Merchant Marine Memorial Enhancement Act of 1993

Summary: Merchant Marine Memorial Enhancement Act of 1993 - Authorizes conveyance without consideration of two vessels in the National Defense Reserve Fleet to any nonprofit organization that operates a Liberty Ship or Victory Ship as a memorial to merchant mariners. Requires the organization to sell the vessel for scrap, use the proceeds to refurbish a Liberty Ship or Victory Ship to enable the ship to participate in activities concerning the 50th anniversary of the Normandy invasion, and return any unused proceeds to the United States for deposit in the Vessel Operations Revolving Fund. 
(Sec. 3) Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to issue certificates of documentation with a coastwise endorsement for specified vessels. 
(Sec. 4) Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to deploy a physical ocean real-time system consisting, at a minimum, of current, wind, tide, salinity, and water level measuring devices and necessary computer links, in Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Cannel. 
(Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a three-year pilot program for sealift training at the Massachusets Maritime Academy.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Merchant Marine Memorial Enhancement 
Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE VESSELS.

    (a) Authority To Convey.--The Secretary of Transportation may 
convey without consideration all right, title, and interest of the 
United States in 2 vessels described in subsection (b) to any nonprofit 
organization which operates and maintains a Liberty Ship or Victory 
Ship as a memorial to merchant mariners.
    (b) Vessels Described.--Vessels which may be conveyed under 
subsection (a) are vessels which--
            (1) are in the National Defense Reserve Fleet on the date 
        of the enactment of this Act;
            (2) are not less than 4,000 displacement tons;
            (3) have no usefulness to the Government; and
            (4) are scheduled to be scrapped.
    (c) Conditions of Conveyance.--As a condition of conveying any 
vessel to an organization under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
require that before the date of the conveyance the organization enter 
into an agreement under which the organization shall--
            (1) sell the vessel for scrap purposes;
            (2) use the proceeds of that scrapping for the purpose of 
        refurbishing and making seaworthy a Liberty Ship or Victory 
        Ship which the organization maintains as a memorial to merchant 
        mariners, to enable the ship to participate in 1994 in 
        commemorative activities in conjunction with the 50th 
        anniversary of the Normandy invasion; and
            (3) return to the United States any proceeds of scrapping 
        carried out pursuant to paragraph (1) which are not used in 
        accordance with paragraph (2).
    (d) Deposit of Amounts Returned.--Amounts returned to the United 
States pursuant to subsection (c)(3) shall be deposited in the Vessel 
Operations Revolving Fund created by the Act of June 2, 1951 (65 Stat. 
59; 46 App. U.S.C. 1241a).
    (e) Delivery of Vessels.--The Secretary shall deliver each vessel 
conveyed under this section--
            (1) at the place where the vessel is located on the date of 
        the approval of the conveyance by the Secretary;
            (2) in its condition on that date; and
            (3) without cost to the Government.
    (f) Expiration of Authority To Convey.--The authority of the 
Secretary under this section to convey vessels shall expire on the date 
that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. DOCUMENTATION OF VESSELS.

    (a) Notwithstanding section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 
App. U.S.C. 883), the Act of June 19, 1886 (46 App. U.S.C. 289), and 
section 12106 of title 46, United States Code, the Secretary of 
Transportation may issue certificates of documentation with a coastwise 
endorsement for the following vessels:
            (1) ABORIGINAL (United States official number 942118).
            (2) AFTERSAIL (United States official number 689427).
            (3) ALEXANDRIA (United States official number 586490).
            (4) AMANDA (Michigan registration number MC-1125-FR).
            (5) ARBITRAGE II (United States official number 962861).
            (6) ARIEL (United States official number 954762).
            (7) BRANDARIS (former United States official number 
        263174).
            (8) COMPASS ROSE (United States official number 695865).
            (9) DIXIE (United States official number 513159).
            (10) ELISSA (United States official number 697285).
            (11) EMERALD PRINCESS (former United States official number 
        530095).
            (12) ENTERPRISE (United States official number 692956).
            (13) EUROPA STAR (former United States official number 
        588270).
            (14) EUROPA SUN (former United States official number 
        596656).
            (15) GAZELA OF PHILADELPHIA (Pennyslvania registration 
        number PA-4339-AF).
            (16) GRAY (Connecticut registration number CT-5944-AJ).
            (17) GRIZZLY PROCESSOR (Canadian official number 369183).
            (18) GUSTO (United States official number 624951).
            (19) GYPSY COWBOY (United States official number 550771).
            (20) IMPATIENT LADY (United States official number 553952).
            (21) ISLAND GIRL (United States official number 674840).
            (22) JULIET (Michigan registration number MC-1669-LM).
            (23) KALENA (Hawaii registration number HA-1923-E).
            (24) LAURISA (United States official number 924052).
            (25) LIBBY ROSE (United States official number 236976).
            (26) LISERON (United States official number 971339).
            (27) MARINE STAR (United States official number 248329).
            (28) MARINER (United States official number 285452).
            (29) MARY B (Kentucky registration number KY-0098-HX).
            (30) MOONSHINE (United States official number 974226).
            (31) MYSTIQUE (United States official number 921194).
            (32) NORTHERN LIGHT (United States official number 237510).
            (33) PAI NUI (Hawaii registration number HA-6949-D).
            (34) PANDACEA (United States official number 665892).
            (35) PELICAN (United States official number 234959).
            (36) PLAY PRETTY (United States official number 975346).
            (37) PRINCE OF TIDES II (United States official number 
        903858).
            (38) RBOAT (United States official number 563955).
            (39) SABLE (Massachusetts registration number MS-1841-AM).
            (40) SERENA (United States official number 965317).
            (41) SHILOH (United States official number 902675).
            (42) SIDEWINDER (United States official number 991719).
            (43) SWELL DANCER (United States official number 622046).
            (44) TESSA (United States official number 675130).
            (45) TOP DUCK (United States official number 990973).
            (46) VIKING (United States official number 286080).
            (47) WHIT CON TIKI (United States official number 663823).
    (b) Notwithstanding section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 
App. U.S.C. 883) or any other law restricting a foreign-flag vessel 
from operating in the coastwise trade, the foreign-flag vessel H851 may 
engage in the coastwise trade to transport an offshore drilling 
platform jacket from a place near Aransas Pass, Texas, to a site on the 
Outer Continental Shelf known as Viosca Knoll 989.
    (c) Notwithstanding section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 
App. U.S.C. 883), the Act of June 19, 1886 (46 App. U.S.C. 289), and 
sections 12106 and 12107 of title 46, United States Code, the Secretary 
of Transportation may issue certificates of documentation with a 
coastwise and Great Lakes endorsement for the vessels LADY CHARL II 
(United States official number 541399) and LINETTE (United States 
official number 654318).
    (d) Notwithstanding section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 
App. U.S.C. 883), the Act of June 19, 1886 (46 App. U.S.C. 289), and 
section 12106 of title 46, United States Code, the Secretary of 
Transportation may issue a certificate of documentation with a 
coastwise endorsement for the vessel M/V TWIN DRILL (Panama official 
number 8356-PEXT-2) if--
            (1) the vessel undergoes a major conversion (as defined in 
        section 2101 of title 46, United States Code) in a United 
        States shipyard;
            (2) the cost of the major conversion is more than 3 times 
        the purchase value of the vessel before the major conversion;
            (3) the major conversion is completed and the vessel is 
        documented under chapter 121 of title 46, United States Code, 
        with a coastwise endorsement before June 30, 1995;
            (4) the person documenting the vessel contracts with a 
        United States shipyard to construct an additional vessel of 
        equal or greater capacity within 12 months of the date of 
        enactment of this Act, for delivery within 36 months of the 
        date of such contract, which vessel shall also be documented 
        under chapter 121 of title 46, United States Code.
    (e) Notwithstanding sections 12106 and 12108 of title 46, United 
States Code, the Act of June 19, 1886 (46 App. U.S.C. 289), and section 
27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 App. U.S.C. 883), the Secretary 
of Transportation may issue a certificate of documentation with a 
coastwise and fishery endorsement for the vessel REEL CLASS (Hawaii 
registration number HA-6566-E).
    (f) Notwithstanding section 12108 of title 46, United States Code, 
the Secretary of Transportation may issue a certificate of 
documentation with a fishery endorsement for the vessel DA WARRIOR 
(United States official number 962231).
    (g) Notwithstanding any other law or any agreement with the United 
States Government, the vessels UST ATLANTIC (United States official 
number 601437) and UST PACIFIC (United States official number 613131) 
may be sold to a person that is not a citizen of the United States and 
transferred to or placed under a foreign registry.
    (h) Notwithstanding any other law, the vessel AMY CHOUEST (United 
States official number 995631) is deemed to be less than 500 gross 
tons, as measured under chapter 145 of title 46, United States Code, 
for purposes of the maritime laws of the United States.

SEC. 4. NAUTICAL CHARTING AND MARINE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS.

    No later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Commerce may deploy a Physical Ocean Real-Time System 
consisting, at a minimum, of current, wind, tide, salinity, and water 
level measuring devices and necessary computer links, in Galveston Bay 
and the Houston Ship Channel.

SEC. 5. PILOT PROGRAM ON SEALIFT TRAINING.

    The Secretary of Transportation shall establish a 3-year pilot 
program for Sealift Training at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 20, 1993.

            Attest:

                                           DONNALD K. ANDERSON,

                                                                 Clerk.

                      By Dallas L. Dendy, Jr.,

                                                Assistant to the Clerk.