PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 21, 2015
Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Clarification Act of 2015
Amends the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act to define "recreational vessel" as a vessel:
being manufactured or operated primarily for pleasure; or
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
leased, rented, or chartered to another for the latter's pleasure.
Prescribes the following rules in applying the definition:
a vessel being manufactured or built, or being repaired under warranty by its manufacturer or builder, is a recreational vessel if the vessel appears intended, based on its design and construction, to be for ultimate recreational uses. Requires the manufacturer or builder to bear the burden of establishing that a vessel is recreational under this standard;
a vessel being repaired, dismantled for repair, or dismantled at the end of its life will be treated as recreational at the time of repair, dismantling for repair, or dismantling, provided that such vessel shares elements of design and construction of traditional recreational vessels and is not normally engaged in a military, commercial or traditionally commercial undertaking; and
a vessel will be treated as a recreational vessel if it is a public vessel, such as a vessel owned or chartered and operated by the United States, or by a state or local government, at the time of repair, dismantling for repair, or dismantling, provided that such vessel shares elements of design and construction with traditional recreational vessels and is not normally engaged in a military, commercial, or traditionally commercial undertaking.
Requires the Secretary of Labor to revise a certain federal regulation to replace its definition of "recreational vessel" with the definition specified in this Act.
People & committees
Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-23] · D–FL
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Mar 23, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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