[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 91 (Tuesday, June 9, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S3943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1903. Ms. CANTWELL (for herself, Mr. Sullivan, and Ms. Murkowski) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 1463 
proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle C of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1024. MULTIYEAR PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY FOR POLAR 
                   ICEBREAKERS.

       (a) Multiyear Procurement.--Subject to section 2306b of 
     title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of the Navy shall 
     enter into multiyear contracts for the procurement of three 
     heavy polar icebreakers and any systems and equipment 
     associated with those vessels.
       (b) Authority for Advance Procurement.--The Secretary may 
     enter into one or more contracts, beginning in fiscal year 
     2016, for advance procurement associated with the vessels, 
     systems, and equipment for which authorization to enter into 
     a multiyear contract is provided under subsection (a).
       (c) Condition for Out-year Contract Payments.--A contract 
     entered into under subsection (a) shall provide that any 
     obligation of the United States to make a payment under the 
     contract for a fiscal year after fiscal year 2016 is subject 
     to the availability of appropriations or funds for that 
     purpose for such later fiscal year.
       (d) Memorandum of Agreement.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
     Navy and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast 
     Guard is operating shall enter into a memorandum of agreement 
     establishing a process by which the Coast Guard, in 
     concurrence with the Navy, shall--
       (1) identify the vessel specifications, capabilities, 
     systems, equipment, and other details required for the design 
     of heavy polar icebreakers capable of fulfilling Navy and 
     Coast Guard mission requirements, with the Coast Guard, as 
     the sole operator of United States Government polar 
     icebreaking assets, retaining final decision authority in the 
     establishment of vessel requirements;
       (2) oversee the construction of heavy polar icebreakers 
     authorized to be procured under this section; and
       (3) to the extent not adequately addressed in the 1965 
     Revised Memorandum of Agreement between the Department of the 
     Navy and the Department of the Treasury on the Operation of 
     Icebreakers, transfer heavy polar icebreakers procured 
     through contracts authorized under this section from the Navy 
     to the Coast Guard to be maintained and operated by the Coast 
     Guard.
                                 ______