Change buried in defense bill could make it harder to ship fuel in emergencies

A measure included in the $858 billion annual defense spending bill cleared by the Senate on Thursday night could make it harder to ship fuel during national emergencies due to changes made to a century-old law known as the Jones Act.

The Jones Act is a 1920s-era law requiring that any cargo shipped between domestic ports be transported on a U.S.-built, U.S.-registered ship flying the U.S. flag and manned by a majority-U.S. crew.

The proposed changes prohibit any vessel already on the water from obtaining waivers from the Jones Act. They also establish a 48-hour waiting period for ships to receive waivers and require them to get a determination that the waiver is needed for purposes of national security from federal agencies and the president.