[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 102 (Tuesday, June 18, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 755. Mr. WICKER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 1790, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2020 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 H of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1086. REPORT ON UNITED STATES CAPABILITIES TO INSTALL, 
                   MAINTAIN, AND REPAIR SUBMARINE CABLES.

       (a) Report Required.--Not later than November 1, 2019, the 
     Secretary of Transportation shall, in consultation of the 
     Secretary of Defense, submit to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress a report on the capabilities of the United States to 
     install, maintain, and repair submarine cables, including 
     Government cables and commercial cables.
       (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
     include the following:
       (1) A description and assessment of the threats to 
     submarine cables.
       (2) A description of current United States capabilities to 
     install, maintain, and repair submarine cables described in 
     subsection (a), including Government capabilities and 
     private-sector capabilities.
       (3) A description and assessment of any gaps in the 
     capabilities referred to in paragraph (2).
       (4) A description and assessment of options to address the 
     gaps referred to in paragraph (3), including the 
     establishment of a program for cable vessels modeled on the 
     Maritime Security Program.
       (5) Such recommendations as the Secretary of Transportation 
     considers appropriate in light of the matters set forth in 
     the report, including, if applicable, the appropriate stipend 
     (per vessel) for a program for cable vessels modeled on the 
     Maritime Security Program
       (c) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
     annex.
       (d) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) The term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
     and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and 
     the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (2) The term ``cable vessel'' means any vessel as follows:
       (A) A vessel that is classed as a cable ship or cable 
     vessel by, and designed in accordance with the rules of, the 
     American Bureau of Shipping, or another classification 
     society accepted by the Secretary of Transportation.
       (B) Any other vessel that is capable of installing, 
     maintaining, and repairing submarine cables.
       (3) The term ``Maritime Security Program'' means the 
     program in connection with the Maritime Security Fleet under 
     chapter 531 of title 46, United States Code.

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