Cruise safety bill is passed by U.S. House today

Written by Joan Lownds, Hersam Acorn Newspapers
Friday, 23 October 2009 17:37

Breaking News | Posted 5:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

A landmark bill requiring tighter security and transparency on cruise ships was passed by the United States House of Representatives today, after a four-year fight which began after George Smith of Greenwich went missing from his honeymoon cruise. U. S. Rep. Jim Himes (R-4), a co-sponsor of the bill, spoke before the vote, urging its passage.

“Had the safety improvements and post-incident regulations mandated by the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act been in place in 2005, this horrible tragedy might have been prevented,” Mr. Himes said.

After Mr. Smith went missing, then U.S. Rep. Chris Shays (R-4) held hearings into cruise ship safety and the unregulated, $38 billion-a-year cruise industry at the request of the Smiths. At the hearings, the Smith family met Kendall Carver of Arizona, whose daughter Merrian had gone missing on an Alaskan Royal Caribbean cruise in 2004. The Smiths and Mr. Carver then formed International Cruise Victims (ICV), which has lobbied for improved safety and transparency regulations on cruise ships.

“Hopefully with the passage of the Cruise Safety Bill, the voices of the victimized and missing from cruise ships, as well as their families, will no longer be ignored and silenced,” said George’s sister Bree Smith, acting as a spokesperson for her mother Maureen and her father George.

Mr. Himes told Congress, “I proudly stand alongside the Smith family and the International Cruise Victims Association as they continue their fight for justice every day. Together, we work to honor Mr. Smith’s death so no family will ever have to suffer again from this type of tragic crime. Passengers can count on more enjoyable, safer trips as a result of the Smith Family’s advocacy.”

Mr. Carver, president of International Cruise Victims, also applauded the passage of the bill, which he described as a David and Goliath story, with the handful of citizens taking on the powerful cruise industry. “We applaud this first measure of its kind,” Mr. Carver said. “The approval of this legislation represents an historic step toward securing all passengers the safety and security they need and deserve.”

Mr. Himes acknowledged the work of his predecessor, Mr. Shays. “I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to mention my predecessor, the Honorable Christopher Shays, and the fight he began to improve safety on cruise ships and protect cruise ship passengers years ago.”

Ms. Smith also thanked Mr. Shays, saying, “We will never forget that Mr. Shays brought the need for reform of the cruise industry to the national spotlight and was a crusader for George, our family and all the other cruise crime victims that had been silenced for so long.”

Mr. Himes said the bill is aimed at protecting the more than 12 million Americans who will take a cruise vacation in 2009. He said the bill will help them to “have an inadequate understanding of their potential vulnerability to crime.” This bill, he said, will provide those who may be victimized “the information they need to understand their legal rights or to know who to contact for help in the immediate aftermath of a crime.”

“Cruise ships, which operate under foreign flags of convenience, are not required under U.S. law to report crimes that occur outside of U.S. territorial waters,” Mr. Himes said.

The new bill would make crime reporting mandatory, and “will lead to more enjoyable, safer trips and better results for victims of crimes,” Mr. Himes said. “I send my condolences to the Smith family and hope they rest assured knowing other families will not have to face the same misfortune.”

This new law stipulates that owners of cruise vessels must “upgrade, modernize and retrofit the safety and security infrastructure on their vessels.” It will require cruise lines to install peep holes in passenger doors, raise standard ship railings, install security video cameras and limit access to passenger rooms.

In addition, passenger vessel crew members must be trained on the appropriate methods for prevention, detection, evidence preservation and reporting of criminal activities.

“In the event that a crime should occur, it is of utmost importance that the crime scene or any potential evidence is not tampered with before the FBI can begin its investigation,” Mr. Himes said.

The bill now moves on to the Senate, which is being sponsored by U.S. Sens. John Kerry, Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman, among others.

“I look forward to the upcoming Senate floor vote and the president’s signature as soon as humanly possible,” Mr. Carver said.