SJR 17 Summary

• Requests U.S. Congress to exempt Alaska from the Jones Act's requirement that vessels in domestic ocean shipping be built in the United States, applying only to large self-propelled oceangoing ships in noncontiguous domestic trades.

• Maintains existing Jones Act provisions requiring ships to be U.S. flagged, U.S. owned, and crewed by U.S. citizens; the exemption would only apply to the vessel construction requirement.

• Cites concerns that U.S. ship construction costs are 4-5 times higher than Japan or South Korea, resulting in an aging fleet averaging 30 years old compared to the 12-year international average, creating higher operating costs and safety risks.

• Notes that three other noncontiguous U.S. territories (American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands) are already exempt from the Jones Act, and Guam has a limited exemption; Hawaii and Puerto Rico also support exemptions.

• Urges Alaska's Congressional delegation to work with Guam, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico to introduce federal legislation exempting large oceangoing ships from the U.S. built requirement.