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Committee approves resolution asking Congress to consider limited Jones Act amendments for Puerto Rico petroleum shipping
Summary
The Commerce Committee approved a House resolution memorializing Congress to consider amending the Jones Act to ease costs for Puerto Rico's petroleum and natural gas imports; the committee limited the memorial language to petroleum products and natural gas and sent the resolution forward.
The Commerce Committee approved House Resolution 9, a memorializing resolution asking Congress to consider amending the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (the Jones Act) to improve economic and trade relations between Connecticut and Puerto Rico, with a narrowed scope focused on petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas.
Committee members described the resolution as a request to Congress and not an attempt by the state to alter federal law. The proposed amendment asks Congress to assess whether Jones Act shipping rules — which require U.S.-flagged vessels for domestic trade — impose additional costs on Puerto Rico because of limited availability of U.S.-flagged LNG or petroleum carriers. Committee testimony cited an estimated additional cost to Puerto Rico on the order of more than $1 billion, though members acknowledged that the precise figures and policy impacts depend on federal commerce and shipping markets.
The committee recorded a roll call for the house-only resolution and said it would hold the committee open briefly for additional votes; the clerk noted that senators could not vote on a house-only resolution. The committee approved the measure and ordered it JFS to the floor as LCO 6746.
