A proposed congressional bill would tighten safety standards for small passenger boats in the wake of a California dive boat fire that killed 34 people.
The measure introduced Thursday wold require two escape routes on such vessels, stricter fire alarm and fire supression requirements and safety standards for handling cameras and other devices that use lithium-ion batteries, which can overheat.
The Conception caught fire and sank on Sept. 2 off Santa Cruz Island off the Santa Barbara coast.
The dead were asleep below decks and were trapped by the flames. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Â
