JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A bill requiring stricter safety rules in response to the 2018 sinking of a Missouri tourist boat that killed 17 people passed the Senate on Thursday.
The legislation, headed to President Joe Biden for approval, directs the U.S. Coast Guard to draft new requirements for amphibious vehicles such as the tourist attraction that sank during a storm on Table Rock Lake near Branson.
Lawmakers included the new regulations in a defense funding bill.
The measure calls for design changes to ensure the crafts stay upright. The Missouri vessel flooded through an air intake hatch on the bow that was not weather tight.
Many of the changes included in the measure were recommended by the the National Transportation Safety Board after its investigation into the July 2018 tragedy.
The agency has said Ride the Ducks should have suspended water operations that day because of the severe weather forecast.
Operators of amphibious vehicles would be required to seek refuge if a weather watch or warning is issued for high wind speeds under the proposal.
The legislation also calls for immediate removal of canopies, side curtains and associated framing from the duck boats to improve passengers' chances of escape during emergencies.
