Obama signs cruise ship safety bill
In response to a series of high-profile assaults and disappearances on cruise ships in recent years, President Obama signed into law Tuesday tougher new rules for reporting crimes at sea, improving ship safety and training ship staff on collecting assault evidence.
The $40-billion cruise line industry has long been condemned by critics who say cruise ships registered in foreign countries have taken advantage of murky lines of jurisdiction to ignore the responsibility for misdeeds that occur on ships in international waters.
The bill, written by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui of Sacramento, requires cruise lines to install peepholes on passenger stateroom doors and crew members’ quarters as well as add on-deck surveillance cameras, among other safety improvements.
The law, which takes effect in 18 months, also mandates cruise personnel to contact both the FBI and the Coast Guard as soon as passengers report such serious crimes as homicides, suspicious deaths, missing U.S. nationals, kidnappings or assaults. The law also requires ships to employ a “trained forensic sexual assault specialist” and carry rape evidence kits and anti-retroviral medication.
Cruise lines that fail to comply may be denied entry into U.S. ports and face civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation and criminal penalties of as much as $250,000 and one year’s imprisonment.
A major backer of the legislation was Phoenix resident Kendall Carver, whose daughter Merrian disappeared during a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska in 2004. He called the legislation a “big start.” He said he would like to see cruise lines bolster security measures even more.
Carver, who helped form the nonprofit International Cruise Victims Assn., supports additional legislation that would make cruise lines that are at fault for deaths in international waters liable in U.S. courts.
He also called for a bill to increase the height of guard rails on ships from 42 inches, as required in the new law, to 54 inches. “This is not the end,” he said. “This is only the beginning.”
On hand for the bill signing Tuesday was Laurie Dishman, a Sacramento woman who testified before Congress about being sexually assaulted on a Royal Caribbean cruise to Mexico from Los Angeles in 2006.
“Seeing the president sign the law helped me to know that future passengers will have these safety measures in place,” she said.
In the U.S., the $40-billion cruise industry creates more than 357,000 jobs. In a statement, the Cruise Lines International Assn., which is based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said the industry has always tried to make safety a priority on the ships.
Some cruise ships are already equipped with 42-inch rails and security peepholes, according to the group. But the trade group supports the legislation because it makes such safety regulations consistent across the industry, association President Terry Dale said.
“Although millions of guests each year enjoy a safe cruise vacation, we welcome the opportunity to ensure consistency across our member line fleets,” he said.
