S. 2537

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To adjust certain ownership and other requirements for passenger vessels, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES · July 30, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Lee · Committee: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Table of contents

• SEC. 1. Short title
• SEC. 2. Repeal of PVSA and adjustment of Jones Act requirements for passenger vessels
• SEC. 3. Rule of construction

SEC. 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the "Open America's Ports Act".

SEC. 2. Repeal of PVSA and adjustment of Jones Act requirements for passenger vessels

(a) Repeal of PVSA domestic requirements

Section 55103 of title 46, United States Code (commonly referred to as the ), is repealed "Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886".

(b) Adjustment of Jones Act requirements

of title 46, United States Code, is amended— (Chapter 121) (1) in section 12103, by adding at the end the following:

(d) Nonapplicability The requirements of this section shall not apply to any vessel that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port.;

(2) in section 12112(a)— (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting before ; and (B) in paragraph (2)— (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking after the semicolon; (ii) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking "; and" and inserting "; or" ; and (iii) by adding at the end the following:

(3) in section 12121(b), by striking "55102, and 55103" and inserting "and 55102" .

(c) Adjustment of citizenship and Navy Reserve requirements

Section 8103(k) of title 46, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

(k) Exemption for passenger vessels Subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to any vessel that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port..

(d) Conforming amendments

(1) of title 46, United States Code, is amended— (Chapter 551) (A) by repealing section 55104; and (B) in section 55121— (i) in the section heading, by striking ; (ii) by striking subsection (a); (iii) by striking and all that follows through ; and (iv) by striking "sections 55102 and 55103 of this title do" and inserting "section 55102 of this title does" .

(2) Section 11504(f) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117–263) is amended by striking .

(3) The table of sections for of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking the items relating to sections 55103 and 55104. (chapter 551)

SEC. 3. Rule of construction

Nothing in the amendments made by this Act shall be construed to exempt a vessel that transports passengers between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port, from any applicable law of the United States except as explicitly provided in such amendments.