[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 136 (Friday, July 16, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38499-38501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18119]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration


Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA)

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of open season for enrollment in fiscal year (FY) 2000 
VISA Program.

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Introduction

    The VISA program was established pursuant to section 708 of the 
Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (DPA), which provides for 
voluntary agreements for emergency preparedness programs. VISA was 
approved for a two year term on January 30, 1997, and published in the 
Federal Register on February 13, 1997, (62 FR 6837). Approval was 
extended through February 13, 2001, and published in the Federal 
Register on February 18, 1999 (64 FR 8214).
    As implemented, VISA is open to U.S.-flag vessel operators of 
militarily useful vessels, including bareboat charter operators if 
satisfactory signed agreements are in place committing the assets of 
the owner to the bareboat charterer for purposes of VISA. By order of 
the Maritime Administrator on August 4, 1997, participation of U.S.-
flag deepwater tug/barge operators in VISA was encouraged. Time, 
voyage, and space charterers are not considered U.S.-flag vessel 
operators for purposes of VISA eligibility.

VISA Concept

    The mission of VISA is to provide commercial sealift and intermodal 
shipping services and systems, including vessels, vessel space, 
intermodal equipment and related management services, to the Department 
of Defense (DoD), as necessary, to meet national defense contingency 
requirements or national emergencies.
    VISA provides for the staged, time-phased availability of 
participants' shipping services/systems to meet contingency 
requirements through prenegotiated contracts between the Government and 
participants. Such arrangements will be jointly planned with MARAD, 
U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), and participants in peacetime 
to allow effective and best valued use of commercial sealift capacity, 
to provide DoD assured contingency access, and to minimize commercial 
disruption, whenever possible.
    VISA Stages I and II provide for prenegotiated contracts between 
the DoD and participants to provide sealift

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capacity to meet all projected DoD contingency requirements. These 
contracts will be executed in accordance with approved DoD contracting 
methodologies. VISA Stage III will provide for additional capacity to 
the DoD when Stages I and II commitments or volunteered capacity are 
insufficient to meet contingency requirements, and adequate shipping 
services from non-participants are not available through established 
DoD contracting practices or U.S. Government treaty agreements.

FY 2000 VISA Enrollment Open Season

    The purpose of this notice is to invite interested, qualified U.S.-
flag vessel operators that are not currently enrolled in the VISA 
program to participate in the program for FY 2000 (October 1, 1999 
through September 30, 2000). Current participants in the VISA program 
are not required to apply for FY 2000 reenrollment, as VISA 
participation will be automatically extended for FY 2000. This is the 
second annual enrollment period since the commencement of VISA. The 
annual enrollment was initiated because VISA has been fully integrated 
into DoD's priority for award of cargo to VISA participants. It is 
necessary to link the VISA enrollment cycle with DoD's peacetime cargo 
contracting cycle.
    New applicants are required to enroll for the FY 2000 VISA program 
as described in this Notice. This alignment of VISA enrollment and 
eligibility for VISA priority will solidify the linkage between 
commitment of contingency assets by VISA participants and receiving 
VISA priority consideration for award of FY 2000 DoD peacetime cargo.
    It is the only planned enrollment period for carriers to join VISA 
and derive benefits for DoD peacetime contracts during FY 2000. The 
only exception to this open season period for VISA enrollment will be 
for a non-VISA carrier that reflags a vessel into U.S. registry. That 
carrier may join VISA upon completion of reflagging at any time during 
the fiscal year.

Advantages of Peacetime Participation

    Because enrollment of carriers in VISA provides the DoD with 
assured access to sealift services during contingencies based on a 
level of commitment, as well as a mechanism for joint planning, the DoD 
awards peacetime cargo contracts to VISA participants on a priority 
basis. This applies to liner trades and charter contracts alike. Award 
of DoD cargoes to meet DoD peacetime and contingency requirements is 
made on the basis of the following priorities:
     U.S.-flag vessel capacity operated by VISA participants, 
and U.S.-flag Vessel Sharing Agreement (VSA) capacity held by VISA 
participants.
     U.S.-flag vessel capacity operated by non-participants.
     Combination U.S.-flag/foreign-flag vessel capacity 
operated by VISA participants, and combination U.S.-flag/foreign-flag 
VSA capacity held by VISA participants.
     Combination U.S.-flag/foreign-flag vessel capacity 
operated by non-participants.
     U.S.-owned or operated foreign-flag vessel capacity and 
VSA capacity held by VISA participants.
     U.S.-owned or operated foreign-flag vessel capacity and 
VSA capacity held by non-participants.
     Foreign-owned or operated foreign-flag vessel capacity of 
non-participants.

Participants

    Any U.S.-flag vessel operator organized under the laws of a state 
of the United States, or the District of Columbia, who is able and 
willing to commit militarily useful sealift assets and assume the 
related consequential risks of commercial disruption, may be eligible 
to participate in the VISA program. While vessel brokers and agents 
play an important role as a conduit to locate and secure appropriate 
vessels for the carriage of DoD cargo, they may not become participants 
in the VISA program due to lack of requisite vessel ownership or 
operation. However, brokers and agents should encourage the carriers 
they represent to join the program.

Commitment

    Any U.S.-flag vessel operator desiring to receive preference in the 
award of DoD peacetime contracts must commit no less than 50 percent of 
its total U.S.-flag militarily useful capacity in Stage III of the VISA 
program. A participant desiring to bid on DoD peacetime contracts will 
be required to provide commitment levels to meet DoD-established Stages 
I and/or II minimum percentages of the participant's military useful, 
oceangoing U.S-flag fleet capacity on an annual basis. The USTRANSCOM 
and MARAD will coordinate to ensure that the amount of sealift assets 
committed to Stages I and II will not have an adverse national economic 
impact. To minimize domestic commercial disruption, participants 
operating vessels exclusively in the domestic Jones Act trades are not 
required to commit the capacity of those U.S. domestic trading vessels 
to VISA Stages I and II. Overall VISA commitment requirements are based 
on annual enrollment.
    In order to protect a U.S.-flag vessel operator's market share 
during contingency activation, VISA allows participants to join with 
other vessel operators in Carrier Coordination Agreements (CCA's) to 
satisfy commercial or DoD requirements. VISA provides a defense against 
antitrust laws in accordance with the DPA. CCA's must be submitted to 
MARAD for coordination with the Department of Justice for approval, 
before they can be utilized.

Compensation

    In addition to receiving priority in the award of DoD peacetime 
cargo, a participant will receive compensation during contingency 
activation. During enrollment, each participant may choose a 
compensation methodology which is commensurate with risk and service 
provided. The compensation methodology selection will be completed the 
with the appropriate DoD agency.

Enrollment

    New applicants may enroll by obtaining a VISA application package 
from the Director, Office of Sealift Support, at the address indicated 
below. The application package will include the February 18, 1999 VISA 
Agreement, instructions for completing and submitting the application, 
blank VISA Application forms, and a request for information regarding 
the operations and U.S. citizenship of the applicant company in order 
to assist MARAD in making a determination of the applicant's 
eligibility. An applicant company must be able to provide an affidavit 
that demonstrates that the company is a citizen of the United States, 
at least for purposes of vessel documentation, within the meaning of 46 
U.S.C., section 12102, and that it owns, or bareboat charters and 
controls, oceangoing, militarily useful vessel(s) for purposes of 
committing assets to VISA. VISA applicants must return completed FY 
2000 VISA application documents to MARAD not later than August 31, 
1999. Once MARAD has reviewed the application and determined VISA 
eligibility, MARAD will sign the VISA application document which 
completes the eligibility phase of the VISA enrollment process.
    In addition, the applicant will be required to enter into a 
contingency contract with the DoD. For the FY 2000 VISA open season, 
and prior to being enrolled in VISA, eligible VISA applicants will be 
required to execute a

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joint Voluntary Enrollment Contract (VEC) with the DoD [Military 
Traffic Management Command (MTMC) and Military Sealift Command (MSC)] 
which will specify the participant's Stage III commitment for FY 2000. 
Once the VEC is completed, the applicant completes the DoD contracting 
process by executing a Drytime Contingency Contract (DCC) with MSC (for 
Charter Operators) and/or as applicable, a VISA Contingency Contract 
(VCC) with MTMC (for Liner Operators). Once the DoD contingency 
contract(s) are completed, the Maritime Administrator will confirm the 
participant's enrollment by letter agreement, with a copy to all 
appropriate parties.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS CONTACT: Raymond Barberesi, 
Director, Office of Sealift Support, U.S. Maritime Administration, Room 
7307, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone (202) 
366-2323. Fax (202) 493-2180. The full text of this Federal Register 
Notice and other information about the VISA can be found on MARAD's 
Internet Web Page at http://www.marad.dot.gov.

    By Order of the Maritime Administrator.

    Dated: July 9, 1999.
Joel C. Richard,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-18119 Filed 7-15-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P