<p><strong>PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. -- </strong>Congress has been working on a new law to help ensure the safety of passengers on cruise ships.&nbsp;</p><p>The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2008 could help curb crime on the seas and follow through on prosecuting criminals. </p><p>The proposed law would require peepholes and security latches for passengers' doors, preservation of evidence, records of crimes, deaths, missing persons and proper medical treatment and examination of rape victims, members of Congress said.</p><p>Cruise ship crimes have been on the rise. Passengers said there have been numerous incidents of unpunished sexual assaults and missing persons never searched for. They said that criminal evidence is ignored by ship officers much of the time.</p><p>Also launched into notoriety have been the unsolved cases of George Allen Smith and Ashley Barnett, two now-famous faces of passengers who have perished under suspicious circumstances.</p><p>Officials said it's due to a lack of laws and regulations on foreign-flagged ships.</p><p>Members of Congress and victims' advocates said they accuse the cruise industry of wrongdoing and a lack of concern for passengers. International Cruise Victims President Ken Carver said that cruise lines have zero tolerance for any legislation that would help.</p><p>But a cruise industry spokesman rebutted the admonition, saying, &quot;(Cruise lines) have made great strides in the past two years to improve our procedures and provide more ... care and compassion.&quot;</p><p>Yet 83 sexual assaults have been reported on cruise lines in the past year, authorities said.</p><p>Local prosecutors said the new regulations would make their jobs easier and possibly help passengers feel safer.</p><p>&quot;Because I have two teenagers, I've considered thinking about it,&quot; said Shaquita Howard, a Royal Caribbean passenger. &quot;It's always something you have to consider anywhere you go when you go on vacation.&quot;</p><p>The cruise industry has issued no statement on whether it will support or oppose the proposed safety regulations.</p><p>Members of Congress said they may be able to vote on the law by the end of the year.</p>