[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 143 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 143

      To increase the role of the Secretary of Transportation in 
  administering section 901 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 13, 2003

  Mr. Inouye introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To increase the role of the Secretary of Transportation in 
  administering section 901 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, 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. TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICAN VESSELS OF GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL 
              AND CERTAIN CARGOES.

    Paragraph (2) of section 901(b) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 
(46 U.S.C. App. 1241(b)(2)), is amended to read as follows:
    ``(2)(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary 
of Transportation shall have the sole responsibility for designating a 
program as subject to the requirements of this subsection. Each 
department or agency that has responsibility for a program that is 
designated by the Secretary pursuant to the preceding sentence shall 
administer such program in accordance with regulations promulgated by 
the Secretary.
    ``(B) The Secretary of Transportation shall--
            ``(i) conduct an annual review of the administration of a 
        program designated pursuant to subparagraph (A) as subject to 
        the requirements of this subsection; and
            ``(ii) submit an annual report to Congress containing the 
        results of the review described in clause (i).
    ``(C) The Secretary of Transportation shall prescribe regulations--
            ``(i) to carry out the provisions of this subsection; and
            ``(ii) to provide penalties and sanctions for violation of 
        this subsection.''.

SEC. 2. CONFORMING CARGO PREFERENCE YEAR TO FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR.

    Section 901b of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 U.S.C. App. 
1241f) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (2); and
                    (B) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``(a)(1)'' and inserting 
                        ``(a)''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``specified in subsection 
                        (b)'' and inserting ``exported as described in 
                        subsection (b) in a fiscal year''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)(2)--
                    (A) by striking ``calendar'' and inserting 
                ``fiscal''; and
                    (B) by striking ``for 12 month periods commencing 
                April 1, 1986'' and inserting ``the 12-month period 
                beginning on April 1 of each year before 2003, the 18-
                month period beginning on April 1, 2003, and each 12-
                month period beginning on October 1 of 2004 and each 
                year thereafter''.
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