Florida Senators Introduce Bill to Safely Resume Cruising
by Jessica Montevago /
Two Florida Senators have introduced a bill to address the safety and logistical changes needed “to develop a roadmap for cruise lines to resume operations.”
The Set Sail Safely Act, from Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, will support the development of guidelines needed to ensure the safe resumption of cruise lines and port operations by establishing a Maritime Task Force, in coordination with a Private Sector Advisory Committee.
The task force would include representatives from several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation, Department of State and the Federal Maritime Commission. Private Sector stakeholders would include representatives from the passenger cruise line industry, U.S. ports, commercial fishermen, small businesses and health professionals.
Currently, cruise lines are under a Centers for Disease Control No Sail Order until Sept. 30, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The cruise and maritime industries are vital to the prosperity of our state’s economy and securing guidance for safely resuming operations is a top priority of mine,” said Rubio.
The legislation has support from organizations such as the American Association of Port Authorities, the Florida Ports Council, Miami-Dade County and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
“On behalf of the wider cruise community, including nearly 44,000 American travel advisors and hundreds of small- and medium-sized businesses in the US that provide products and services to cruise lines, CLIA joins our port partners in thanking Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio for their leadership in introducing this important legislation,” said Adam Goldstein, global chair of CLIA.
“The Senators’ bill draws much needed attention to the importance of strategic dialogue between appropriate federal agencies and a broad group of public and private sector stakeholders to safely advance a resumption of cruising in the U.S. that mirrors the gradual and successful restart of cruise operations in Europe.”