HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. (AP) – Supporters of the Delta Queen say they'll continue working to get Congress to approve an exemption that would allow the historic steamship to resume cruises on the Mississippi River.

Legislation for the exemption from federal fire safety laws was bogged down this year, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/1QX25cu) reported. Delta Queen Steamboat Co. CEO Cornel J. Martin said company officials spent about 20 weeks this year lobbying in Washington for a change in the law, and that efforts will continue next year.

A House bill by Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, has 21 co-sponsors, including Republican U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford. The legislation's Senate version is sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Arkansas' two senators are among seven co-sponsors.

The U.S. Coast Guard has resisted exemption efforts by the Delta Queen. U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., has warned that lives would be put at risk if the ship resumes cruises in its current state.

The steamship is a National Historic Landmark. Its hull is steel, but its superstructure is made of wood.

Vessels with room for 50 overnight passengers must be made of fire-retardant material, and an exemption to that law allowing the Delta Queen to continue operating expired in 2008. It's currently in a private slip in Louisiana awaiting congressional action.

Under the latest legislation, the Delta Queen would be required to make "annual structural alterations to at least 10 percent" of areas of the ship that aren't made of fire-retardant material. Martin said the company would make the changes, and maintain the ship's historic look by keeping a veneer of wood in key places.

Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said earlier this month he's hopeful the exemption will be approved.

"I think it's really important as a cultural thing, remembering our history, remembering our heritage," Boozman said.

Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com

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