PRINTER'S NO. 787
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
62
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY GIRAL, MADDEN, SANCHEZ, FREEMAN, GUENST, HANBIDGE,
BURGOS, HILL-EVANS AND NEILSON, APRIL 3, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, APRIL 3, 2023
A RESOLUTION
Urging the Congress of the United States to pass legislation to
exempt Puerto Rico and other noncontiguous states and
territories from the Jones Act.
WHEREAS, Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, more
commonly referred to as the Jones Act, (46 U.S.C. ยง 55102),
requires that goods shipped from one American port to another be
transported on a ship that is American-built, American-owned and
crewed by United States citizens or permanent residents; and
WHEREAS, The original purpose of this law was to create a
safe network of merchant mariners within the United States after
World War I in reaction to the United States fleet being
destroyed by the German Navy; and
WHEREAS, The Jones Act ensured that in times of war there was
a reliable supply of American-made, American-owned, American-
crewed ships to supply American commerce even in hazardous
conditions; and
WHEREAS, Although the Jones Act is well-intentioned, the act
has had numerous unintended consequences on Puerto Rico and
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other noncontiguous states and territories, such as Alaska and
Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, The Jones Act costs Hawaii and Puerto Rico $1.2
billion and $1.5 billion a year, respectively; and
WHEREAS, The Jones Act drives up prices for imports and
exports in places such as Puerto Rico and Alaska, contributing
to a high cost of living; and
WHEREAS, As a result of higher costs of goods in Puerto Rico,
it is at a competitive disadvantage to other places in the
Caribbean as a destination for American tourists; and
WHEREAS, In the United States Virgin Islands, which is exempt
from the Jones Act, United States-made goods are significantly
cheaper; and
WHEREAS, The United States Virgin Islands has resisted past
efforts in Congress to subject the islands to the Jones Act; and
WHEREAS, The Jones Act has often been waived in times of
disaster; and
WHEREAS, Special interests pushed back against granting
emergency waivers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,
demonstrating the difficulty in granting waivers; and
WHEREAS, Special interest groups were furious when, after
Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico, the Biden Administration
allowed a foreign ship filled with diesel oil a waiver to bypass
Federal regulations and dock in Puerto Rico to help the island's
recovery efforts and prevent massive blackouts; and
WHEREAS, In response, the Jones Act waiver process was
amended in the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263, 136 Stat. 2395);
and
WHEREAS, These changes include making the President
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responsible for determining that a waiver is necessary instead
of the Secretary of Homeland Security and establishing a
mandatory 48-hour delay before a waiver can be approved and
published; and
WHEREAS, This means that a ship that is already laden with
cargo cannot seek out a waiver at all, which was the case with
Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona; and
WHEREAS, These changes will only make it harder for Puerto
Rico and other noncontiguous states and territories to respond
to emergency situations; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
States to pass legislation to exempt Puerto Rico and other
noncontiguous states and territories from the Jones Act; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the members of the United
States Congress to give serious and careful consideration to the
impacts of the Jones Act on the people of Puerto Rico and other
noncontiguous states and territories; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to the
President of the United States, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, the presiding officers of each house of Congress and
to each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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