[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3113 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3113

      To ensure the icebreaking capabilities of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 5, 2011

 Mr. Young of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred 
         to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To ensure the icebreaking capabilities of the United States.

    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 ``Polar Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. LONG-TERM LEASE OF POLAR CAPABLE ICEBREAKERS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the department in which the Coast 
Guard is operating, subject to the availability of appropriations, may 
use competitive procedures to enter into leases for 2 icebreakers that 
meet the requirements of subsection (c).
    (b) Schedule.--In exercising authority under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) publish a request for proposals not later than 90 days 
        after the date of enactment of this Act;
            (2) require submission of proposals not later than 180 days 
        after the date of enactment of this Act;
            (3) make the final selection of proposals not later than 
        279 days after the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (4) require that each icebreaker leased under this section 
        begin service not later than 3 years after the date the 
        proposal for the icebreaker is selected.
    (c) Lease Duration.--Each lease entered into under this section 
shall be for a period of not less than 10 years.
    (d) Lease Duration.--In addition to such other requirements as are 
established by the Secretary, each lease entered into under this 
section shall require that--
            (1) the vessel subject to the lease shall--
                    (A) be owned and operated by a private entity;
                    (B) meet the Polar Class 1 requirements for year 
                round operations contained in the ABS Guide for 
                Building and Classing Vessels intended for Navigation 
                in Polar Waters, 2008; and
                    (C) be built in the United States; and
            (2) the person entering the lease with the Secretary 
        shall--
                    (A) maintain the vessel that is subject to the 
                lease solely in shipyards located in the United States;
                    (B) ensure that such vessel is available for 
                service not less than 300 days per year;
                    (C) comply with the delivery requirement under 
                subsection (b)(4); and
                    (D) be able to carry out the purpose of section 
                307(a) of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (14 
                U.S.C. 92 note).
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