[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2635 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2635

To enhance the ability of the United States to carry out icebreaking in 
               the polar regions and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 3, 2016

 Ms. Cantwell (for herself, Mr. Sullivan, and Mrs. Murray) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To enhance the ability of the United States to carry out icebreaking in 
               the polar regions 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 ``Coast Guard Icebreaker 
Recapitalization Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the following:
                    (A) The Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation and the Committee on Appropriations of 
                the Senate.
                    (B) The Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure and the Committee on Appropriations of 
                the House of Representatives.
            (2) Polar sea.--The term ``Polar Sea'' means the Coast 
        Guard Cutter Polar Sea (WAGB-11).
            (3) Secretary.--Except as otherwise specifically provided, 
        the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the department in 
        which the Coast Guard is operating.

SEC. 3. AUTHORITY FOR POLAR ICEBREAKER RECONSTRUCTION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to carry out design 
and construction activities to extend, for 7 to 10 years, the service 
life of the Polar Sea.
    (b) Authority for Advance Procurement.--The Secretary is authorized 
to enter into one or more contracts for advance procurement associated 
with the activities described in subsection (a), including procurement 
of systems and equipment.
    (c) Interagency Financing.--The Secretary is authorized to 
participate in interagency financing, including receiving appropriated 
funds from other agencies or departments of the United States, to carry 
out this section.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary $150,000,000 to carry out this section.

SEC. 4. POLAR ICEBREAKER RECAPITALIZATION PLAN.

    (a) Requirement.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of the Navy, shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress, a detailed recapitalization plan to meet the 2013 Department 
of Homeland Security Mission Need Statement.
    (b) Contents.--The plan required by subsection (a) shall--
            (1) detail the number of heavy and medium polar icebreakers 
        required to meet Coast Guard statutory missions in the polar 
        regions;
            (2) identify the vessel specifications, capabilities, 
        systems, equipment, and other details required for the design 
        of heavy polar icebreakers capable of fulfilling the mission 
        requirements of the Coast Guard and the Navy, and the 
        requirements of other agencies and departments of the United 
        States, as the Secretary determines appropriate;
            (3) list the specific appropriations required for the 
        acquisition of each icebreaker, for each fiscal year, until the 
        full fleet is recapitalized;
            (4) describe any polar icebreaking capacity gaps that may 
        arise based on the current fleet and current procurement 
        outlook; and
            (5) describe any additional polar icebreaking gaps due to 
        any further delay in procurement schedules.

SEC. 5. GAO REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL ICEBREAKER FUNDING MODELS.

    (a) Requirement.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on 
international funding models used to sustain the icebreaking fleets of 
the governments of foreign countries, including icebreaking escort and 
maritime transportation funding and services in the polar regions or 
other areas requiring icebreaking activity by a vessel owned by a 
foreign government.
    (b) Contents.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
include--
            (1) an analysis of how icebreaking activity carried out by 
        the governments of foreign countries is used for activities 
        that benefit the private, academic, and transportation sectors;
            (2) an overview and analysis of the fees used to compensate 
        governments for icebreaking escorts or maintenance of maritime 
        routes;
            (3) the barriers such fees are currently posing or may pose 
        to commercial activities in the polar regions;
            (4) the effectiveness of such fees in funding construction 
        and maintenance of icebreaking vessels owned and operated by 
        the governments of foreign countries; and
            (5) policy recommendations for the sustained funding of 
        polar icebreaking vessels owned by the United States Government 
        including potential funding models to fund the Coast Guard 
        icebreaking fleet.
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