Title VI — Pub. L. 114-120

SEC. 601. Modification of Reports.

(a)

Distant Water Tuna Fleet.— Section 421(d) of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006 (46 U.S.C. 8103 note) is amended by striking “ On March 1, 2007, and annually thereafter” and inserting “ Not later than July 1 of each year”.

(b)

Annual Updates on Limits to Liability.— Section 603(c)(3) of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006 (33 U.S.C. 2704 note) is amended by striking “ on an annual basis.” and inserting “ not later than January 30 of the year following each year in which occurs an oil discharge from a vessel or nonvessel source that results or is likely to result in removal costs and damages (as those terms are defined in section 1001 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701)) that exceed liability limits established under section 1004 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2704).”.

(c)

Report.— Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall submit to the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating a report detailing the specifications and capabilities for interoperable communications the Commandant determines are necessary to allow the Coast Guard to successfully carry out its missions that require communications with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, and nongovernmental entities.

SEC. 602. Safe Vessel Operation in the Great Lakes.

The Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–281) is amended—

(1)

in section 610, by—

(A)

striking the section enumerator and heading and inserting the following:

“SEC. 610. SAFE VESSEL OPERATION IN THE GREAT LAKES.”

(B)

striking “ existing boundaries and any future expanded boundaries of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve” and inserting “ boundaries of any national marine sanctuary that preserves shipwrecks or maritime heritage in the Great Lakes”; and

(C)

inserting before the period at the end the following: “ , unless the designation documents for such sanctuary do not allow taking up or discharging ballast water in such sanctuary”; and

(2)

in the table of contents in section 2, by striking the item relating to such section and inserting the following:

“Sec. 610. Safe vessel operation in the Great Lakes.”.

SEC. 603. Use of Vessel Sale Proceeds.

(a)

Audit.— The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an audit of funds credited in each fiscal year after fiscal year 2004 to the Vessel Operations Revolving Fund that are attributable to the sale of obsolete vessels in the National Defense Reserve Fleet that were scrapped or sold under sections 57102, 57103, and 57104 of title 46, United States Code, including—

(1)

a complete accounting of all vessel sale proceeds attributable to the sale of obsolete vessels in the National Defense Reserve Fleet that were scrapped or sold under sections 57102, 57103, and 57104 of title 46, United States Code, in each fiscal year after fiscal year 2004;

(2)

the annual apportionment of proceeds accounted for under paragraph (1) among the uses authorized under section 308704 of title 54, United States Code, in each fiscal year after fiscal year 2004, including—

(A)

for National Maritime Heritage Grants, including a list of all annual National Maritime Heritage Grant grant and subgrant awards that identifies the respective grant and subgrant recipients and grant and subgrant amounts;

(B)

for the preservation and presentation to the public of maritime heritage property of the Maritime Administration;

(C)

to the United States Merchant Marine Academy and State maritime academies, including a list of annual awards; and

(D)

for the acquisition, repair, reconditioning, or improvement of vessels in the National Defense Reserve Fleet; and

(3)

an accounting of proceeds, if any, attributable to the sale of obsolete vessels in the National Defense Reserve Fleet that were scrapped or sold under sections 57102, 57103, and 57104 of title 46, United States Code, in each fiscal year after fiscal year 2004, that were expended for uses not authorized under section 308704 of title 54, United States Code.

(b)

Submission to Congress.— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit the audit conducted in subsection (a) to the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Natural Resources, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

SEC. 604. National Academy of Sciences Cost Assessment.

(a)

Cost Assessment.— The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall seek to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences under which the Academy, by no later than 365 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an assessment of the costs incurred by the Federal Government to carry out polar icebreaking missions. The assessment shall—

(1)

describe current and emerging requirements for the Coast Guard’s polar icebreaking capabilities, taking into account the rapidly changing ice cover in the Arctic environment, national security considerations, and expanding commercial activities in the Arctic and Antarctic, including marine transportation, energy development, fishing, and tourism;

(2)

identify potential design, procurement, leasing, service contracts, crewing, and technology options that could minimize life-cycle costs and optimize efficiency and reliability of Coast Guard polar icebreaker operations in the Arctic and Antarctic; and

(3)

examine—

(A)

Coast Guard estimates of the procurement and operating costs of a Polar icebreaker capable of carrying out Coast Guard maritime safety, national security, and stewardship responsibilities including—

(i)

economies of scale that might be achieved for construction of multiple vessels; and

(ii)

costs of renovating existing polar class icebreakers to operate for a period of no less than 10 years.

(B)

the incremental cost to augment the design of such an icebreaker for multiuse capabilities for scientific missions;

(C)

the potential to offset such incremental cost through cost-sharing agreements with other Federal departments and agencies; and

(D)

United States polar icebreaking capability in comparison with that of other Arctic nations, and with nations that conduct research in the Arctic.

(b)

Included Costs.— For purposes of subsection (a), the assessment shall include costs incurred by the Federal Government for—

(1)

the lease or operation and maintenance of the vessel or vessels concerned;

(2)

disposal of such vessels at the end of the useful life of the vessels;

(3)

retirement and other benefits for Federal employees who operate such vessels; and

(4)

interest payments assumed to be incurred for Federal capital expenditures.

(c)

Assumptions.— For purposes of comparing the costs of such alternatives, the Academy shall assume that—

(1)

each vessel under consideration is—

(A)

capable of breaking out McMurdo Station and conducting Coast Guard missions in the Antarctic, and in the United States territory in the Arctic (as that term is defined in section 112 of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 U.S.C. 4111)); and

(B)

operated for a period of 30 years;

(2)

the acquisition of services and the operation of each vessel begins on the same date; and

(3)

the periods for conducting Coast Guard missions in the Arctic are of equal lengths.

(d)

Use of Information.— In formulating cost pursuant to subsection (a), the National Academy of Sciences may utilize information from other Coast Guard reports, assessments, or analyses regarding existing Coast Guard Polar class icebreakers or for the acquisition of a polar icebreaker for the Federal Government.

SEC. 605. Coastwise Endorsements.

(a)

“Elettra III”.—

(1)

In general.— Notwithstanding sections 12112 and 12132, of title 46, United States Code, and subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating may issue a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement for the vessel M/V Elettra III (United States official number 694607).

(2)

Limitation on operation.— Coastwise trade authorized under a certificate of documentation issued under paragraph (1) shall be limited to the carriage of passengers and equipment in association with the operation of the vessel in the Puget Sound region to support marine and maritime science education.

(3)

Termination of effectiveness of certificate.— A certificate of documentation issued under paragraph (1) shall expire on the earlier of—

(A)

the date of the sale of the vessel or the entity that owns the vessel;

(B)

the date any repairs or alterations are made to the vessel outside of the United States; or

(C)

the date the vessel is no longer operated as a vessel in the Puget Sound region to support the marine and maritime science education.

(b)

“F/V Rondys”.— Notwithstanding section 12132 of title 46, United States Code, the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating may issue a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement for the F/V Rondys (O.N. 291085)

SEC. 606. International Ice Patrol.

(a)

Requirement for Report.— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report that describes the current operations to perform the International Ice Patrol mission and on alternatives for carrying out that mission, including satellite surveillance technology.

(b)

Alternatives.— The report required by subsection (a) shall include whether an alternative—

(1)

provides timely data on ice conditions with the highest possible resolution and accuracy;

(2)

is able to operate in all weather conditions or any time of day; and

(3)

is more cost effective than the cost of current operations.

SEC. 607. Assessment of Oil Spill Response and Cleanup Activities in the Great Lakes.

(a)

Assessment.— The Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the head of any other agency the Commandant determines appropriate, shall conduct an assessment of the effectiveness of oil spill response activities specific to the Great Lakes. Such assessment shall include—

(1)

an evaluation of new research into oil spill impacts in fresh water under a wide range of conditions; and

(2)

an evaluation of oil spill prevention and clean up contingency plans, in order to improve understanding of oil spill impacts in the Great Lakes and foster innovative improvements to safety technologies and environmental protection systems.

(b)

Report to Congress.— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall submit to the Congress a report on the results of the assessment required by subsection (a).

SEC. 608. Report on Status of Technology Detecting Passengers Who Have Fallen Overboard.

Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall submit a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives that—

(1)

describes the status of technology for immediately detecting passengers who have fallen overboard;

(2)

includes a recommendation to cruise lines on the feasibility of implementing technology that immediately detects passengers who have fallen overboard, factoring in cost and the risk of false positives;

(3)

includes data collected from cruise lines on the status of the integration of the technology described in paragraph (2) on cruise ships, including—

(A)

the number of cruise ships that have the technology to capture images of passengers who have fallen overboard; and

(B)

the number of cruise lines that have tested technology that can detect passengers who have fallen overboard; and

(4)

includes information on any other available technologies that cruise ships could integrate to assist in facilitating the search and rescue of a passenger who has fallen overboard.

SEC. 609. Venue.

Section 311(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1861(d)) is amended by striking the second sentence and inserting “ In the case of Hawaii or any possession of the United States in the Pacific Ocean, the appropriate court is the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, except that in the case of Guam and Wake Island, the appropriate court is the United States District Court for the District of Guam, and in the case of the Northern Mariana Islands, the appropriate court is the United States District Court for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.”.

SEC. 610. Disposition of Infrastructure Related to E-Loran.

(a)

Disposition of Infrastructure.—

(1)

In general.— Chapter 17 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“§ 681. Disposition of infrastructure related to E–LORAN

“(a) In General.—The Secretary may not carry out activities related to the dismantling or disposal of infrastructure comprising the LORAN–C system until the date on which the Secretary provides to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate notice of a determination by the Secretary that such infrastructure is not required to provide a positioning, navigation, and timing system to provide redundant capability in the event the Global Positioning System signals are disrupted.

“(b) Exception.—Subsection (a) does not apply to activities necessary for the safety of human life.

“(c) Disposition of Property.—

“(1) In general.—On any date after the notification is made under subsection (a), the Administrator of General Services, acting on behalf of the Secretary, may, notwithstanding any other provision of law, sell any real and personal property under the administrative control of the Coast Guard and used for the LORAN–C system, subject to such terms and conditions that the Secretary believes to be necessary to protect government interests and program requirements of the Coast Guard.

“(2) Availability of proceeds.—

“(A) Availability of proceeds.—The proceeds of such sales, less the costs of sale incurred by the General Services Administration, shall be deposited as offsetting collections into the Coast Guard ‘Environmental Compliance and Restoration’ account and, without further appropriation, shall be available until expended for—

“(i) environmental compliance and restoration purposes associated with the LORAN–C system;

“(ii) the costs of securing and maintaining equipment that may be used as a backup to the Global Positioning System or to meet any other Federal navigation requirement;

“(iii) the demolition of improvements on such real property; and

“(iv) the costs associated with the sale of such real and personal property, including due diligence requirements, necessary environmental remediation, and reimbursement of expenses incurred by the General Services Administration.

“(B) Other environmental compliance and restoration activities.—After the completion of activities described in subparagraph (A), the unexpended balances of such proceeds shall be available for any other environmental compliance and restoration activities of the Coast Guard.”

(2)

Clerical amendment.— The analysis at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following:

“681. Disposition of infrastructure related to E–LORAN.”.

(3)

Conforming repeals.—

(A)

Section 229 of the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (Public Law 113– 281; 128 Stat. 3040), and the item relating to that section in section 2 of such Act, are repealed.

(B)

Subsection 559(e) of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010 (Public Law 111–83; 123 Stat. 2180) is repealed.

(b)

Agreements To Develop Backup Positioning, Navigation, and Timing System.— Section 93(a) of title 14, United States Code, is amended by striking “ and” after the semicolon at the end of paragraph (23), by striking the period at the end of paragraph (24) and inserting “ ; and”, and by adding at the end the following the following:

“(25) enter into cooperative agreements, contracts, and other agreements with Federal entities and other public or private entities, including academic entities, to develop a positioning, navigation, and timing system to provide redundant capability in the event Global Positioning System signals are disrupted, which may consist of an enhanced LORAN system.”

SEC. 611. Parking.

Section 611(a) of the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–281; 128 Stat. 3064) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(3) Reimbursement.—Through September 30, 2017, additional parking made available under paragraph (2) shall be made available at no cost to the Coast Guard or members and employees of the Coast Guard.”

SEC. 612. Inapplicability of Load Line Requirements to Certain United States Vessels Traveling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Section 5102(b) of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(13) a vessel of the United States on a domestic voyage that is within the Gulf of Mexico and operating not more than 15 nautical miles seaward of the base line from which the territorial sea of the United States is measured between Crystal Bay, Florida and Hudson Creek, Florida.”

Title VI — Miscellaneous

TITLE VI Miscellaneous