[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 113 (Monday, July 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S9032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CERTIFICATE OF DOCUMENTATION FOR THE VESSELS ``GALLANT LADY''

  The bill (S. 535) to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to 
issue certificates of documentation with appropriate endorsement for 
employment in coastwise trade for each of two vessels named Gallant 
Lady, subject to certain conditions, and for other purposes, was 
considered, ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, read the third 
time, and passed; as follows:

                                 S. 535

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. VESSEL DOCUMENTATION.

       (a) Authority To Document Vessels.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding section 27 of the Merchant 
     Marine Act, 1920 (46 App. U.S.C. 883), section 8 of the Act 
     of June 19, 1886 (24 Stat. 81, chapter 421; 46 App. U.S.C. 
     289), and section 12106 of title 46, United States Code, and 
     subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary of Transportation may 
     issue a certificate of documentation with an appropriate 
     endorsement for employment in coastwise trade for each of the 
     following vessels:
       (A) GALLANT LADY (Feadship hull number 645, approximately 
     130 feet in length).
       (B) GALLANT LADY (Feadship hull number 651, approximately 
     172 feet in length).
       (2) Limitation of operation.--Coastwise trade authorized 
     under a certificate of documentation issued for a vessel 
     under this section shall be limited to the carriage of 
     passengers in association with contributions to charitable 
     organizations no portion of which is received, directly or 
     indirectly, by the owner of the vessel.
       (3) Condition.--The Secretary may not issue a certificate 
     of documentation for a vessel under paragraph (1) unless, not 
     later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the owner of the vessel referred to in paragraph (1)(B) 
     submits to the Secretary a letter expressing the intent of 
     the owner to, before April 1, 1997, enter into a contract 
     for the construction in the United States of a passenger 
     vessel of at least 130 feet in length.
       (4) Effective date of certificates.--A certificate of 
     documentation issued under paragraph (1) shall take effect--
       (A) for the vessel referred to in paragraph (1)(A), on the 
     date of the issuance of the certificate; and
       (B) for the vessel referred to in paragraph (1)(B), on the 
     date of delivery of the vessel to the owner.
       (b) Termination of Effectiveness of Certificates.--A 
     certificate of documentation issued for a vessel under 
     subsection (a)(1) shall expire--
       (1) on the date of the sale of the vessel by the owner;
       (2) on April 1, 1997, if the owner of the vessel referred 
     to in subsection (a)(1)(B) has not entered into a contract 
     for construction of a vessel in accordance with the letter of 
     intent submitted to the Secretary under subsection (a)(3); or
       (3) on such date as a contract referred to in paragraph (2) 
     is breached, rescinded, or terminated (other than for 
     completion of performance of the contract) by the owner of 
     the vessel referred to in subsection (a)(1)(B).

                          ____________________