[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1298 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1298

    To provide nationally consistent measures of performance of the 
                Nation's ports, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 12, 2015

 Mr. Thune (for himself, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Gardner, and Mr. Alexander) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide nationally consistent measures of performance of the 
                Nation's ports, 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. PORT PERFORMANCE FREIGHT STATISTICS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 63 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 6314. Port performance freight statistics program
    ``(a) In General.--The Director shall establish, on behalf of the 
Secretary, a port performance statistics program to provide nationally 
consistent measures of performance of the Nation's top 25 ports by 
tonnage, top 25 ports by 20-foot equivalent unit, and top 25 ports by 
dry bulk.
    ``(b) Annual Reports.--
            ``(1) Port capacity and throughput.--Not later than January 
        15 of each year, the Director shall submit an annual report to 
        Congress that includes statistics on capacity and throughput at 
        these ports.
            ``(2) Port performance indicators.--The Director shall 
        require each United States port authority referred to in 
        subsection (a) that receives Federal assistance or is subject 
        to Federal regulation to submit an annual report to the Bureau 
        of Transportation Statistics that includes statistics on 
        capacity and throughput, including--
                    ``(A) the volume of inbound and outbound cargo to 
                include containers, break bulk, vehicles, and dry and 
                liquid bulk;
                    ``(B) the average number of lifts per hour of 
                containers by crane;
                    ``(C) the average vessel unload rate;
                    ``(D) the average vessel load rate;
                    ``(E) the average vessel turn time;
                    ``(F) port transit time;
                    ``(G) the average cargo dwell time;
                    ``(H) the average container dwell time;
                    ``(I) port storage capacity and utilization;
                    ``(J) the average wait time for trucks inside a 
                port complex;
                    ``(K) the average truck time at ports; and
                    ``(L) the average rail delay at ports.
    ``(c) Recommendations.--The Director shall obtain recommendations 
for specifications for port performance measures, to identify standard 
data elements for measuring port performance, from--
            ``(1) operating administrations of the Department of 
        Transportation;
            ``(2) the Coast Guard;
            ``(3) the Maritime Administration;
            ``(4) the Marine Transportation System National Advisory 
        Council;
            ``(5) the Army Corps of Engineers;
            ``(6) the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; 
        and
            ``(7) the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain 
        Competitiveness.
    ``(d) Access to Data.--The Director shall ensure that the 
statistics compiled under this section are readily accessible to the 
public, consistent with applicable security constraints and 
confidentiality interests.''.
    (b) Prohibition on Certain Disclosures.--Section 6307(b)(1) of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``or section 
6314(b)'' after ``section 6302(b)(3)(B)'' each place it appears.
    (c) Copies of Reports.--Section 6307(b)(2)(A) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting ``or section 6314(b)'' after 
``section 6302(b)(3)(B)''.
    (d) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for 
chapter 63 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

``6314. Port performance freight statistics program.''.

SEC. 2. MONTHLY REPORTS ON PERFORMANCE AT UNITED STATES PORTS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year before the expiration date 
of a maritime labor agreement for a United States port, 3 months before 
the expiration date of the maritime labor agreement, and monthly 
thereafter, the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Labor, shall submit a report 
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives that includes port performance indicators at the 
affected port. If multiple ports are affected by the expiration of the 
maritime labor agreement, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit 
a report for each affected port.
    (b) Contents.--Each report required under subsection (a) shall 
include, for the affected port during the previous month--
            (1) the performance indicators listed under section 
        6314(b)(2) of title 49, United States Code;
            (2) the number and type of vessels awaiting berthing, 
        including average wait time;
            (3) the number of cancelled vessel calls;
            (4) an estimate of the economic impact associated with any 
        delays both at the port and across the national economy; and
            (5) an estimate of the amount of time required to clear any 
        congestion.
    (c) Effective Period.--The Secretary of Transportation, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Labor, 
shall submit a report required under subsection (a) for an affected 
port until the date that a new maritime labor agreement for the port is 
agreed to by all of the parties to that maritime labor agreement.
    (d) Definition of Maritime Labor Agreement.--In this section, the 
term ``maritime labor agreement'' has the meaning given such term in 
section 40102 of title 46, United States Code.
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