[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4433 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4433
To authorize amounts to be made available for improvements to the Coast
Guard Yard, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 16, 2022
Mr. Van Hollen (for himself and Mr. Cardin) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize amounts to be made available for improvements to the Coast
Guard Yard, 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 ``Service to the Fleet Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) For more than 100 years, the Coast Guard Yard has
built, repaired, and renovated ships.
(2) The Coast Guard Yard--
(A) is the sole shipbuilding facility, and a major
repair facility, of the Coast Guard;
(B) is 1 of only 5 remaining public shipyards in
the United States;
(C) supports more than 2,000 full-time personnel
and their families;
(D) supports the Army, the Navy, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other
Federal agencies;
(E) hosts the largest warehousing operation of the
Department of Homeland Security, which serves the
entire Coast Guard surface fleet;
(F) is the Coast Guard's only Navy-certified heavy
weapons overhaul facility;
(G) hosts an average of 8 visiting Coast Guard
Cutters and vessels of other Federal agencies, and
their crews, at any given time;
(H) supports the renovation and transfer of vessels
and weapons systems for foreign military sale; and
(I) provides housing, medical and emergency
services, human resources, morale, welfare and
recreation support, and other base activities to
approximately 1,000 visiting crew members annually.
(3) The Coast Guard Yard faces a rapid and widespread
failure of critical infrastructure, nearly all of which was
built in during a 4-year period during World War II.
(4) Based on the grading criteria of the American Society
of Civil Engineers, the overall infrastructure grade for the
Coast Guard Yard is a D+, which is below the C- average for
other Coast Guard facilities.
(5) Infrastructure and facilities at the Coast Guard Yard
are failing at a rate that is faster than the rate at which
such infrastructure and facilities can be maintained with
current resources.
(6) Infrastructure failures at the Coast Guard Yard have
caused injuries, had negative environmental impacts, reduced
productivity, increased repair costs, and undermined the
ability of the Coast Guard Yard to carry out its mission.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) with respect to the Coast Guard Yard--
(A) to improve resilience and capacity;
(B) to maintain and expand Coast Guard organic
manufacturing capacity;
(C) to expand training and recruitment;
(D) to enhance safety; and
(E) to improve environmental compliance; and
(2) to ensure that the Coast Guard Yard is prepared to meet
the growing needs of the modern Coast Guard fleet.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Coast guard yard.--The term ``Coast Guard Yard'' means
the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Maryland.
(2) Commandant.--The term ``Commandant'' means the
Commandant of the Coast Guard.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating.
SEC. 4. COAST GUARD YARD RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION
IMPROVEMENT.
(a) In General.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated under
section 4902(2)(A)(ii) of title 14, United States Code--
(1) $400,000,000 shall be made available for fiscal year
2023 to the Secretary for the purpose of making improvements to
the facilities of the Coast Guard Yard to complete preparations
for, and construction of a floating drydock and phases 1
through 3 of the Coast Guard Shipyard Infrastructure
Optimization Plan; and
(2) $232,000,000 shall be made available for completion of
the Coast Guard Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan, to
remain available until expended.
(b) Inclusions.--In carrying out the improvements referred to in
subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that such improvements
include the following:
(1) Facilities upgrades needed to improve the climate
resilience of the Coast Guard Yard and associated
infrastructure.
(2) Acquisition of a large-capacity dry dock.
(3) Wharf improvements.
(4) Environmental remediation.
(5) Construction of a new warehouse and paint facility.
(6) Acquisition of a new travel lift.
(7) Any other shore infrastructure maintenance and capital
improvement projects the Commandant considers necessary.
SEC. 5. REPORT ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of the Act, the Commandant shall submit to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a
report outlining workforce development needs at the Coast Guard Yard
with respect to civilian employees and active duty members of the Coast
Guard.
(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall--
(1) include--
(A) an assessment of the need for additional
personnel with expertise in trades, engineering, cyber,
and any other field necessary to meet the evolving
mission of the Coast Guard Yard;
(B) a description of the resources necessary to re-
establish an apprenticeship program at the Coast Guard
Yard; and
(C) recommendations with respect to the
authorities, funding, training, and recruitment
necessary to meet the workforce development needs of
the Coast Guard Yard during the 10-year period
beginning on the date on which the report is submitted;
and
(2) take into consideration matters of diversity and
inclusion in the workforce at the Coast Guard Yard.
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