[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 198 (Monday, November 15, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8097-S8098]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4574. Mr. WICKER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 3867 submitted by Mr. Reed and intended to be proposed to 
the bill H.R. 4350, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2022 
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. 1023. AUTHORITY TO CONVEY BY DONATION CERTAIN VESSELS 
                   FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND DISASTER RELIEF 
                   PURPOSES.

       (a) Authority to Convey.--The Secretary of the Navy may 
     convey, by donation, all right, title, and interest of the 
     United States Government in and to any vessel described in 
     subsection (b) to the Coalition of Hope Foundation, Inc., a 
     nonprofit organization, for use in the provision of 
     humanitarian assistance and disaster relief services, if the 
     vessel is no

[[Page S8098]]

     longer required by the United States Government.
       (b) Vessels Described.--The vessels described in this 
     subsection are the following vessels, which have been 
     stricken from the Naval Vessel Register:
       (1) The former U.S.S. Tarawa (LHA-1)
       (2) The former U.S.S. Peleliu (LHA-5).
       (c) Terms of Conveyance.--
       (1) Delivery of vessel.--The Secretary of the Navy shall 
     deliver a vessel conveyed under subsection (a)--
       (A) at a location and on a date of conveyance as mutually 
     agreed to by the Secretary and the recipient; and
       (B) in its condition on that date.
       (2) Limitations on liability and responsibility.--
       (A) Immunity of the united states.--The United States and 
     all departments and agencies thereof, and their officers and 
     employees, shall not be liable at law or in equity for any 
     injury or damage to any person or property occurring on a 
     vessel donated under this section.
       (B) Improvements, upgrades, and repairs.--Notwithstanding 
     any other law, the Department of Defense, and the officers 
     and employees of the Department of Defense, shall have no 
     responsibility or obligation to make, engage in, or provide 
     funding for, any improvement, upgrade, modification, 
     maintenance, preservation, or repair to a vessel donated 
     under this section.
       (C) Claims arising from exposure to hazardous material.--
     The Secretary may not convey a vessel under this section 
     unless the recipient agrees to hold the United States 
     Government harmless for any claim arising from exposure to 
     hazardous material, including asbestos and polychlorinated 
     biphenyls, after the conveyance of the vessel, except for any 
     claim arising before the date of the conveyance or from use 
     of the vessel by the Government after that date.
       (3) Conveyance to be at no cost to department of defense.--
     Any conveyance of a vessel under this section, the 
     demilitarization of Munitions List items of that vessel, the 
     maintenance and preservation of that vessel after conveyance, 
     and the ultimate disposal of that vessel shall be made at no 
     cost to the Department of Defense.
       (4) Additional terms.--The Secretary may require such 
     additional terms in connection with the conveyance authorized 
     by this section as the Secretary considers appropriate.
       (d) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
     organization'' means an organization described in section 
     501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt 
     from taxation under section 501(a) of that Code.
       (2) Munitions list.--The term ``Munitions List'' means the 
     United States Munitions List created and controlled under 
     section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778).
                                 ______