[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3812 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3812

 To require immediate action to remove sunken or grounded vessels that 
                     obstruct navigable waterways.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 8, 1994

   Mr. Fields of Texas (for himself and Mr. Laughlin) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Public Works and 
                             Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require immediate action to remove sunken or grounded vessels that 
                     obstruct navigable waterways.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Waterways Obstruction Removal Act of 
1994''.

SEC. 2. OBSTRUCTION REMOVAL REQUIREMENT.

    (a) Section 16 of the Act of March 3, 1899 (30 Stat. 1153; 33 
U.S.C. 411) is amended by--
            (1) striking ``and 409'' and inserting ``409, 414, and 
        415''; and
            (2) striking the language ``not exceeding $2500 nor less 
        than $500'' and inserting ``of up to $25,000 per day''.
    (b) Section 20 of the Act of March 3, 1899 (30 Stat. 1154; 33 
U.S.C. 415) is amended by--
            (1) striking the word ``expense'' where it first appears in 
        subsection (a) and subsection (b) and inserting ``actual 
        expense, including administrative expenses'';
            (2) redesignating existing subsection (b) as subsection 
        (c); and
            (3) inserting a new subsection (b) to read as follows:
    ``(b) Removal Requirement.--Within twenty four hours after the 
Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating 
issues an order to stop or delay navigation in any navigable waters of 
the United States because of conditions related to the sinking or 
grounding of a vessel, the owner or operator of the vessel, with the 
approval of the Secretary of the Army, shall begin removal of the 
vessel using the most expeditious removal method available; or if 
appropriate, secure the vessel pending removal to allow navigation to 
resume. If the owner or operator fails to begin removal or to secure 
the vessel pending removal, or fails to complete removal as soon as 
possible, the Secretary of the Army shall remove or destroy the vessel 
using the summary removal procedures under subsection (a) of this 
section.''.

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