Senate committee plans hearing for Cruise Passenger Protection Act

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has scheduled a July hearing of the full committee on his proposed Cruise Passenger Protection Act.

A specific date has not been determined. A statement on the committee website said it would occur “during the July work period.”

The legislation, introduced a year ago, would increase reporting requirements for cruise lines. It mandates the posting of reported crimes, missing persons and other information on a website and directs the Department of Transportation to write a standard for informing passengers of key cruise contract terms that can be accessed prior to ticket purchase.

It also calls on the DOT to establish an advisory committee on cruise passenger protection, and the establishment of a consumer complaint telephone hotline.

The bill has attracted several Democratic co-sponsors, but a vote to move it to the full Senate has not been held.
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Follow Tom Stieghorst on Twitter @tstravelweekly.