[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3247 Introduced in House (IH)]
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115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3247
To direct the President to develop and submit to Congress a strategy to
protect United States interests in the Arctic region, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 14, 2017
Mr. Bera introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the
Committees on Foreign Affairs, Energy and Commerce, Science, Space, and
Technology, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the President to develop and submit to Congress a strategy to
protect United States interests in the Arctic region, 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 ``Protect United States Security in
the Arctic Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States has important economic, security, and
national defense interests in the Arctic region.
(2) The United States Government has issued several key
reports and strategies on the Arctic region over the last four
years, including--
(A) the Department of Defense Report to Congress on
Strategy to Protect United States National Security
Interests in the Arctic Region (December 2016);
(B) the 2015 Year In Review: Progress Report on the
Implementation of the National Strategy for the Arctic
Region (March 2016);
(C) the Implementation Plan for the National
Strategy for the Arctic Region (January 30, 2014); and
(D) the National Strategy for the Arctic Region
(May 2013), which set forth the United States
Government's strategic priorities for the Arctic
region.
(3) According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the
Arctic region is warming at double the rate of the rest of the
world, opening new routes for ships and development of natural
resources throughout the Arctic region.
(4) The rapidly warming Arctic region threatens fisheries
and wildlife habitat, existing infrastructure and communities
throughout Alaska, including increased vulnerability to coastal
erosion. Alaska native communities are particularly vulnerable
to the changing climate.
(5) Given these developments, the United States needs to
bolster its infrastructure and assets in the Arctic region to
safeguard its strategic interests, defend its national borders,
protect the environment, and maintain its scientific and
technological leadership.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the President should continue to convene the Arctic
Executive Steering Committee established on January 21, 2015,
pursuant to Executive Order 13689 (80 Fed. Reg. 6425; relating
to enhancing coordination of national efforts in the Arctic);
and
(2) the United States should ratify the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea in order to allow the United
States to secure its claim to offshore resources present along
the Arctic's extended continental shelf.
SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO PROTECT UNITED STATES INTERESTS IN THE ARCTIC
REGION.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the President shall develop and submit to
Congress a strategy to protect United States interests in the Arctic
region.
(b) Goals.--The strategy required under subsection (a) shall
include the following goals:
(1) Improve telecommunications, navigation, ocean and
coastal mapping, and Coast Guard and other infrastructure to
support a sustained security and emergency response presence
for the State of Alaska.
(2) Direct the United States representative to the Arctic
Council to use the voice and vote of the United States to
conduct increased confidence-building and cooperative security
measures with the other member countries of the Arctic Council.
(3) Support climate resilience efforts across the Arctic
region.
(4) Sustain robust research funding to understand the
ongoing climate changes in the Arctic region and the global
impact of such changes.
(c) Use of Prior Reports and Strategies.--The strategy required
under subsection (a) shall be informed by the reports and strategies
described in section 2(2) and other relevant United States Government
reports and strategies regarding the Arctic region.
(d) Comptroller General of the United States Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 45 days after the date of
the enactment of the this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services
of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives a report assessing the cost and procurement
schedule for new United States icebreakers.
(2) Elements.--The report required in paragraph (1) shall
include an analysis of the following:
(A) The current status of the efforts of the Coast
Guard to acquire new icebreaking capability, including
coordination through the Integrated Program Office.
(B) Actions being taken by the Coast Guard to
incorporate key practices from other nations that
procure icebreakers to increase knowledge and reduce
costs and risks.
(C) The extent by which the cost and schedule for
building Coast Guard icebreakers differs from those in
other countries, if known.
(D) The extent that innovative acquisition
practices (such as multiyear funding and block buys)
may be applied to icebreaker acquisition to reduce the
cost and accelerate the schedule.
(E) A capacity replacement plan to mitigate a
potential icebreaker capability gap if the Polar Star
cannot remain in service.
(F) Any other matters the Comptroller General
considers appropriate.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION TO PROCURE COAST GUARD ICEBREAKERS.
(a) Authorization.--Consistent with the plan required by section
3523 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017
(Public Law 114-328), the Secretary of the department in which the
Coast Guard is operating may enter into a contract to procure up to
three Coast Guard heavy icebreakers to defend United States interests
in the Arctic Region, beginning in fiscal year 2018.
(b) Liability Subject to Appropriations.--Any contract entered into
under subsection (a) shall provide that--
(1) any obligation of the United States to make a payment
under the contract is subject to the availability of
appropriations for that purpose; and
(2) the total liability to the Government for termination
of such contract shall be limited to the total amount of
funding obligated under such contract at the time of
termination.
(c) Report.--Consistent with such section, the Secretary shall
report to the relevant congressional committees on plans of such
department to--
(1) procure and sustain icebreakers in addition to the
vessels authorized by subsection (a); and
(2) ensure that at least three Coast Guard icebreakers are
operational at all times.
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