[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 74 (Thursday, April 29, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2383-S2384]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1489. Mr. LEE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by

[[Page S2384]]

him to the bill S. 593, to restrict the imposition by the Secretary of 
Homeland Security of fines, penalties, duties, or tariffs applicable 
only to coastwise voyages, or prohibit otherwise qualified non-United 
States citizens from serving as crew, on specified vessels transporting 
passengers between the State of Washington and the State of Alaska, to 
address a Canadian cruise ship ban and the extraordinary impacts of the 
COVID-19 pandemic on Alaskan communities, and for other purposes; which 
was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; 
as follows:

        Strike section 3 and insert the following:

     SEC. 3. COVID-19 MITIGATION GUIDANCE FOR CRUISE SHIPS; 
                   RESUMPTION OF CRUISE SHIP OPERATIONS.

       (a) COVID-19 Mitigation Guidance for Cruise Ships.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than the earlier of 30 days 
     after the date of enactment of this Act or June 1, 2021, the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this 
     section as the ``Secretary''), acting through the Director of 
     the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (referred to 
     in this section as the ``Director'') and in consultation with 
     the interagency working group established under paragraph 
     (3), shall issue recommendations for how to mitigate the 
     risks of COVID-19 introduction, transmission, and spread 
     among passengers and crew onboard cruise ships and ashore to 
     communities. The Secretary may later update or modify such 
     recommendations as necessary to mitigate such risks.
       (2) Applicability.--The recommendations issued under 
     paragraph (1) shall be applicable to all cruise ships subject 
     to the order entitled ``No Sail Order and Suspension of 
     Further Embarkation'', issued by the Director on March 24, 
     2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 16628), or any modification to, or 
     extension of, such order.
       (3) Working group.--
       (A) Establishment.--There is hereby established, as soon as 
     practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, an 
     interagency working group, for purposes of developing, not 
     later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the recommendations described in paragraph (1),
       (B) Members.--The interagency working group shall consist 
     of--
       (i) the Secretary (or designee) serving as Chair;
       (ii) the Secretaries (or designees) of Transportation, of 
     Homeland Security, and of Commerce; and
       (iii) industry stakeholders appointed by the Secretary.
       (C) Scope of recommendations.--In developing the 
     recommendations described in paragraph (1), the interagency 
     working group shall consider public health safety needs; risk 
     mitigation strategies and health protocols for passengers and 
     crew that are consistent with, and not substantially more 
     burdensome than, the guidance applied by the Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention to other business sectors and 
     travel-related industries; and overall economic impacts, 
     costs, and benefits of the recommendations.
       (b) Resumption of Cruise Ship Operations.--On the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall revoke the order 
     entitled ``Framework for Conditional Sailing and Initial 
     Phase COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Protection of Crew'', 
     issued by the Director on November 4, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 
     70153), under the authority of sections 361 and 365 of the 
     Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 264; 268), and any other 
     order or regulation that prohibits the operation of all 
     cruise ships in United States waters, requires such ships to 
     obtain approval from the Director prior to operating, or 
     otherwise acts as a de facto prohibition for cruise ship 
     operations in the United States.
       (c) Rules of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall 
     limit the authority of the Secretary to make and enforce such 
     regulations that, in the judgment of the Secretary, are 
     necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or 
     spread of communicable diseases on any individual cruise ship 
     presenting a public health threat by reason of the existence 
     of any communicable disease.
                                 ______