[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 980 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 980

     To promote secure ferry transportation and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 12, 2011

Mrs. Murray (for herself, Ms. Murkowski, Ms. Cantwell, and Mr. Begich) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
               Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To promote secure ferry transportation 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 TITLES.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States Ferry Systems 
Investment Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Ferries are a vital part of the United States 
        transportation system, transporting more than 100,000,000 
        passengers annually in at least 38 States.
            (2) In many congested metropolitan areas, ferries are 1 of 
        the few remaining options for significant transportation 
        capacity expansion.
            (3) Ferries are the sole or primary transportation 
        connection for many island and isolated communities.
            (4) Ferries provide a critical emergency evacuation 
        alternative for both large cities and remote locations.
            (5) Ferries can be part of an interim solution when 
        transportation infrastructure fails, for example after the 
        terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001, disrupted 
        train service and after part of the San Francisco Bay Bridge 
        collapsed in the Loma Prieta earthquake, ferries were used to 
        provide interim transportation.
            (6) Ferries offer a relatively energy-efficient, 
        environmentally friendly, and low-stress mode of travel.
            (7) Almost all of the largest and important ferry services 
        are publicly owned or provide transportation at public 
        terminals, are integrated with other transportation modes, and 
        are operated in a manner to serve the public interest.
            (8) According to the Secretary of Transportation, nearly 25 
        percent of United States ferries are at least 40 years old and 
        5 percent of United States ferries are at least 60 years old.
            (9) Federal investment in the United States ferry system is 
        necessary because--
                    (A) ferries play a unique and important role in the 
                United States transportation system;
                    (B) there is a large and growing need for new and 
                replacement ferry vessels and terminals; and
                    (C) ferries do not fit neatly into other Federal, 
                mode-specific transportation programs.
            (10) The distribution of Federal ferry funds by formula is 
        appropriate because this method of distribution would dedicate 
        more funding to the largest and most important public ferry 
        systems.
            (11) The distribution of Federal ferry funds by 
        discretionary awards is also appropriate because this method of 
        distribution would help initiate and expand ferry services 
        throughout the United States.

SEC. 3. SECRETARY DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
Transportation.

SEC. 4. CONSTRUCTION OF FERRY BOATS AND FERRY TERMINAL FACILITIES.

    Section 147 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking 
subsections (c), (d), and (e) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Distribution of Funds.--Of the amounts made available to 
ferry systems and public entities responsible for developing ferries 
under this section in a fiscal year--
            ``(1) 50 percent shall be allocated at the discretion of 
        the Secretary; and
            ``(2) 50 percent shall be allocated in accordance with the 
        formula set forth in subsection (d).
    ``(d) Formula.--Of the amounts allocated pursuant to subsection 
(c)(2)--
            ``(1) 50 percent shall be allocated among eligible entities 
        in the ratio that--
                    ``(A) the number of ferry passengers carried by 
                each ferry system in the most recent fiscal year; bears 
                to
                    ``(B) the number of ferry passengers carried by all 
                ferry systems in the most recent fiscal year;
            ``(2) 25 percent shall be allocated among eligible entities 
        in the ratio that--
                    ``(A) the number of vehicles carried by each ferry 
                system in the most recent fiscal year; bears to
                    ``(B) the number of vehicles carried by all ferry 
                systems in the most recent fiscal year; and
            ``(3) 25 percent shall be allocated among eligible entities 
        in the ratio that--
                    ``(A) the total route miles serviced by each ferry 
                system; bears to
                    ``(B) the total route miles serviced by all ferry 
                systems.
    ``(e) Funding.--
            ``(1) In general.--There shall be available to the 
        Secretary from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass 
        Transit Account) $200,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2012 
        through 2018 to carry out this section.
            ``(2) Period of availability.--Notwithstanding section 
        118(b), amounts made available to carry out this section shall 
        remain available until expended.''.

SEC. 5. ELIGIBILITY OF FERRIES FOR CLEAN FUELS GRANT PROGRAM.

    Section 5308 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2)--
                    (A) in clause (i), by inserting ``, or ferries'' 
                before the semicolon at the end; and
                    (B) in clause (iii), by inserting ``or ferries'' 
                before the semicolon at the end; and
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and 
                Ferries'' after ``Buses''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``or ferries'' before the period 
                at the end.

SEC. 6. FERRY JOINT PROGRAM OFFICE.

    (a) Establishment and Purpose.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish within 
        the Department of Transportation a Ferry Joint Program Office 
        (referred to in this section as the ``Office'') for the 
        purposes described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Purposes.--The purposes of the Office shall be--
                    (A) to coordinate Federal programs affecting ferry 
                and ferry facility construction, maintenance, 
                operations, and security; and
                    (B) to promote transportation by ferry as a 
                component of the United States transportation system.
    (b) Functions.--The head of the Office shall--
            (1) coordinate programs related to ferry transportation 
        carried out by--
                    (A) the Department of Transportation, including 
                programs carried out by the Federal Highway 
                Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the 
                Maritime Administration, and the Research and 
                Innovative Technology Administration;
                    (B) the Department of Homeland Security; and
                    (C) other Federal and State agencies, as 
                appropriate;
            (2) ensure resource accountability for programs carried out 
        by the Secretary related to ferry transportation;
            (3) provide strategic leadership for research, development, 
        testing, and deployment of technologies related to ferry 
        transportation;
            (4) promote ferry transportation as a means to reduce 
        social, economic, and environmental costs associated with 
        traffic congestion; and
            (5) develop energy efficient operating models to reduce 
        carbon emissions associated with ferry transportation.

SEC. 7. NATIONAL FERRY DATABASE.

    Section 1801(e) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Public Law 109-59; 23 
U.S.C. 129 note) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, including any 
        Federal, State, and local government funding sources'' after 
        ``sources''; and
            (2) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
                subparagraph (D);
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (B), the 
                following:
                    ``(C) ensure that the database is consistent with 
                the national transit database maintained by the Federal 
                Transit Administration''; and
                    (D) in subparagraph (D), as redesignated, by 
                striking ``2009'' and inserting ``2018''.

SEC. 8. NATIONAL FERRY TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall award a grant to a college 
to establish a National Ferry Transportation Institute (referred to in 
this section as an ``Institute'') at the college.
    (b) Administration.--The Secretary shall award and administer the 
grant under subsection (a) in cooperation with the heads of appropriate 
entities of the Department of Transportation and of the appropriate 
State transportation department, public ferry transportation 
authorities, private ferry operators, ferry builders, ferry 
transportation employees, and other colleges, universities, and 
research institutes.
    (c) Functions.--The Institute--
            (1) shall conduct research and recommend development 
        activities on methods of improving ferry transportation 
        programs in the United States, including methods of reducing 
        wake, providing alternative propulsion, integrating use of 
        clean, renewable fuels, and testing advanced materials for use 
        in ferry construction;
            (2) shall develop and conduct training programs for ferry 
        transportation system employees, United States Government 
        employees, and other individuals, as appropriate, on 
        developments, techniques, and procedures pertaining to the 
        construction and operation of ferries;
            (3) shall encourage and assist collaborative efforts by 
        public and private entities to preserve, improve, and expand 
        the use of ferries as a mode of transportation;
            (4) shall preserve, utilize, and display historical 
        information about the use of ferry transportation in the United 
        States and in foreign countries;
            (5) shall develop models and recommendations to enhance 
        security on ferries and in and around ferry facilities; and
            (6) may provide funds from a grant under subsection (a) to 
        a contractor or other entity to assist the Institute in 
        carrying out the functions described in paragraphs (1) through 
        (5).
    (d) Selection Criteria.--In awarding the grant under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall consider--
            (1) the extent to which the needs of the State in which the 
        applicant is located are representative of the importance of 
        public and private ferries to the region's transportation 
        system, including regional travel and long-range travel and 
        service to isolated communities;
            (2) the historical importance of ferry transportation to 
        the region in which the applicant is located;
            (3) the history and diversity of the region in the maritime 
        community, including ferry construction and repair and other 
        shipbuilding activities;
            (4) the anticipated growth of ferry transportation and the 
        building of ferries in the region;
            (5) the availability of public-private collaboration in the 
        region; and
            (6) the demonstrated research and extension resources 
        available to the applicant to successfully carry out the 
        functions described in subsection (c).
    (e) Requirement for Non-Federal Funding.--A college may not receive 
the grant under subsection (a) unless the college certifies that it 
will provide, from non-Federal sources, 25 percent of the costs 
associated with establishing, operating, and maintaining the Institute, 
including carrying out the research and development activities of the 
Institute.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a 
report to Congress that describes activities carried out under this 
section, including the activities carried out by the Institute.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
2012 through 2018 to carry out this section.
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