[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3560 Introduced in House (IH)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 3560

   To require the use of certain vessels for laying, servicing, and 
                 maintaining Federal submarine cables.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 20, 2001

 Mr. Young of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the use of certain vessels for laying, servicing, and 
                 maintaining Federal submarine cables.

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

SECTION 1. VESSELS FOR CABLE LAYING.

  (a) Requirement.--Only eligible vessels may be used in the course 
of--
            (1) laying a Federal submarine cable between two landings 
        in the United States;
            (2) making a shore landing of a Federal submarine cable in 
        the United States;
            (3) laying or burying a Federal submarine cable on or under 
        the lands beneath the navigable waters of the United States; or
            (4) servicing or maintaining a Federal submarine cable--
                    (A) between two landings in the United States; or
                    (B) on or under the lands beneath the navigable 
                waters of the United States.
    (b) Crew Citizenship.--Nothing in this section affects the 
authority of the Secretary of Transportation under section 
8103(b)(3)(C) of title 46, United States Code, to waive a citizenship 
requirement for the crew of a vessel on the grounds that qualified 
seamen who are citizens of the United States are not available.
    (c) National Security Waiver.--
            (1) In general.--The President may waive the application of 
        subsection (a) with respect to a Federal submarine cable if the 
        President determines that--
                    (A) no eligible vessel is available; and
                    (B) the waiver is critical to the national security 
                of the United States.
            (2) Notification.--The President shall immediately notify 
        the Congress of any waiver under this subsection and the 
        reasons for the waiver.
    (d) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Eligible vessel.--The term ``eligible vessel'' means a 
        vessel documented under section 12106 of title 46, United 
        States Code.
            (2) Federal submarine cable.--The term ``Federal submarine 
        cable'' means a submarine cable that is--
                    (A) owned or operated by the United States 
                Government; or
                    (B) operated for the United States Government under 
                a contract with any Federal agency.
            (3) Navigable waters of the united states.--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.
    (e) Effective Date.--This section shall become effective on the 
date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
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