[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 124 (Wednesday, July 19, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3433-S3434]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 986. Mr. PADILLA submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2024 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:


[[Page S3434]]


  

       At the appropriate place in subtitle C of title I, insert 
     the following:

     SEC. 1__. REPORT ON USE OF GOVERNMENT DOCKS FOR SHIP REPAIR 
                   AND MAINTENANCE.

       On an annual basis, the Secretary of the Navy shall submit 
     to the congressional defense committees a report that--
       (1) identifies each instance in the year preceding the date 
     of the report in which the Navy used a Government dock for a 
     ship repair and maintenance availability when sufficient 
     capacity was available in private docks during the period in 
     which such repairs and maintenance were expected to be 
     performed; and
       (2) for each such instance, provides an explanation of the 
     reasons the Navy used a Government dock rather than a private 
     dock.

     SEC. 1__. REPORT ON NAVY POLICY FOR SOLICITING COASTWIDE BIDS 
                   FOR CERTAIN REPAIR AVAILABILITIES.

       (a) In General.--Not later than March 30, 2024, the 
     Secretary of the Navy shall submit to the congressional 
     defense committees a report on the policy of the Navy for 
     soliciting coastwide bids for repair availabilities longer 
     than 10 months.
       (b) Elements.--The report under subsection (a) shall 
     explain and assess each of the following:
       (1) The intent of the policy described in subsection (a).
       (2) The data the Navy uses to assess the efficacy of such 
     policy.
       (3) How the Navy estimates the cost of moving vessels out 
     of their home port to complete the availability and the 
     actual cost of moving vessels out of their home port to 
     complete the availability.
       (4) How the Navy estimates the financial, labor force, 
     servicemember and family well-being, berthing, and related 
     costs associated with moving a vessel out of its home port to 
     complete a repair availability longer than 10 months.

     SEC. 1__. STUDY ON PRICE DIFFERENTIALS USED IN NAVY SHIP 
                   REPAIR SOLICITATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of 
     appropriations, the Secretary of the Navy shall seek to enter 
     into an agreement with a federally funded research and 
     development center to conduct a study to assess whether 
     relevant price differentials used by the Navy in ship repair 
     solicitations accurately reflect the true market value of the 
     activity undertaken to complete the repair work involved in 
     the absence of any such differential.
       (b) Elements.--The study under subsection (a) shall address 
     all relevant price differentials used by the Navy in ship 
     repair solicitations, including--
       (1) the use of Government-owned and -operated dry docks;
       (2) the use of inter-port differentials; and
       (3) the use of pier differentials.
       (c) Reports.--
       (1) FFRDC report.--The federally funded research and 
     development center that conducts the study under subsection 
     (a) shall submit to the Secretary of the Navy a report on the 
     results of the study.
       (2) Submittal to congress.--Not later than September 30, 
     2024, the Secretary of the Navy shall submit to the 
     congressional defense committees an unaltered copy of the 
     report received by the Secretary under paragraph (1) together 
     with a separate statement of the views of the Secretary on 
     the results of the study conducted under subsection (a).
                                 ______