[109th Congress Public Law 141]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


[DOCID: f:publ141.109]

[[Page 2653]]

                COAST GUARD HURRICANE RELIEF ACT OF 2005

[[Page 119 STAT. 2654]]

Public Law 109-141
109th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To commend the outstanding efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina by 
members and employees of the Coast Guard, to provide temporary relief to 
certain persons affected by such hurricane with respect to certain laws 
 administered by the Coast Guard, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Dec. 
                       22, 2005 -  [H.R. 4508]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Coast Guard 
Hurricane Relief Act of 2005.>> 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Coast Guard Hurricane Relief Act of 
2005''.

SEC. 2. COMMENDATION, RECOGNITION, AND THANKS FOR COAST GUARD PERSONNEL.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf of 
        Mexico coastal region of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, 
        causing the worst natural disaster in United States history.
            (2) The Coast Guard strategically positioned its aircraft, 
        vessels, and personnel the day before Hurricane Katrina made 
        landfall and launched search and rescue teams within hours after 
        Hurricane Katrina struck.
            (3) The Coast Guard moved its operations in areas threatened 
        by Hurricane Katrina to higher ground and mobilized cutters, 
        small boats, and aircraft from all around the United States to 
        help in the response to Hurricane Katrina.
            (4) The response to Hurricane Katrina by members and 
        employees of the Coast Guard has been immediate, invaluable, and 
        courageous.
            (5) The Coast Guard rescued more than 33,000 people affected 
        by Hurricane Katrina through the air and by water, including 
        evacuations of hospitals, and has been at the center of efforts 
        to restore commerce to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina by 
        clearing shipping channels, replacing aids to navigation, and 
        securing uprooted oil rigs.
            (6) The Coast Guard was at the forefront of the Federal 
        response to the numerous oil and chemical spills in the area 
        affected by Hurricane Katrina.
            (7) Members and employees of the Coast Guard--
                    (A) have shown great leadership in helping to 
                coordinate relief efforts with respect to Hurricane 
                Katrina;
                    (B) have used their expertise and specialized skills 
                to provide immediate assistance to victims and survivors 
                of the hurricane; and

[[Page 119 STAT. 2655]]

                    (C) have set up remote assistance operations in the 
                affected areas in order to best provide service to the 
                Gulf of Mexico coastal region.
            (8) Members and employees of the Coast Guard have worked 
        together to bring clean water, food, and resources to victims 
        and survivors in need.

    (b) Commendation, Recognition, and Thanks.--The Congress--
            (1) commends the outstanding efforts in response to 
        Hurricane Katrina by members and employees of the Coast Guard;
            (2) recognizes that the actions of these individuals went 
        above and beyond the call of duty; and
            (3) thanks them for their continued dedication and service.

    (c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Coast 
Guard should play a major role in response to any future national 
emergency or disaster caused by a natural event in the United States in 
a coastal or offshore area.

SEC. 3. TEMPORARY AUTHORIZATION TO EXTEND THE DURATION OF LICENSES, 
            CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRY, AND MERCHANT MARINERS' DOCUMENTS.

    (a) Licenses and Certificates of Registry.--Notwithstanding sections 
7106 and 7107 of title 46, United States Code, the Secretary of the 
department in which the Coast Guard is operating may temporarily extend 
the duration of a license or certificate of registry issued for an 
individual under chapter 71 of that title until not later than February 
28, 2006, if--
            (1) the individual is a resident of Alabama, Mississippi, or 
        Louisiana; or
            (2) the individual is a resident of any other State, and the 
        records of the individual--
                    (A) are located at the Coast Guard facility in New 
                Orleans that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina; or
                    (B) were damaged or lost as a result of Hurricane 
                Katrina.

    (b) Merchant Mariners' Documents.--Notwithstanding section 7302(g) 
of title 46, United States Code, the Secretary of the department in 
which the Coast Guard is operating may temporarily extend the duration 
of a merchant mariners' document issued for an individual under chapter 
73 of that title until not later than February 28, 2006, if--
            (1) the individual is a resident of Alabama, Mississippi, or 
        Louisiana; or
            (2) the individual is a resident of any other State, and the 
        records of the individual--
                    (A) are located at the Coast Guard facility in New 
                Orleans that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina; or
                    (B) were damaged or lost as a result of Hurricane 
                Katrina.

    (c) Manner of Extension.--Any extensions granted under this section 
may be granted to individual seamen or a specifically identified group 
of seamen.

SEC. 4. TEMPORARY AUTHORIZATION TO EXTEND THE DURATION OF VESSEL 
            CERTIFICATES OF INSPECTION.

    (a) Authority to Extend.--Notwithstanding section 3307 and 3711(b) 
of title 46, United States Code, the Secretary of the department in 
which the Coast Guard is operating may temporarily extend

[[Page 119 STAT. 2656]]

the duration or the validity of a certificate of inspection or a 
certificate of compliance issued under chapter 33 or 37, respectively, 
of title 46, United States Code, for up to 3 months for a vessel 
inspected by a Coast Guard Marine Safety Office located in Alabama, 
Mississippi, or Louisiana.
    (b) Expiration of Authority.--The authority provided under this 
section expires February 28, 2006.

SEC. 5. PRESERVATION OF LEAVE LOST DUE TO HURRICANE KATRINA OPERATIONS.

    (a) Preservation of Leave.--Notwithstanding section 701(b) of title 
10, United States Code, any member of the Coast Guard who serves on 
active duty for a continuous period of 30 days, who is assigned to duty 
or otherwise detailed in support of units or operations in the Eighth 
Coast Guard District area of responsibility for activities to mitigate 
the consequences of, or assist in the recovery from, Hurricane Katrina, 
during the period beginning on August 28, 2005, and ending on January 1, 
2006, and who would otherwise lose any accumulated leave in excess of 60 
days as a consequence of such assignment, is authorized to retain an 
accumulated total of up to 90 days of leave.
    (b) Excess Leave.--Leave in excess of 60 days accumulated under 
subsection (a) shall be lost unless used by the member before the 
commencement of the second fiscal year following the fiscal year in 
which the assignment commences, or in the case of a Reserve members, the 
year in which the period of active service is completed.

    Approved December 22, 2005.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 4508:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 151 (2005):
            Dec. 14, considered and passed House.
            Dec. 16, considered and passed Senate.

                                  <all>