[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1032 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1032

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

                              May 13, 1999

  Mr. Brownback (for himself, Mr. Helms, Mr. Burns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. 
  Fitzgerald, and Mr. Lugar) 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 1999''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Freight vessel.--The term ``freight vessel'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 2101(13) 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, within the 
meaning of the term `forest products' 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(13) 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, within 
the meaning of the term `forest products' 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.--
            (1) In general.--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 subsection 
        (b) of this section, 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.
            (2) Revocation of certificate of documentation.--At such 
        time as vessel is placed under foreign registry under paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary shall revoke the certificate of 
        documentation issued by the Secretary for that vessel.
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