(b) Violated Described.—A violation referred to in subsection (a) is any violation of the Act of June 19, 1886 (chapter 421; 46 App. U.S.C. 289), occurring before April 1, 2003, and consisting of operation of a passenger vessel in transporting passengers between the Port of New Orleans and another port on the Gulf of Mexico at a time when the master of the vessel determined that the vertical clearance on the Mississippi River at Chalmette, Louisiana, was insufficient to allow the safe return transport of passengers on that vessel to the Port of New Orleans.
(c) Related Penalty Amount.—Any civil penalty assessed for a violation of that Act by a vessel described in subsection (b), that was committed when that vessel was repositioning to the Port of New Orleans in July 2003, shall be mitigated to an amount not to exceed $100 per passenger.
SEC. 616. CERTAIN VESSELS TO BE TOUR VESSELS.
(a)Alaska. Vessels Deemed Tour Vessels.—Notwithstanding any other law, a passenger vessel that is not less than 100 gross tons and not greater than 300 gross tons is deemed to be a tour vessel for the purpose of permit allocation regulations under section 3(h) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–2(h)) and section 3 of the Act of August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 3), with respect to vessel operations in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska (in this section referred to as “Glacier Bay”), if the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating determines that the vessel—
- (1) has equipment installed that permits all graywater and blackwater to be stored on board for at least 24 hours;
- (2) has a draft of not greater than 15 feet;
- (3) has propulsion equipment of not greater than 5,000 horsepower; and
- (4) is documented under the laws of the United States.
(b) Reallocation of Permits.—
- (1) Reallocation required.—Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary of the Interior, upon application by the operator of a passenger vessel deemed to be a tour vessel under subsection (a), shall reallocate to that vessel any available tour vessel concession permit not used by another vessel, if at the time of application that permit is not sought by a tour vessel of less than 100 gross tons.
- (2) Limitations.—No more than three passenger vessels that are deemed to be a tour vessel under subsection (a) may hold a tour vessel concession permit at any given time, and no more than one such vessel may enter Glacier Bay on any particular date.
(c) Compliance With Vessel Requirements.—
- (1) Requirement to comply.—Except as otherwise provided in this section, a vessel reallocated a tour vessel concession permit under this section shall comply with all regulations and requirements for Glacier Bay applicable to vessels of at least 100 gross tons.
- (2) Revocation of permit.—The Secretary of the Interior may revoke a tour vessel concession permit reallocated to a vessel under this section if that vessel—
- (A) discharges graywater or blackwater in Glacier Bay; or
