Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2003

The U.S. House of Representatives has posted on the Internet the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2003. The bill was reported out of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on July 24, 2003 and awaits consideration by the full House. The measure includes authorizations for both the Coast Guard and the Federal Maritime Commission. The measure includes a number of maritime-related provisions, including requiring a report on security inspection of vessels and vessel-borne cargo containers entering the United States; requiring oil spill response plans for non-tank vessels; and a lengthy provision amending the definition of 'owner or operator' for purposes of OPA 90 so as to parallel the provision in CERCLA providing legal protection to a passive lender holding indicia of ownership primarily to protect a security interest. Source: HK Law