Atlantic Coast Shipping Safety Act

This bill, known as the Atlantic Coast Shipping Safety Act, mandates the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard operates to issue regulations for nearshore and offshore shipping safety fairways. These regulations are designed to enhance navigation safety along the Atlantic Coast. The regulations must establish a minimum appropriate width for these fairways, which cannot be less than that proposed in the Coast Guard's January 19, 2024, rule. This minimum width, however, does not apply to connector, cut-across, or cutoff fairways, Traffic Separation Schemes, or precautionary areas. The Secretary is required to issue this regulation within one year of the bill's enactment, and it will apply to the geographic area covered by the Coast Guard's proposed rule. The regulation is slated to take effect on December 31, 2026 .