The passenger vessel services act of 1886 is a law that was created a long time ago to help protect people who travel by boat. This law says that any boat carrying passengers in the United States needs to be made in the United States and owned by people who are also from the United States.
Now, why is that important? Well, when boats are made and owned by people from other countries, they might not follow the safety rules that exist in the United States. They might also get their workers from other countries, and those workers might not get paid as much as they deserve or have good working conditions. The passenger vessel services act helps protect people who are traveling on boats by making sure that the boats are built and run safely and that the workers on them are treated well.
So, think of it like this: if you're taking a trip on a boat, you want to make sure that everything is safe and fair, right? The passenger vessel services act helps make sure that you and everyone else on the boat are protected and have a good time on your trip.