[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2390 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2390

To permit ships built in foreign countries to engage in coastwise trade 
                 in the transport of certain products.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 30, 1998

  Mr. Brownback (for himself and Mr. Helms) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To permit ships built in foreign countries to engage in coastwise trade 
                 in the transport of certain products.

    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 ``Freedom To Transport Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Freight vessel.--The term ``freight vessel'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 2101(23) of title 46, United 
        States Code.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.

SEC. 3. TRANSPORTATION OF CERTAIN MERCHANDISE.

    (a) In General.--Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1929 (46 
U.S.C. App. 883) is amended by striking the period at the end and 
inserting the following: ``: Provided further, That this section shall 
not apply with respect to the transportation of merchandise that is a 
forest product (as that term is defined in section 3(11) of the 
Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. App. 1702(11))), bulk cargo (as that 
term is defined in section 3(4) of the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. 
App. 1702(4))), including agricultural products (as that term is 
defined in section 101(1) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 
U.S.C. 5602(1))) that are carried in bulk, or livestock (as that term 
is defined in section 2(4) of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 
U.S.C. 182(4))) and that is transported in a freight vessel (as that 
term is defined in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code) of not 
less than 1,000 gross tons that was not built in the United States (or 
if rebuilt, not rebuilt in the United States) for which the Secretary 
of Transportation has issued a certificate of documentation.''.
    (b) Coastwise Endorsements.--12106(b) of title 46, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(b)'';
            (2) by inserting ``to paragraph (2) and'' after 
        ``Subject''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to a vessel used 
for the transportation of merchandise that is a forest product (as that 
term is defined in section 3(11) of the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. 
App. 1702(11))), bulk cargo (as that term is defined in section 3(4) of 
the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. App. 1702(4))), including 
agricultural products (as that term is defined in section 101(1) of the 
Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602(1))) that are carried in 
bulk, or livestock (as that term is defined in section 2(4) of the 
Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 182(4))) and that is a 
freight vessel of not less than 1,000 gross tons that was not built in 
the United States (or if rebuilt, not rebuilt in the United States) and 
with respect to which the Secretary of Transportation has issued a 
certificate of documentation.''.
    (c) Foreign Transfer.--Notwithstanding section 9(c) of the Shipping 
Act, 1916 (46 U.S.C. App. 808), a freight vessel described in the last 
proviso of section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 U.S.C. App. 
883), as added by section 3 of this Act, for which the Secretary has 
issued a certificate of documentation after the date of enactment of 
this Act and that is used for a purpose specified in that proviso may 
be placed under foreign registry without the approval of the Secretary 
at any time after that vessel is issued a certificate of documentation. 
At such time as that vessel is placed under foreign registry, the 
Secretary shall revoke the certificate of documentation issued by the 
Secretary.
                                 <all>