Noncontiguous Disaster Shipping Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 4813 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4813 To amend title 46, United States Code, to provide for a waiver of navigation or vessel-inspection laws in noncontiguous areas upon a declaration of a major disaster or emergency, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 29, 2025 Mr. Moylan (for himself, Mr. Case, Ms. King-Hinds, Mrs. Radewagen, and Mr. Torres of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title 46, United States Code, to provide for a waiver of navigation or vessel-inspection laws in noncontiguous areas upon a declaration of a major disaster or emergency, 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 ``Noncontiguous Disaster Shipping Act''. SEC. 2. WAIVER IN A NONCONTIGUOUS AREA. Section 501 of title 46, United States Code, is amended-- (1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively; and (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection: ``(c) In a Noncontiguous Area.-- ``(1) In general.--Upon a declaration by the President pursuant to section 401 or 501 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170; 5191) that a major disaster or emergency exists in a noncontiguous area of the United States, the head of an agency responsible for the administration of the navigation or vessel-inspection laws shall waive compliance with such laws for a vessel transporting cargo to or from the noncontiguous area affected by such major disaster or emergency for the purpose of disas