Top Summary
This bill amends the U.S. Code to designate the Straits of Mackinac as a specific area for pilotage requirements, expanding the existing provision to include these waters alongside all other navigable waters, and defines the Straits of Mackinac as a geographic area bounded by specific coordinates, including key passages like Gray’s Reef Passage, the South Channel, and Round Island Passage.
Original Bill Text:
SEC. 314.Designating pilotage waters for the Straits of Mackinac.
(a) In general.—Section 9302(a)(1)(A) of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking “in waters” and inserting “in the Straits of Mackinac and in all other waters”.
(b) Definition of the Straits of Mackinac.—Section 9302 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(g) Definition of the Straits of Mackinac.—In this section, the term ‘Straits of Mackinac’ includes all of the United States navigable waters bounded by longitudes 84 degrees 20 minutes west and 85 degrees 10 minutes west and latitudes 45 degrees 39 minutes north and 45 degrees 54 minutes north, including Gray’s Reef Passage, the South Channel, and Round Island Passage, and approaches thereto.”.