President Joe Biden is on track to sign legislation\u00a0that would allow cruise ships to visit Alaska, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a White House briefing Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday the President will be joined by Senator Murkowski, Senator Sullivan and Congressman Young, as he signs HR-1318, The Alaska Tourism Restoration Act,” she said, noting that the ability for ships to visit the state is a “critical step toward returning to normal” for Alaska, a state in which one in 10 jobs is tourism-related, according to Psaki.<\/p>\n
The Republican lawmakers from Alaska\u00a0introduced the\u00a0“Alaska\u00a0Tourism Recovery Act,”\u00a0legislation in March, hoping it would\u00a0temporarily relieve restrictions in place as a result of the Passenger Vessel Services Act.\u00a0<\/p>\n
U.S. maritime law requires international stops on ships flagged in foreign countries, which includes many\u00a0major cruise lines’ ships.\u00a0The bill\u00a0will allow cruise ships to sail to Alaska without requiring a stop in Canada, which currently has a ban on cruising,\u00a0prohibiting such a\u00a0stop, posing a challenge to Alaska’s tourism industry and the cruise industry.<\/p>\n