# 117-s-5168: Energy Security and Lightering Independence Act of 2022

117-s-5168, Energy Security and Lightering Independence Act of 2022, is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA); status became_law (as of 2026-01-05).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-5168
- As of: 2026-01-05
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-s-5168
- Congress: 117
- Title: Energy Security and Lightering Independence Act of 2022
- Status: became_law
- Introduced: 2022-12-01
- Sponsor: Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-01-05

## Summary

**Creates a dedicated nonimmigrant transit and landing path for crewmen involved in ship-to-ship liquid cargo transfers.** It expands who may enter and temporarily land in the United States to perform transfers between vessels without treating those transfers as U.S. employment. - Crewmen gain a specific pathway to board or disembark to perform ship-to-ship liquid cargo transfer operations for up to 180 days. The law also allows a crewman to land temporarily to fulfill those duties and then depart on the same or another vessel or aircraft within that period. - The transit rules in the Immigration and Nationality Act are rewritten into three categories. They include immediate continuous transit of up to 29 days, transit related to the United Nations Headquarters District, and the new ship-to-ship transfer category of up to 180 days. - The statute clarifies that performing ship-to-ship liquid cargo transfers is not considered services, work, labor, or employment in the United States for immigration purposes. This distinction affects how these crewmen are classified under immigration law.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX), 2022-12-01T00:00:00.000Z

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2022-12-21T00:00:00.000Z | house | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass | Passed | 394 | 19 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- Transit and landing for ship-to-ship crews: benefit, low. The law creates a clear path for noncitizen crew who move liquid cargo between ships. You can land in the United States to do these duties for up to 180 days, if an officer approves. There is also immediate transit up to 29 days and a 180-day transit to board or leave a vessel for these transfers.…

## Related bills

- 117-s-1605: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022
- 117-s-3846: Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act of 2022
- 117-s-2490: Blackwell School National Historic Site Act
- 117-s-4524: Speak Out Act
- 117-s-1543: STANDUP Act of 2021
- 117-s-475: Juneteenth National Independence Day Act

## Sources
- [117-s-5168 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/5168)

## Related
- [117-s-1605: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-1605)
- [117-s-3846: Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act of 2022](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-3846)
- [117-s-2490: Blackwell School National Historic Site Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-2490)
- [117-s-4524: Speak Out Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-4524)
- [117-s-1543: STANDUP Act of 2021](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-1543)
- [117-s-475: Juneteenth National Independence Day Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-475)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-5168 (as of 2026-01-05).