Congress passed the first regulations on the cruise industry in a decade Friday, which include requiring a registered doctor to be aboard every ship, as just one provision of the $740 billion major national defense bill approved by the Senate with a veto-proof majority.
The bill adopted legislation, including the Cruise Passenger Protection Act sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., that makes it mandatory for ships to have a trained physician on board and install security cameras in all public places, the Miami Herald reported.
“The significant and long-overdue cruise ship health and safety standard improvements included in this bill will make our seas safer for passengers and crew alike,” Blumenthal said in a statement.
Congress requires cruise ships to have a doctor on board in big year-end defense bill Taylor Dolven and Alex Daugherty, The Miami Herald
Dec. 11 Parts of a federal bill meant to strengthen safety standards on cruise ships are set to become law.
The regulations from the Cruise Passenger Protection Act, sponsored by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), require ships to have a trained physician on board and install video cameras in all public places. The provisions are part of a $741 billion year-end defense bill passed Friday by the U.S. Senate after clearing the House on Tuesday.
It is the first time Congress has passed new regulations for the cruise industry since 2010. A spokesperson for the industry s lobbying group, Cruise Lines International Association, Bari Golin-Blaugrund, said in an email that the group supports the new rules. Advocates for more industry oversight are happy, too.