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This bill tightens enforcement of the Jones Act, a 1920 law requiring that ships transporting cargo between U.S. ports be American-owned and operated. The legislation targets what sponsors consider illegal exemptions that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has granted to foreign vessels operating on the outer Continental Shelf, primarily in offshore oil and gas operations. The bill requires the Coast Guard and Customs officials to revoke dozens of past ruling letters that improperly allowed foreign vessels to conduct pipe-laying, cable-laying, lifting operations, and decommissioning activities in U.S. waters. It also establishes new procedures allowing domestic shipping companies and unions to petition the government to challenge rulings favoring foreign vessels, with disputes potentially going to federal court. Additionally, the bill requires foreign vessel operators to notify the government before engaging in offshore activities and mandates that workers on foreign-owned offshore facilities receive prevailing wages as determined under federal Davis-Bacon Act standards. The legislation includes no specific funding or implementation timeline beyond requiring agencies to issue implementing regulations within 60 to 90 days of enactment.

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