US Codex
Pub. L.
Notes

Title V — Maritime Transportation Safety

115th Congress · Approved Dec 4, 2018 · 132 Stat. 4192

TITLE V Maritime Transportation Safety

SEC. 501. Consistency in Marine Inspections.

(a)
In General.— Section 3305 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(d)

(1) The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall ensure that Officers in Charge, Marine Inspections consistently interpret regulations and standards under this subtitle and chapter 700 to avoid disruption and undue expense to industry.

“(2)

(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), in the event of a disagreement regarding the condition of a vessel or the interpretation of a regulation or standard referred to in subsection (a) between a local Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection conducting an inspection of the vessel and the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection that issued the most recent certificate of inspection for the vessel, such Officers shall seek to resolve such disagreement.

“(B) If a disagreement described in subparagraph (A) involves vessel design or plan review, the Coast Guard marine safety center shall be included in all efforts to resolve such disagreement.

“(C) If a disagreement described in subparagraph (A) or (B) cannot be resolved, the local Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection shall submit to the Commandant of the Coast Guard, through the cognizant Coast Guard district commander, a request for a final agency determination of the matter in disagreement.

“(3) The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall—

“(A) provide to each person affected by a decision or action by an Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection or by the Coast Guard marine safety center all information necessary for such person to exercise any right to appeal such decision or action; and

“(B) if such an appeal is filed, process such appeal under parts 1 through 4 of title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date of enactment of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2017.

“(4) In this section, the term ‘Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection’ means any person from the civilian or military branch of the Coast Guard who—

“(A) is designated as such by the Commandant; and

“(B) under the superintendence and direction of the cognizant Coast Guard district commander, is in charge of an inspection zone for the performance of duties with respect to the inspections under, and enforcement and administration of, subtitle II, chapter 700, and regulations under such laws.”

(b)
Report on Marine Inspector Training.— Not later than 1 year 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 of the House of Representatives a report on the training, experience, and qualifications required for assignment as a marine inspector under section 312 of title 14, United States Code, including—
(1)
a description of any continuing education requirement, including a specific list of the required courses;
(2)
a description of the training, including a specific list of the included courses, offered to a journeyman or an advanced journeyman marine inspector to advance inspection expertise;
(3)
a description of any training that was offered in the 15-year period before the date of the enactment of this Act, but is no longer required or offered, including a specific list of the included courses, including the senior marine inspector course and any plan review courses;
(4)
a justification for why a course described in paragraph (3) is no longer required or offered; and
(5)
a list of the course content the Commandant considers necessary to promote consistency among marine inspectors in an environment of increasingly complex vessels and vessel systems.

SEC. 502. Uninspected Passenger Vessels in St. Louis County, Minnesota.

Section 4105 of title 46, United States Code, amended—
(1)
by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
(2)
by inserting after subsection (b) the following:

“(c) In applying this title with respect to an uninspected vessel of less than 25 feet overall in length that carries passengers on Crane Lake or waters contiguous to such lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, the Secretary shall substitute ‘12 passengers’ for ‘6 passengers’ each place it appears in section 2101(51).”

SEC. 503. Engine Cut-Off Switch Requirements.

(a)
In General.— Chapter 43 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

Ҥ 4312. Engine cut-off switches

“(a) Installation Requirement.—A manufacturer, distributor, or dealer that installs propulsion machinery and associated starting controls on a covered recreational vessel shall equip such vessel with an engine cut-off switch and engine cut-off switch link that meet American Boat and Yacht Council Standard A–33, as in effect on the date of the enactment of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2017.

“(b) Education on Cut-off Switches.—The Commandant of the Coast Guard, through the National Boating Safety Advisory Committee established under section 15105, may initiate a boating safety program on the use and benefits of cut-off switches for recreational vessels.

“(c) Availability of Standard for Inspection.—

“(1) In general.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Commandant shall transmit American Boat and Yacht Council Standard A–33, as in effect on the date of enactment of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2017, to—

“(A) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives;

“(B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and

“(C) the Coast Guard Office of Design and Engineering Standards; and

“(D) the National Archives and Records Administration.

“(2) Availability.—The standard submitted under paragraph (1) shall be kept on file and available for public inspection at such Coast Guard office and the National Archives and Records Administration.

“(d) Definitions.—In this section:

“(1) Covered recreational vessel.—The term ‘covered recreational vessel’ means a recreational vessel that is—

“(A) less than 26 feet overall in length; and

“(B) capable of developing 115 pounds or more of static thrust.

“(2) Dealer.—The term ‘dealer’ means any person who is engaged in the sale and distribution of recreational vessels or associated equipment to purchasers whom the seller in good faith believes to be purchasing any such vessel or associated equipment for purposes other than resale.

“(3) Distributor.—The term ‘distributor’ means any person engaged in the sale and distribution of recreational vessels and associated equipment for the purposes of resale.

“(4) Manufacturer.—The term ‘equipment manufacturer’ means any person engaged in the manufacture, construction, or assembly of recreational vessels or associated equipment, or the importation of recreational vessels into the United States for subsequent sale.

“(5) Propulsion machinery.—The term ‘propulsion machinery’ means a self-contained propulsion system, and includes, but is not limited to, inboard engines, outboard motors, and sterndrive engines.

“(6) Static thrust.—The term ‘static thrust’ means the forward or backwards thrust developed by propulsion machinery while stationary.”

(b)
Clerical Amendment.— The analysis at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following:

“4312. Engine cut-off switches.”.

(c)
Effective Date.— Section 4312 of title 46, United States Code, as amended by this section, shall take effect one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 504. Exception from Survival Craft Requirements.

Section 4502(b) of title 46, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (2)(B), by striking “ a survival craft” and inserting “ subject to paragraph (3), a survival craft”;
(2)
by adding at the end the following:

“(3) Except for a nonapplicable vessel, an auxiliary craft shall satisfy the equipment requirement under paragraph (2)(B) if such craft is—

“(A) necessary for normal fishing operations;

“(B) readily accessible during an emergency; and

“(C) capable, in accordance with the Coast Guard capacity rating, when applicable, of safely holding all individuals on board the vessel to which the craft functions as an auxiliary.”

; and

(3)
by adding at the end the following:

“(k) For the purposes of this section, the term ‘auxiliary craft’ means a vessel that is carried onboard a fishing vessel and is normally used to support fishing operations.”

SEC. 505. Safety Standards.

Section 4502(f) of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and inserting the following:

“(2) shall examine at dockside a vessel described in subsection (b) at least once every 5 years, but may require an exam at dockside every 2 years for certain vessels described in subsection (b) if requested by the owner or operator; and

“(3) shall issue a certificate of compliance to a vessel meeting the requirements of this chapter and satisfying the requirements in paragraph (2).”

SEC. 506. Fishing Safety Grants.

Section 4502 of title 46, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
in subsections (i) and (j), by striking “ Secretary” each place it appears and inserting “ Secretary of Health and Human Services”;
(2)
in subsection (i)(2), as amended by paragraph (1), by inserting “ , in consultation with and based on criteria established by the Commandant of the Coast Guard” after “ Health and Human Services”;
(3)
in subsection (i)(3), by striking “ 75” and inserting “ 50”;
(4)
in subsection (i)(4), by striking “ $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2017” and inserting “ $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2019”;
(5)
in subsection (j)(2), as amended by paragraph (1), by inserting “ , in consultation with and based on criteria established by the Commandant of the Coast Guard,” after “ Health and Human Services”;
(6)
in subsection (j)(3), by striking “ 75” and inserting “ 50”; and
(7)
in subsection (j)(4), by striking “ $3,000,000 for each fiscal years 2015 through 2017” and inserting “ $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2019”.

SEC. 507. Fishing, Fish Tender, and Fish Processing Vessel Certification.

(a)
Nonapplication.— Section 4503(c)(2)(A) of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking “ 79” and inserting “ 180”.
(b)
Determining When Keel Is Laid.— Section 4503(f) of title 46, United States Code, as redesignated by section 508 of this Act, is further amended to read as follows:

“(f)

(1) For purposes of this section and section 4503a, the term ‘built’ means, with respect to a vessel, that the vessel’s construction has reached any of the following stages:

“(A) The vessel’s keel is laid.

“(B) Construction identifiable with the vessel has begun and assembly of that vessel has commenced comprising of at least 50 metric tons or one percent of the estimated mass of all structural material, whichever is less.

“(2) In the case of a vessel greater than 79 feet overall in length, for purposes of paragraph (1)(A) a keel is deemed to be laid when a marine surveyor affirms that a structure adequate for serving as a keel for such vessel is in place and identified for use in the construction of such vessel.”

SEC. 508. Deadline for Compliance with Alternate Safety Compliance Program.

(a)
In General.— Section 4503(d) of title 46, United States Code, is redesignated as section 4503a and transferred to appear after section 4503 of such title.
(b)
Fishing, Fish Tender, and Fish Processing Vessel Certification.— Section 4503 of title 46, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
by redesignating subsections (e), (f), and (g) as subsections (d), (e), and (f), respectively;
(2)
in subsection (b), by striking “ subsection (d)” and inserting “ section 4503a”;
(3)
in subsection (c)(2)(B)(ii)(I), by striking “ subsection (e)” and inserting “ subsection (d)”;
(4)
in subsection (c)(2)(B)(ii)(II), by striking “ subsection (f)” and inserting “ subsection (e)”;
(5)
in subsection (e)(1), as amended by paragraph (1) of this subsection, by striking “ subsection (e)” each place it appears and inserting “ subsection (d)”; and
(6)
in subsection (e)(2), as amended by paragraph (1) of this subsection, by striking “ subsection (e)” each place it appears and inserting “ subsection (d)”;
(c)
Alternate Safety Compliance Program.— Section 4503a of title 46, United States Code, as redesignated and transferred by subsection (a) of this section, is amended—
(1)
by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) as subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e), respectively;
(2)
by inserting before subsection (a), as so redesignated, the following:

“§ 4503a. Alternate safety compliance program”

(3)
in subsection (a), as redesignated by paragraph (1) of this subsection, by striking “ After January 1, 2020,” and all that follows through “ the Secretary, if” and inserting “ Subject to subsection (c), beginning on the date that is 3 years after the date that the Secretary prescribes an alternate safety compliance program, a fishing vessel, fish processing vessel, or fish tender vessel to which section 4502(b) of this title applies shall comply with such an alternate safety compliance program, if”;
(4)
in subsection (a), as so redesignated, by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) as paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively;
(5)
in subsection (b), as so redesignated, by striking “ establishes standards for an alternate safety compliance program, shall comply with such an alternative safety compliance program that is developed in cooperation with the commercial fishing industry and prescribed by the Secretary” and inserting “ prescribes an alternate safety compliance program under subsection (a), shall comply with such an alternate safety compliance program”;
(6)
by amending subsection (c), as so redesignated, to read as follows:

“(c) For purposes of subsection (a), a separate alternate safety compliance program may be developed for a specific region or specific fishery.”

(7)
in subsection (d), as so redesignated—
(A)
by striking “ paragraph (1)” and inserting “ subsection (a)”; and
(B)
by striking “ that paragraph” each place it appears and inserting “ that subsection”;
(8)
in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by—
(A)
inserting “ is not eligible to participate in an alternative safety compliance program prescribed under subsection (a) and” after “ July 1, 2012”; and
(B)
redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively;
(9)
by adding at the end the following:

“(f) For the purposes of this section, the term ‘built’ has the meaning given that term in section 4503(f).”

(d)
Clerical Amendment.— The analysis at the beginning of chapter 45 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 4503 the following

“4503a. Alternate safety compliance program.”.

(e)
Conforming Amendment.— Section 3104 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking “ section 4503(e)” and inserting “ section 4503(d)”.
(f)
Final Rule.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall issue a final rule implementing the requirements enumerated in section 4503(d) of title 46, as amended by subsection (b)(1) of this section.
(g)
Alternate Safety Compliance Program Status Report.—
(1)
In general.— Not later than January 1, 2020, the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the status of the development of the alternate safety compliance program directed by section 4503a of title 46, United States Code, as redesignated by subsection (c).
(2)
Contents.— The report required under paragraph (1) shall include discussion of—
(A)
steps taken in the rulemaking process to establish the alternate safety compliance program;
(B)
communication and collaboration between the Coast Guard, the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, and the commercial fishing vessel industry regarding the development of the alternate safety compliance program;
(C)
consideration given to developing alternate safety compliance programs for specific regions and fisheries, as authorized in section 4503a(c) of such title, as redesignated by subsection (c);
(D)
any identified legislative changes necessary to implement an effective alternate safety compliance program; and
(E)
the timeline and planned actions that will be taken to implement regulations necessary to fully establish an alternate safety compliance program before January 1, 2020.

SEC. 509. Termination of Unsafe Operations; Technical Correction.

Section 4505(2) of title 46, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
by striking “ 4503(1)” and inserting “ 4503(a)(2)”; and
(2)
by inserting before the period the following: “ , except that this paragraph shall not apply with respect to a vessel to which section 4503a applies”.

SEC. 510. Technical Corrections: Licenses, Certificates of Registry, and Merchant Mariner Documents.

Title 46, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
in section 7106(b), by striking “ merchant mariner’s document,” and inserting “ license,”;
(2)
in section 7107(b), by striking “ merchant mariner’s document,” and inserting “ certificate of registry,”;
(3)
in section 7507(b)(1), by striking “ licenses or certificates of registry” and inserting “ merchant mariner documents”; and
(4)
in section 7507(b)(2) by striking “ merchant mariner’s document.” and inserting “ license or certificate of registry.”.

SEC. 511. Clarification of Logbook Entries.

(a)
In General.— Section 11304 of title 46, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a), by striking “ an official logbook, which” and inserting “ a logbook, which may be in any form, including electronic, and”; and
(2)
in subsection (b), by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:

“(3) Each illness of, and injury to, a seaman of the vessel, the nature of the illness or injury, and the medical treatment provided for the injury or illness.”

(b)
Technical Amendment.— Section 11304(b) is amended by striking “ log book” and inserting “ logbook”.

SEC. 512. Certificates of Documentation for Recreational Vessels.

Section 12105 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(e) Effective Period.—

“(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), a certificate of documentation issued under this part is valid for a 1-year period and may be renewed for additional 1-year periods.

“(2) Recreational vessels.—

“(A) In general.—A certificate of documentation for a recreational vessel and the renewal of such a certificate shall be effective for a 5-year period.

“(B) Phase-in period.—During the period beginning January 1, 2019, and ending December 31, 2021, the owner or operator of a recreational vessel may choose a period of effectiveness of between 1 and 5 years for such a certificate of documentation for such vessel or the renewal thereof.

“(C) Fees.—

“(i) Requirement.—The Secretary shall assess and collect a fee—

“(I) for the issuance of a certificate of documentation for a recreational vessel that is equivalent to the fee established for the issuance of a certificate of documentation under section 2110; and

“(II) for the renewal of a certificate of documentation for a recreational vessel that is equivalent to the number of years of effectiveness of the certificate of documentation multiplied by the fee established for the renewal of a certificate of documentation under section 2110.

“(ii) Treatment.—Fees collected under this subsection—

“(I) shall be credited to the account from which the costs of such issuance or renewal were paid; and

“(II) may remain available until expended.

“(3) Notice of change in information.—

“(A) Requirement.—The owner of a vessel shall notify the Coast Guard of each change in the information on which the issuance of the certificate of documentation for the vessel is based that occurs before the expiration of the certificate under this subsection, by not later than 30 days after such change.

“(B) Termination of certificate.—The certificate of documentation for a vessel shall terminate upon the expiration of such 30-day period if the owner has not notified the Coast Guard of such change before the end of such period.

“(4) State and local authority to remove abandoned and derelict vessels.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of a State or local authority from taking action to remove an abandoned or derelict vessel.”

SEC. 514. Backup National Timing System.

(a)
Short Title.— This section may be cited as the “National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018”.
(b)
In General.— Chapter 30 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

Ҥ 312. Alternative timing system

“(a) In General.—Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of Transportation shall provide for the establishment, sustainment, and operation of a land-based, resilient, and reliable alternative timing system—

“(1) to reduce critical dependencies and provide a complement to and backup for the timing component of the Global Positioning System (referred to in this section as ‘GPS’); and

“(2) to ensure the availability of uncorrupted and non-degraded timing signals for military and civilian users in the event that GPS timing signals are corrupted, degraded, unreliable, or otherwise unavailable.

“(b) Establishment of Requirements.—

“(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish requirements for the procurement of the system required by subsection (a) as a complement to and backup for the timing component of GPS in accordance with the timing requirements study required by section 1618 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 130 Stat. 2595).

“(2) Requirements.—The Secretary of Transportation shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that the system established under subsection (a) will—

“(A) be wireless;

“(B) be terrestrial;

“(C) provide wide-area coverage;

“(D) be synchronized with coordinated universal time;

“(E) be resilient and extremely difficult to disrupt or degrade;

“(F) be able to penetrate underground and inside buildings;

“(G) be capable of deployment to remote locations;

“(H) be developed, constructed, and operated incorporating applicable private sector expertise;

“(I) work in concert with and complement any other similar positioning, navigation, and timing systems, including enhanced long-range navigation systems and Nationwide Differential GPS systems;

“(J) be available for use by Federal and non-Federal government agencies for public purposes at no net cost to the Federal Government within 10 years of initiation of operation;

“(K) be capable of adaptation and expansion to provide position and navigation capabilities;

“(L) incorporate the recommendations from any GPS back-up demonstration program initiated and completed by the Secretary, in coordination with other Federal agencies, before the date specified in subsection (c)(1); and

“(M) incorporate such other elements as the Secretary considers appropriate.

“(c) Implementation Plan.—

“(1) Plan required.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report setting forth the following:

“(A) A plan to develop, construct, and operate the system required by subsection (a).

“(B) A description and assessment of the advantages of a system to provide a follow-on complementary and backup positioning and navigation capability to the timing component of GPS.

“(2) Deadline for commencement of operation.—The system required by subsection (a) shall be in operation by not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018.

“(3) Minimum duration of operational capability.—The system required by subsection (a) shall be designed to be fully operational for not less than 20 years.

“(d) LORAN Facilities.—

“(1) In general.—If the Secretary of Transportation determines that any LORAN infrastructure, including the underlying real property and any spectrum associated with LORAN, in the possession of the Coast Guard is required by the Department of Transportation for the purpose of establishing the system required by subsection (a), the Commandant shall transfer such property, spectrum, and equipment to the Secretary.

“(2) CERCLA not affected.—This subsection shall not be construed to limit the application of or otherwise affect section 120(h) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)) with respect to the Federal Government facilities described in paragraph (1).

“(e) Cooperative Agreement.—

“(1) In general.—The Secretary of Transportation may enter into a cooperative agreement (as that term is described in section 6305 of title 31) with an entity upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary of Transportation determines will fulfill the purpose and requirements of this section and be in the public interest.

“(2) Requirements.—The cooperative agreement under paragraph (1) shall, at a minimum, require the Secretary of Transportation to—

“(A) authorize the entity to sell timing and other services to commercial and non-commercial third parties, subject to any national security requirements determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense;

“(B) require the entity to develop, construct, and operate at private expense the backup timing system in accordance with this section;

“(C) allow the entity to make any investments in technologies necessary over the life of such agreement to meet future requirements for advanced timing resilience and technologies;

“(D) require the entity to share 25 percent of the gross proceeds received by the entity from the sale of timing services to third parties with the Secretary for at least 10 years after the date upon which the Secretary enters into the cooperative agreement;

“(E) require the entity—

“(i) to assume all financial risk for the completion and operational capability of the system, after the Secretary provides any LORAN facilities necessary for the system under subsection (d), if required for the alternative timing system; and

“(ii) to furnish performance and payment bonds in connection with the system in a reasonable amount as determined by the Secretary; and

“(F) require the entity to make any investments in technologies necessary over the life of the agreement to meet future requirements for advanced timing resiliency.

“(3) Competition required.—The Secretary shall use competitive procedures similar to those authorized under section 2667 of title 10 in selecting an entity to enter into a cooperative agreement pursuant to this subsection.

“(4) Authorization to purchase services.—The Secretary may not purchase timing system services from the entity for use by the Department of Transportation or for provision to other Federal and non-Federal governmental agencies until the system achieves operational status, and then only if the necessary funds for such purchases are provided for in subsequent yearly appropriations acts made available to the Secretary for each and every year in which such purchases are made.

“(5) Determination requirement.—The Secretary may not enter into a cooperative agreement under this subsection unless the Secretary determines that the cooperative agreement is in the best financial interest of the Federal Government. The Secretary shall notify the Committee on Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives of such determination not later than 30 days after the date of the determination.

“(6) Definition.—In this subsection the term ‘entity’ means a non-Federal entity with the demonstrated technical expertise and requisite administrative and financial resources to meet any terms and conditions established by the Secretary for purposes of this subsection.”

(c)
Table of Contents.— The table of contents for chapter 3 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“312. Alternative timing system.”.

SEC. 515. Scientific Personnel.

Section 2101(41) of title 46, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
by inserting “ (A) Subject to subparagraph (B),” before the text; and
(2)
by adding at the end the following:

“(B)

(i) Such term includes an individual who is on board an oceanographic research vessel only to—

“(I) engage in scientific research;

“(II) instruct in oceanography or limnology; or

“(III) receive instruction in oceanography or limnology.

“(ii) For purposes of clause (i), the age of an individual may not be considered in determining whether the individual is described in such clause.”

SEC. 516. Transparency.

(a)
In General.— The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall publish any letter of determination issued by the Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center after the date of the enactment of this Act on the National Vessel Documentation Center website not later than 30 days after the date of issuance of such letter of determination.
(b)
Audit.—
(1)
In general.— The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an audit, the results of which shall be made publicly available, of—
(A)
the method or process by which the Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center develops policy for and documents compliance with the requirements of section 67.97 of title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, for the purpose of issuing endorsements under section 12112 and 12113 of title 46, United States Code;
(B)
the coordination between the Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection with respect to the enforcement of such requirements; and
(C)
the extent to which the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating and the Secretary of Transportation, through the Maritime Administration, have published and disseminated information to promote compliance with applicable vessel construction requirements.
(2)
Report.— Not later than 90 days after the audit under paragraph (1) is complete, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report regarding the results of and recommendations made pursuant to such audit.
(c)
Outline.— Not later than 180 days after the date of the submission of the Comptroller General of the United States report required under subsection (b), 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 of the House of Representatives an outline of plans—
(1)
to enhance the transparency of the documentation process, and communications with the maritime industry regarding such process over the next 5 years; and
(2)
to implement the recommendations made by the Comptroller General of the United States in the report required under subsection (b)(2).