SSHIP Act of 2013

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A Bill

To amend title 46, United States Code, to ensure that any ocean borne carrier or vessel that wishes to enter into a port or place in the United States or the navigable waters of the United States has not docked at an Iranian port and to deny utilization of seaports and navigable waters of the United States by entities with business operations in the seaport sector of Iran.

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 “Sanctioning Shippers to Iranian Ports Act of 2013” or the “SSHIP Act of 2013.”

SEC. 2. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR OCEAN BORNE CARRIERS AND VESSELS.

Section 42302 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(d) Certification Requirement.—The Federal Maritime Commission shall require that all ocean borne carriers and vessels certify that they have not docked at an Iranian port.
(e) Tracking Requirement.—The Commission shall require that all ocean borne carrier and vessels enable their GPS tracking devices.
(f) No Iran Business Requirement.—The Commission shall require that all ocean borne carriers and vessels shall not be owned, managed, or operated by any business, firm, or entity with business operations, either directly or indirectly through an affiliate, in the Iranian seaports sector.

SEC. 3. REFUSAL OF CLEARANCE AND ENTRY OF OCEAN BORNE CARRIERS AND VESSELS THAT HAVE DOCKED AT AN IRANIAN PORT OR ARE OWNED, MANAGED OR OPERATED BY ENTITIES WITH IRAN PORT OPERATIONS.

Section 42304 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by revising subsection (a) to read:

(a) In General.—Subject to section 42306 of this title, whenever the Federal Maritime Commission, after notice and opportunity for comment or hearing, determines that the conditions specified in section 42302 (a) and (d) of this title exist, the Commission shall take such action to offset those conditions as it considers necessary and appropriate against any carrier or vessel that is a contributing cause, or whose government is a contributing cause to those conditions….

Section 42304 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by revising subsection (a) to read:

(C) Deny entry of a carrier or vessel that has been identified by the Commission under section 42302 (d), as amended by this Act, to a port or place in the United States or the navigable waters of the United States for 10 years.
(D) Deny entry of a carrier or vessel that has been identified by the Commission to be in violation of section 42302 (e), as amended by this Act, to a port or place in the United States or the navigable waters of the United States permanently.
(E) Deny entry of a carrier or vessel owned, operated, or managed by any business, firm, or entity with business operations, either directly, indirectly through an affiliate, in the seaport sector of Iran, to a port of place in the United States of the navigable waters of the United States.
(F) Deny carriers the right to enter into contracts for the operation or joint operation of terminals and terminal facilities at a port or place in the United States or the navigable waters of the United States.

Section 42305 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(3) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall refuse the clearance required by section 60105 of this title to a carrier or vessel that is identified by the Commission under section 42304 (d), as amended by this Act, of this title for 10 years.
(4) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall refuse the clearance required by section 60105 of this title to a carrier or vessel that is identified by the Commission to be in violation of section 42304 (e), as amended by this Act, of this title permanently.