The California State Senate approved legislation seeking to post ocean rangers on cruise ships to enhance safety, provide environmental monitoring and strengthen homeland security. Senate Bill 1582, sponsored by State Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), was approved on a 25-12 vote. The measure now moves to the state assembly for a hearing this summer. The bill requires that two Ocean Rangers (one licensed marine engineer and one certified peace officer) be present on all cruise ships sailing in California waters. Simitian's long-term goal, he said, is to create &quot;a seamless network of protection from one end of the Pacific Coast to the other through a series of agreements with other Pacific states&quot; including Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii.<br /><br />Members of International Cruise Victims and environmental advocates visited Senate member offices earlier this week to urge support for SB 1582. The group included Ken Carver, whose daughter Merrian disappeared while on a cruise to Alaska; Laurie Dishman, the victim of a rape while on a cruise to Mexico; Son Michael Pham, whose parents disappeared while on a Caribbean cruise; Jamie Barnett, whose daughter Ashley died while on a cruise to Mexico; and Gershon Cohen, project director of the Campaign to Safeguard America's Waters, who was instrumental in the creation of Alaska's Ocean Ranger program. While the issue of cruise ship crime has garnered broader public attention, Simitian said the bill is also designed to enhance environmental protections.<br /><br />Responding to the move, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) stated: &quot;The cruise industry provides its customers with an extremely safe experience, and our customer satisfaction level of more than 95 percent is an important statistic that means much to the industry. We are also a leader in the maritime industry when it comes to protecting the environment, and in recent years have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in research and technology to reduce our environmental footprint. We look forward to working with the Assembly and the Office of the Governor to address the important issues raised in this legislation.&quot; For more information, visit www.senatorsimitian.com or www.cruising.org. 