Congress OKs new law on tourist boats after Missouri tragedy

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A bill requiring stricter safety rules in response to the 2018 deadly sinking of a tourist boat in Missouri is headed to President Joe Biden for his signature. The safety rules are part of a defense funding bill the Senate passed Thursday. The measure directs the U.S. Coast Guard to draft new requirements for amphibious vehicles, known as duck boats, including design changes to ensure the crafts stay upright. The Missouri tourist boat sank during a storm on Table Rock Lake near Branson and killed 17 people. The vessel flooded through an air intake hatch on the bow that was not weather tight. Riders from Missouri, Indiana, Illinois and Arkansas were killed. Fourteen people survived.