New DQ bill on the way

New Bill to support by Chabot?

Just read where Chabot has introduced HR 1248 to grant the DQ an exemption--anyone know about this before I start emailing everyone I know, and ask my reps to co-sponsor it?
Chabot: Delta Queen belongs on the Ohio, Miss. rivers

H.R. 1248

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."

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Steve Chabot and was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on March 4.

A couple of links:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1248

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr1248

The legislative journey begins again...

Jim

Rep. T. Massie R. Northern Kentucky is on the transportation committee that has been assigned the bill. I've called his office already! Rep. Massie is already a co-sponsor!

Co-sponsors

Frank X. Prudent;34246 wrote: Rep. T. Massie R. Northern Kentucky is on the transportation committee that has been assigned the bill. I've called his office already! Rep. Massie is already a co-sponsor!

There are 13 cosponsors:

Clay, Lacy [D-MO1]

Cohen, Steve [D-TN9]

Gibbs, Bob [R-OH7]

Johnson, Bill [R-OH6]

Joyce, David [R-OH14]

Latta, Robert [R-OH5]

Massie, Thomas [R-KY4]

McKinley, David [R-WV1]

Renacci, James [R-OH16]

Stivers, Steve [R-OH15]

Tiberi, Patrick “Pat” [R-OH12]

Wenstrup, Brad [R-OH2]

Whitfield, Ed [R-KY1]

Jim

I Don't Get It

Why is this bill being applauded? I don't get it. This is a terrible bill, or I just don't understand something here. If 10% of the boat must be destroyed every year and replaced with new "politically correct" materials, then they might as well call this bill the "Gradual Destruction of the Delta Queen Bill". Is this what we all want now? In ten years we'll have a brand-new boat! I'll have to think hard about supporting this bill....

-Denny Hamilton-

I've got it from a very reliable source that they'll be able to meet this requirement without damaging the Queen. This requirement was something the Delta Queen Steamboat Co agreed to last year in the new bill that was introduced last year in the attempt to overcome the block by the 2 Senators.

In many ways I am with Denny on this. Since one of those two Senators isn't around anymore, why put this wording in the bill until we come to an impasse?
On the other hand, if the DQ isn't brought back to the rivers and soon, we are going to lose her anyway. A lot of deterioration has occurred while sitting in Chattanooga, despite the best efforts of all to keep her 'ship-shape'. She needs to be running and generating income (more than one can generate as a stationary structure) to be kept up.
Soo, I will support this bill and have already asked my representative to become a co-sponsor. The more co-sponsors we can get, the better the chances of passage, especially if it can be shown to be a bi-partisan bill!

I just don't understand the logistics of replacing 10% of the combustible materials each year. Who's going to define what 10% is? What happens if the operating company doesn't have the money to complete 10% each year? Does the CG yank the permission to operate? How can the boat generate enough profit to accomplish this, when rebuilding 10% of the boat each year will take away a significant number of revenue days? In my opinion, the devil is in the details.

Apparently two new co-sponsors for the bill,
New Cosponsor: Rep. Michael Turner [R-OH10]
and Rep. Todd Young [R-IN9]
Be sure and ask your rep to be a co-sponsor--we need some Democrats to participate, the bill needs to be seen as non-partisan!