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Rep. Carson's Duck Boat Bill, Other Legislative Wins Headed to Biden's Desk

December 8, 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023, sending Representative André Carson's (IN-07) Duck Boat Safety Improvement Act to President Joe Biden for signature.

The NDAA is a sweeping bill that each year authorizes our nation's policies for America's armed forces. The FY' 23 NDAA includes a number of legislative accomplishments for Congressman Carson:

Duck Boat Safety Act

Rep. Carson's Duck Boat Safety Act is a culmination of a nearly five-year effort to improve safety regulations for duck boats, which took the life of 17 passengers in an accident on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri in 2018. Among those on board were nine members of the Coleman family, who were residents of Indianapolis, IN.

The Duck Boat Safety Improvement Act will require vessel operators to implement common-sense boating safety measures when waterborne, including:

  1. Improving reserve buoyancy and watertight compartmentalization to prevent sinking,
  2. Requiring more monitoring and adherence to severe weather alerts and warnings,
  3. Requiring release of road safety seatbelts when Duck Boats become waterborne,
  4. Requiring stronger crew safety training and certification,
  5. Removing or reconfigure canopies and window coverings for waterborne operations,
  6. Requiring personal flotation devices for waterborne operations,
  7. Requiring installation of better bilge pumps and alarms,
  8. Installing underwater LED lights that activate automatically in emergencies, and
  9. Complying with other Coast Guard boating safety requirements.

Rep. Carson made the following statement:

"More than four years ago, during what was supposed to be a fun family outing, nine members of the Coleman family from Indianapolis were killed in a duck boat accident. Today, my Duck Boat Safety Improvement Act will be sent to President Biden for signature.

The National Transportation Safety Board made recommendations 20 years ago for safety measures that could have prevented an incident like this from occurring. Sadly, those recommendations were not implemented – until now. Thanks to the advocacy of Tia Coleman, who survived the 2018 incident, countless lives will be saved. I want to thank Tia for her tireless advocacy. This multi-year work is dedicated to the Coleman family and all whose lives have been tragically lost in duck boat accidents."

Federal Firefighters Fairness Act

The Federal Firefighters Fairness Act will amend the Federal Employees' Compensation Act to improve firefighters' access to injury and illness benefits through an automatic presumption that an illness on a science-based list, such as mesothelioma, was work-related. Rep. Carson's amendment increases the time federal employees have to provide supporting documentation for illness, traumatic injury, or a death claim from 30 to 60 days.

Increased Funding for Pancreatic Cancer Research

Rep. Carson succeeded in increasing the authorization for funding of pancreatic cancer research in the Defense Health Program. This increase of $5 million brings the total to $20 million. Pancreatic cancer research has long been a priority of Rep. Carson, as it took the lives of his colleagues such as Congressman John Lewis and Congressman Alcee Hastings. Black Americans are at increased risk for pancreatic cancer and are more likely to get pancreatic cancer than any other racial or ethnic group. Increased awareness, research, and early detection have been shown to dramatically improve outcomes.

Intelligence Authorization Act

This bill includes Rep. Carson's requirement for the Director of National Intelligence to submit a report on threats from hypersonic weapons to the appropriate committees in Congress, including the House Intelligence Committee, where he currently serves as the Chair of the Counterterrorism Subcommittee. In light of the use of such weapons by Russia in Ukraine, the report will contain an assessment of the threat of hypersonic weapons to the U.S. and our allies and partners. The bill's major themes include supporting the Intelligence Community workforce to improve recruitment and retention; countering hard target adversaries such as Russia, China, and Iran; ensuring successful adoption of emerging technologies; and protecting the U.S. from foreign commercial spyware and other counterintelligence threats.

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