[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4771 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4771

To amend the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act 
  of 1990 to require application to all vessels equipped with ballast 
water tanks, including vessels that are not carrying ballast water, the 
   requirement to carry out exchange of ballast water or alternative 
 ballast water management methods prior to entry into any port within 
                the Great Lakes, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2006

  Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. McHugh, Mr. Emanuel, Mrs. 
Miller of Michigan, Mr. Case, Mr. Ehlers, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Miller of 
Florida, Ms. McCollum of Minnesota, Mr. Kline, Mrs. Biggert, Mr. Evans, 
Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Schwarz 
  of Michigan, and Ms. Bean) introduced the following bill; which was 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act 
  of 1990 to require application to all vessels equipped with ballast 
water tanks, including vessels that are not carrying ballast water, the 
   requirement to carry out exchange of ballast water or alternative 
 ballast water management methods prior to entry into any port within 
                the Great Lakes, 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 ``Great Lakes Invasive Species Control 
Act''.

SEC. 2. APPLICATION TO ALL VESSELS OF REQUIREMENT TO CARRY OUT EXCHANGE 
              OF BALLAST WATER OR ALTERNATIVE BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT 
              METHODS.

    (a) Requirement.--Section 1101(b)(2)(B) of the Nonindigenous 
Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 
4711(b)(2)(B)) is amended in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
striking ``a vessel'' and inserting ``a vessel, including a vessel that 
is not carrying ballast water,''.
    (b) Deadline for Regulations.--The Secretary of the department in 
which the Coast Guard is operating shall issue and begin implementing 
regulations in accordance with the amendment made by subsection (a) by 
not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. STUDY OF EFFECTIVENESS OF ALTERNATE BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT 
              METHODS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the department in which the Coast 
Guard is operating shall conduct, in consultation with the Under 
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, a scientifically-based 
study or studies of the effectiveness, feasibility of application, and 
environmental soundness of ballast water tank treatment methods, other 
than ballast water exchange, in reducing the threat of invasive species 
to the Great Lakes.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date funds are 
available to carry out this section, and annually thereafter for the 
subsequent 2 years, the Secretary shall report to the Congress the 
findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study under this 
section.
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