[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3827-S3828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6626. Ms. CANTWELL submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by her 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 appropriate place, insert the following:
TITLE __--MARITIME ADMINISTRATION
SEC. ___. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR MARITIME
ADMINISTRATION.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Department of Transportation for fiscal year 2027, for
programs associated with maintaining the United States
Merchant Marine, the following amounts:
(1) For expenses necessary to support the United States
Merchant Marine Academy, $701,500,000, of which--
(A) $101,500,000 shall be for Academy operations;
(B) $50,000,000 shall be for facilities maintenance and
repair and equipment; and
(C) $550,000,000 shall be for the development of a design-
build plan for the phased rehabilitation, modernization, and
construction of facilities and infrastructure at the United
States Merchant Marine Academy in accordance with the Campus
Modernization Plan required by section 51329 of title 46,
United States Code.
(2) For expenses necessary to support the State maritime
academies, $58,800,000, of which--
(A) $4,800,000 shall be for the Student Incentive Payment
Program;
(B) $13,000,000 shall be for direct payments for State
maritime academies;
(C) $12,000,000 shall be for training ship fuel assistance;
(D) $4,000,000 shall be for offsetting the costs of
training ship sharing; and
(E) $25,000,000 shall be for maintenance and repair of
State maritime academy training vessels.
(3) For expenses necessary to support the National Security
Multi-Mission Vessel program, including funds for
construction and necessary expenses to construct shoreside
infrastructure to support such vessels, $110,000,000.
(4) For expenses necessary to support Maritime
Administration operations and programs, $105,500,000, of
which--
(A) $15,000,000 shall be for the maritime environmental and
technical assistance program under section 50307 of title 46,
United States Code;
(B) $15,000,000 shall be for the United States marine
highway program, including to make grants authorized under
section 55601 of title 46, United States Code;
(C) $2,000,000 shall be for the Office of Environment and
Compliance, including to assist in the environmental review
of grant and permit programs administered by the Maritime
Administration; and
(D) $73,500,000 shall be for headquarters operations
expenses.
(5) For expenses necessary for the disposal of obsolete
vessels in the National Defense Reserve Fleet of the Maritime
Administration, $6,000,000.
(6) For expenses necessary to maintain and preserve a
United States flag merchant marine to serve the national
security needs of the United States under chapter 531 of
title 46, United States Code, $390,000,000.
[[Page S3828]]
(7) For expenses necessary to maintain and preserve a
United States flag merchant marine to serve the national
security needs of the United States under chapter 534 of
title 46, United States Code, $122,400,000.
(8) For expenses necessary for the loan guarantee program
authorized under chapter 537 of title 46, United States Code,
$33,700,000, of which--
(A) $30,000,000 may be used for the cost (as such term is
defined in section 502(5) of the Federal Credit Reform Act of
1990 (2 U.S.C. 661a(5)) of loan guarantees under the program;
and
(B) $3,700,000 may be used for administrative expenses
relating to loan guarantee commitments under the program.
(9) For expenses necessary to provide assistance to small
shipyards and for maritime training programs authorized under
section 54101 of title 46, United States Code, $355,000,000.
(10) For expenses necessary to implement the port
infrastructure development program, as authorized under
section 54301 of title 46, United States Code, subject to the
limitation under subsection (b), $550,000,000, to remain
available until expended.
(11) For expenses necessary to establish and maintain a
workforce development and innovation program, $100,000,000.
(b) Limitation.--
(1) In general.--No funds may be obligated or expended for
the port infrastructure development program pursuant to
subsection (a)(9) to make a grant to be used for the purchase
of fully automated cargo handling equipment that is remotely
operated or remotely monitored with or without the exercise
of human intervention or control, if the Secretary of
Transportation determines such equipment would result in a
net loss of jobs within a port or port terminal.
(2) Report.--If the Secretary makes a determination
pursuant to paragraph (1), not later than 3 days after the
date on which such determination is made, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives a report that includes the data and analysis
used by the Secretary in making such determination.
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