Mike Lee (R-UT)
Protecting Access to American Products Act
A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 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 and a good faith effort was made to find one. Waivers must have a specific expiration date and can be extended if circumstances have not changed. The head of the agency must approve or deny requests within 60 days. If the agency fails to respond in time, the request is automatically deemed granted for 30 days. The agency must also notify Congress of all waiver requests and issuances.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +4
Would business owners be better off under this?
Business owners who import or ship bulk goods benefit from increased flexibility in sourcing carriers.
- Scored +3
Does this make it easier to do business across state lines?
The bill aims to improve the movement of goods between US ports when domestic capacity is lacking.
- Scored +3
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
Requires reports for denied waivers and notifications to Congress regarding all waiver requests.
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: By allowing waivers when there is a scarcity or unavailability of product carriers, the bill may help ensure specified goods can still be transported (Section 2(c)(1)).
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Accountability for Agency Delays: The bill requires the agency head to respond to requests within 60 days and automatically grants the waiver if the agency fails to act, preventing indefinite delays (Section 2(c)(4)(A) and (C)).
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Transparency in Denials: If a waiver is denied, the requester must receive a report explaining the findings that led to the denial within 14 days (Section 2(c)(4)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts for individuals or groups of people were explicitly stated 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 reports for denied waivers and notifications to Congress regarding all waiver requests. Does this make it easier to do business across state lines? — The bill aims to improve the movement of goods between US ports when domestic capacity is lacking. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — Sets clear timelines for agency responses and requires written findings for denials.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Business owners who import or ship bulk goods benefit from increased flexibility in sourcing carriers. Would farmers be better off under this? — Farmers who ship bulk agricultural products may benefit from easier access to carriers during scarcity.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — Facilitating the transport of goods by waiving coastwise endorsements may reduce supply chain bottlenecks and support economic activity. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Small businesses relying on the transport of specific goods may find it easier to secure shipping when carriers are scarce.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this make trade with other countries easier? — Allowing waivers for coastwise endorsements could potentially integrate more international vessel capacity for specific goods.
- 3/24/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/12/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Introduced in Senate
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.
Cynthia LummisRepublican · Wyoming