[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6185. Mr. BOOKER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2027 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 G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1094. SHORE-TO-SHIP AUTOMATIC MARITIME COMMUNICATION 
                   NETWORK.

       (a) In General.--The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall 
     procure a services contract with a private entity to advance 
     the implementation, operation, and maintenance of a 
     nationwide shore-to-ship automatic maritime communication 
     network along State and territorial coastlines for public and 
     private use--
       (1) to support navigation; and
       (2) to communicate critical safety, security, 
     environmental, marine mammal, and waterways management 
     information directly to all vessels that are required to 
     carry, or that elect to carry, an Automatic Identification 
     System.
       (b) Requests for Messaging.--The Commandant shall establish 
     procedures by which other Federal agencies, State, local, 
     Tribal, and territorial governments, and other public and 
     private stakeholders may request messaging through the 
     network.
       (c) Use of Existing Infrastructure.--In carrying out 
     subsection (a), the Commandant shall, to the maximum extent 
     practicable--
       (1) leverage shore-to-ship Automatic Identification System 
     stations that, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, 
     are operated by private or non-Federal entities under permits 
     issued by the Coast Guard and the Federal Communications 
     Commission;
       (2) ensure that a services contract entered into under that 
     subsection provides for the continued operation of such 
     existing stations if such continued operation is consistent 
     with the technical, operational, and coverage requirements of 
     the network; and
       (3) avoid duplication of shore-to-ship Automatic 
     Identification System coverage already provided by such 
     existing stations.
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