[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2481 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2481

  To improve maritime safety and the quality of life for Coast Guard 
                   personnel, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 12, 2001

 Mr. Young of Alaska (for himself, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. LoBiondo, and Ms. 
Brown of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
           the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To improve maritime safety and the quality of life for Coast Guard 
                   personnel, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Omnibus Maritime Improvements Act of 
2001''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF COAST GUARD HOUSING AUTHORITIES.

    (a) Housing Contractors.--Section 681 of title 14, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting ``, including a small business concern 
qualified under section 8(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
637(a)),'' after ``private persons''.
    (b) Budget Authority Limitation.--Section 687(f) of title 14, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ``$20,000,000'' and 
inserting ``$40,000,000''.
    (c) Demonstration Project.--Section 687 of title 14, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(g) Demonstration Project Authorized.--To promote efficiencies 
through the use of alternative procedures for expediting new housing 
projects, the Secretary--
            ``(1) may develop and implement a Demonstration Project for 
        acquisition or construction of military family housing and 
        military unaccompanied housing at the Coast Guard installation 
        at Kodiak, Alaska;
            ``(2) in implementing the Demonstration Project shall 
        utilize, to the maximum extent possible, the contracting 
        authority of the Small Business Administration's section 8(a) 
        program;
            ``(3) shall, to the maximum extent possible, acquire or 
        construct such housing through contracts with small business 
        concerns qualified under section 8(a) of the Small Business Act 
        (15 U.S.C. 637(a)) that have their principal place of business 
        in the State of Alaska; and
            ``(4) shall report to Congress by September 1 of each year 
        on the progress of activities under the Demonstration 
        Project.''.
    (d) Extension.--Section 689 of title 14, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ``2001' and inserting ``2006''.

SEC. 3. VESSELS FOR CABLE LAYING.

    (a) Requirement.--Only eligible vessels may be used after the date 
of enactment of this Act in the course of--
            (1) laying a submarine cable between 2 landings in the 
        United States;
            (2) making a shore landing of a submarine cable in the 
        United States;
            (3) laying or burying a submarine cable on or under the 
        lands beneath the navigable waters of the United States; or
            (4) servicing or maintaining a submarine cable--
                    (A) between 2 landings in the United States, or
                    (B) on or under the lands beneath the navigable 
                waters of the United States,
        if that cable is owned by, operated by, or operated for the 
        United States Government.
    (b) Definition.--For purposes of this section--
            (1) the term ``eligible vessel'' means--
                    (A) a United States-flag vessel, if before July 1, 
                2001, it was a United States-flag vessel used in the 
                course of any of the services specified in paragraphs 
                (1) through (4) of subsection (a); or
                    (B) a vessel documented under section 12105 of 
                title 46, United States Code; and
            (2) the term ``navigable waters of the United States'' 
        includes all waters of the territorial sea of the United States 
        as described in Presidential Proclamation No. 5928 of December 
        27, 1988.

SEC. 4. VESSEL ESCORT OPERATIONS AND TOWING ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Except in the case of a vessel in distress, only a 
vessel of the United States (as that term is defined in section 2101 of 
title 46, United States Code) may perform the following vessel escort 
operations and vessel towing assistance within the navigable waters of 
the United States:
            (1) Operation or assistance that commences or terminates at 
        a port or place in the United States.
            (2) Operation or assistance required by United States law 
        or regulation.
            (3) Operation provided in whole or in part for the purpose 
        of escorting or assisting a vessel within or through navigation 
        facilities owned, maintained, or operated by the United States 
        Government or the approaches to such facilities, other than 
        facilities operated by the St. Lawrence Seaway Development 
        Corporation on the St. Lawrence River portion of the Seaway.
    (b) Definitions.--Unless otherwise defined by a provision of law or 
regulation requiring that towing assistance or escort be rendered to 
vessels transiting United States waters or navigation facilities, for 
purposes of this section--
            (1) the term ``towing assistance'' means operation by an 
        assisting vessel in direct contact with an assisted vessel 
        (including hull-to-hull, by towline, including if only 
        pretethered, or made fast to that vessel by one or more lines) 
        for purposes of exerting force on the assisted vessel to 
        control, or to assist  in controlling, the movement of the 
assisted vessel; and
            (2) the term ``escort operations'' means accompanying a 
        vessel for the purpose of providing towing or towing assistance 
        to the vessel.
    (c) Penalty.--A person violating this section is liable to the 
United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 
for each day during which the violation occurs.

SEC. 5. SEARCH AND RESCUE CENTER STANDARDS.

    (a) In General.--Title 14, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end of chapter 17 the following new section:
``Sec. 676. Search and rescue center standards
    ``(a) The Secretary shall establish, implement, and maintain the 
minimum standards necessary for the safe operation of all Coast Guard 
search and rescue center facilities, including with respect to the 
following:
            ``(1) The lighting, acoustics, and temperature in the 
        facilities.
            ``(2) The number of individuals on a shift in the facility 
        assigned search and rescue responsibilities (including 
        communications), which may be adjusted based on seasonal 
        workload.
            ``(3) The length of time an individual may serve on watch 
        to minimize fatigue, based on the best scientific information 
        available.
            ``(4) The scheduling of individuals having search and 
        rescue responsibilities to minimize fatigue of the individual 
        when on duty in the facility.
            ``(5) The workload of each individual engaged in search and 
        rescue responsibilities in the facility.
            ``(6) Stress management for the individuals assigned search 
        and rescue responsibilities in the facilities.
            ``(7) The design of equipment and facilities to minimize 
        fatigue and enhance search and rescue operations.
            ``(8) Any other requirements that the Secretary believes 
        will increase the safe operation of the search and rescue 
        centers.
    ``(b) An individual on duty or watch in a Coast Guard search and 
rescue center facility, including a communications center, may not work 
more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period except in an emergency.''.
    (b) Application.--Section 676 of title 14, United States Code (as 
enacted by subsection (a) of this section) shall apply beginning on 
July 1, 2002.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 17 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

``676. Search and rescue center standards.''.

SEC. 6. VHF COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.

    The Secretary of Transportation may authorize a person providing 
commercial VHF communications services to place commercial VHF 
communications equipment on Coast Guard owned or controlled property 
(including towers) subject to any terms agreed to by the parties. The 
Secretary and that commercial VHF communications service provider also 
may enter into an agreement providing for VHF communications services 
to the Coast Guard (including digital selective calling and radio 
direction finding services) at a discounted price based on providing 
such access to property owned or controlled by the Coast Guard.

SEC. 7. LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER MARITIME FIRE AND SAFETY ACTIVITIES.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Transportation not more than $987,400 for lower Columbia River marine, 
fire, oil, and toxic spill response communications, training, 
equipment, and program administration activities conducted by the 
Maritime Fire and Safety Association.

SEC. 8. CONFORMING REFERENCES TO THE FORMER MERCHANT MARINE AND 
              FISHERIES COMMITTEE.

    (a) Laws Codified in Title 14, United States Code.--(1) Section 
194(b)(2) of title 14, United States Code, is amended by striking 
``Merchant Marine and Fisheries'' and inserting ``Transportation and 
Infrastructure''.
    (2) Section 663 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``Merchant Marine and Fisheries'' and inserting 
``Transportation and Infrastructure''.
    (3) Section 664 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``Merchant Marine and Fisheries'' and inserting 
``Transportation and Infrastructure''.
    (b) Laws Codified in Title 33, United States Code.--(1) Section 
3(d)(3) of the International Navigational Rules Act of 1977 (33 U.S.C. 
1602(d)(3)) is amended by striking ``Merchant Marine and Fisheries'' 
and inserting ``Transportation and Infrastructure''.
    (2) Section 5004(2) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 
2734(2)) is amended by striking ``Merchant Marine and Fisheries'' and 
inserting Transportation and Infrastructure''.
    (c) Laws Codified in Title 46, United States Code.--(1) Section 
6307 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking ``Merchant 
Marine and Fisheries'' and inserting ``Transportation and 
Infrastructure''.
    (2) Section 901g(b)(3) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 App. 
U.S.C. 1241k(b)(3)) is amended by striking ``Merchant Marine and 
Fisheries'' and inserting ``Transportation and Infrastructure''.
    (3) Section 913(b) of the International Maritime and Port Security 
Act (46 App. U.S.C. 1809(b)) is amended by striking ``Merchant Marine 
and Fisheries'' and inserting ``Transportation and Infrastructure''.

SEC. 9. RESTRICTION ON VESSEL DOCUMENTATION.

    Section 12108(a) of title 46, United States Code, is amended by--
            (1) amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
            ``(2) was built in the United States;'';
            (2) striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (3);
            (3) inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
            ``(4) was not forfeited to the United States Government for 
        a breach of the laws of the United States; and''; and
            (4) redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5).

SEC. 10. SURVIVAL SUIT REQUIREMENT.

    The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall ensure that all Coast Guard 
personnel are equipped with adequate safety equipment, including 
survival suits, while performing search and rescue missions.
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