Cruise vessel safety legislation passes House

(File photo) Kendall Carver went on to become and insurance executive in New York City after graduating from Spencer in 1954. He retired to Arizona and serves as president of the International Cruise Victims Association.

Advocates for cruise ship safety are applauding House passage Friday of language authored by U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) to improve safety of cruise ship passengers on the high seas.

Matsui's Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act of 2009 was included in H.R. 3619, the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2010. It requires cruise lines to report all crimes aboard cruise ships to both the United States Coast Guard and the FBI. The International Cruise Victims Association called the measure a first of its kind and a historic step toward securing all passengers the safety and security they need and deserve.

The International Cruise Victims Association was founded by Kendall Carver, a member of the Spencer High School class of 1954. He started the not for profit organization after his 40-year-old daughter, Merrian, disappeared while on a Royal Caribbean Celebrity cruise to Alaska five years ago. Cruise ship employees did not report Merrian's disappearance to authorities and many aspects of the case remain unsolved.

Carver remains the president of the group he founded to increase safety and accountability from cruise lines. Its members have been advocating for the measures to be adopted since 2006, including numerous meetings with members of Congress. Group representatives attended three Congressional hearings, which were held at the urging of Rep. Matsui, with the support of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Elijah Cummings (D-Md.).

Merrian Carver was a constituent of U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). Kerry introduced corresponding legislation in the U.S. Senate, which also held hearings and was passed unanimously out of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Now that the bill has passed the House, the bill will need to pass the full Senate before being sent to the president to be signed into law.

Kendall Carver is optimistic because the legislation has been approved by Committee in the Senate.

"Adoption of this bill would be proof to the world that our small group of volunteers with limited funds has been able to make a difference in the safety of Americans," he said, in a statement through his organization. "When the cruise safety legislation is signed into law, it will serve to protect Americans across the nation during what ought to be relaxing vacations."

Carver acknowledged the efforts of International Cruise Victims Association members who traveled to Washington at their own expense in support of the legislation. He also credited Matsui for the leadership she showed in the U.S. House.

"Her efforts are appreciated by myself and all other victims and their families that are members of International Cruise Victims Association," Carver said. "Without Ms. Matsui's efforts in the House and Sen. Kerry's efforts in the U.S. Senate this legislation would have not moved forward and we are forever indebted to both of them. I look forward to the upcoming Senate floor vote and the president's signature as soon as humanly possible."

Matsui called House passage a "milestone in our fight for justice."

"I originally became involved in this issue because of a young woman, Laurie Dishman, from my hometown of Sacramento. Laurie was sexually assaulted while on a cruise ship, and was left to fend for herself," Matsui said, in a statement from the International Cruise Victims Association. "My legislation will not only help protect and empower future victims, but it contains important reforms that will help change the culture of the cruise industry and prevent future attacks from happening."

A number of security provisions including specific rail heights, peep holes, warning devices and cabin security measures were added to the legislation. The bill also requires that vessels are equipped with a video surveillance system to assist in documenting and prosecuting crimes, and it requires vessels to maintain a logbook to record reports on specified complaints.

Cruise vessel personnel will be required to contact the nearest FBI office as soon as possible to report incidents involving homicide, suspicious deaths, missing U.S. nationals, kidnapping, assault and other serious occurrences. Under current law, American cruise companies have no requirement to notify federal law enforcement should a crime occur in international waters.

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* Spencer graduate Kendall Carver's campaign to change policy regarding crimes on cruise ships came from a very personal loss. Click here: http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/stor..., to learn more about his experiences.

* The International Cruise Victims Association supplied much of the information used in this coverage. The not for profit organization has a Web site for those who would like to find out more. It can be found at www.internationalcruisevictims.org.