 
 of self-defense of United States mariners against acts of piracy, 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 ``United States Mariner and Vessel 
Protection Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. USE FORCE AGAINST PIRACY.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 81 of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 8107. Use of force against piracy
    ``An owner, operator, time charterer, master, or mariner who uses 
force, or authorizes the use of force, to defend a vessel of the United 
States against an act of piracy shall not be liable for any injury or 
death caused by such force to any person participating in the act of 
piracy.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis at the beginning of such 
chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``8107. Use of force against piracy.''.

SEC. 3. AGREEMENTS.

    To carry out the purpose of this Act, the Secretary of the 
department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall work through the 
International Maritime Organization to establish agreements to promote 
coordinated action among flag- and port-states to deter, protect 
against, and rapidly respond to acts of piracy against the vessels of, 
and in the waters under the jurisdiction of, those nations, and to 
ensure limitations on liability similar to those established by section 
8107 of title 46, United States Code, as amended by this Act.
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