A bill to amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 658.

S.1717 through Congress

S.1717 keeps its number as it moves between the House and Senate.

SenateJul 8, 2015IntroducedOfficial record

Major milestones in the imported record. See all actions.

No House action is available in our imported record yet.

Separate related House measures (1)

These are different measures identified as related by Congress.gov. Their text and outcomes may differ; they are not the House stage of S.1717.

Related House bill: H.R.1248 To amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.

Congressional Research Service

Official summary

Version 80 · Reported to Senate without amendment · Oct 27, 2016

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

(Sec. 1) This bill extends through October 31, 2028, the exemption of certain vessels from the requirement that U.S. passenger vessels having berth or stateroom accommodations for at least 50 passengers be constructed of fire-retardant materials in order to be granted a certificate of inspection.

The bill continues to apply this exemption only to vessels in operation before January 1, 1968, which operate only within the Boundary Line (the dividing point between inland waters and high seas).

Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.

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An owner or managing operator of an exempt vessel shall:

notify crew members (currently, only prospective passengers) that the vessel does not comply with applicable fire safety standards due primarily to the wooden construction of passenger berthing areas; and

make annual structural alterations to at least 10% of vessel areas that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials and provide advance notice to the Coast Guard of such alterations.

Any noncombustible material requirements prescribed by the Coast Guard (with which an exempt vessel is still required to comply) shall be consistent with the preservation of a vessel's historic integrity in areas carrying or accessible to passengers or generally visible to the public.

Read the summary on Congress.gov

PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

People & committees

Who introduced it

Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] · D–OH

Committees

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

8 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Legislative record

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

Oct 27, 2016
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 658.
Oct 27, 2016
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune under authority of the order of the Senate of 09/29/2016 without amendment. With written report No. 114-367.
Oct 27, 2016
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune under authority of the order of the Senate of 09/29/2016 without amendment. With written report No. 114-367.
Jun 29, 2016
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Jul 8, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Jul 8, 2015
Introduced in Senate

Primary sources

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Reported to Senate · Oct 27, 2016 Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Introduced in Senate · Jul 8, 2015 Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

HR 1248 · To amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.

Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

AI Conversation Starters

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.1717 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.1717, 114th Congress: A bill to amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1717

Text version to examine: Reported to Senate · 2016-10-27.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s1717/BILLS-114s1717rs.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:03:40Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Analyze S.1717 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.1717 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.1717, 114th Congress: A bill to amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1717

Text version to examine: Reported to Senate · 2016-10-27.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s1717/BILLS-114s1717rs.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:03:40Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.1717 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.1717 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.1717, 114th Congress: A bill to amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1717

Text version to examine: Reported to Senate · 2016-10-27.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s1717/BILLS-114s1717rs.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:03:40Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.1717 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.1717 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.1717, 114th Congress: A bill to amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1717

Text version to examine: Reported to Senate · 2016-10-27.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s1717/BILLS-114s1717rs.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:03:40Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.1717 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.