Ben Cline (R-VA)
Protecting Access to American Products Act
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Protecting Access to American Products Act" creates a process to temporarily waive coastwise endorsement requirements. These waivers can be granted if a person shows that no available product carrier meets the requirements for a specific good and a good faith effort was made to find one. Waivers are limited in duration and can be extended if circumstances have not changed. The head of the agency must respond to requests within 60 days or the request is deemed granted. The agency is also required to notify Congress of all waiver requests and issuances.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +4
Would business owners be better off under this?
Provides a legal mechanism to secure alternative transport for goods when primary carriers are unavailable.
- Scored +3
Does this make it easier to do business across state lines?
Reduces barriers to transport of goods between US ports via temporary waivers.
- Scored +3
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
Requires agencies to provide written findings for denials and notify Congress of all waivers.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Access to goods during scarcity: Section 2(c)(1) allows for waivers when there is no available product carrier for a specified good, which could help ensure products reach their destination when standard carriers are unavailable.
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Accountability for agency delays: Section 2(c)(4)(C) states that if an agency does not respond to a request within 60 days, the request is deemed granted, preventing indefinite government delays.
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Transparency in denials: Section 2(c)(4)(B) requires the agency to provide a report with findings explaining why a waiver was denied, giving the requester a clear reason for the decision.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts for individuals or groups of people are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — Requires agencies to provide written findings for denials and notify Congress of all waivers. Does this make it easier to do business across state lines? — Reduces barriers to transport of goods between US ports via temporary waivers. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — Establishes a strict 60-day response deadline to prevent indefinite administrative delays.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Provides a legal mechanism to secure alternative transport for goods when primary carriers are unavailable. Would farmers be better off under this? — Likely assists in the transport of bulk agricultural products when standard carriers are scarce.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — Facilitates the movement of goods during carrier scarcity, potentially reducing supply chain bottlenecks. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Allows businesses to access necessary product carriers when standard options are unavailable.
- 3/13/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
- 3/12/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.