II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1620 

To ensure the icebreaking capabilities of the United States and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 

Mr. BEGICH (for himself and Ms. CANTWELL) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To ensure the icebreaking capabilities of the United States 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLES. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preserve Our Large 

5 Arctic Response Capability Act’’ or as the ‘‘POLAR-C 

6 Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDING; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

8 (a) FINDING.—Congress finds that the United States 

9 priorities for maritime transportation in the polar regions 

10 set out in the National Security Presidential Directive 66 


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1 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 25 dated 

2 January 9, 2009 are— 

3 (1) to facilitate safe, secure, and reliable navi4 gation; 

5 (2) to protect maritime commerce; and 

6 (3) to protect the environment. 

7 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con8 gress that the United States should maintain domestic 

9 heavy and medium duty icebreaker assets to meet United 

10 States Coast Guard statutory requirements and priorities 

11 for maritime transportation and that maintaining less 

12 than a sufficient number of heavy duty icebreaking assets 

13 jeopardizes national security, law enforcement, maritime 

14 safety, environmental protection, disaster response, sci15 entific research, and natural resource protection in the 

16 polar regions and Alaska. 

17 SEC. 3. ICEBREAKING CAPABILITY. 

18 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

19 (1) COVERED VESSELS.—The term ‘‘covered 

20 vessels’’ means— 

21 (A) Coast Guard Cutter POLAR SEA 

22 (WAGB 11); and 

23 (B) the Coast Guard Cutter POLAR 

24 STAR (WAGB 10). 


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1 (2) INACTIVE STATUS.—The term ‘‘inactive sta2 tus’’ includes a status of— 

3 (A) out of commission, in reserve; 

4 (B) out of service, in reserve; or 

5 (C) pending placement out of commission. 

6 (3) SUBMISSION DATE.—The term ‘‘submission 

7 date’’ means— 

8 (A) October 15, 2011; or 

9 (B) if this Act is enacted after October 15, 

10 2011, the date that is 1 day after the date of 

11 the enactment of this Act. 

12 (b) SUBMISSION OF BUSINESS CASE ANALYSIS.—Not 

13 later than the submission date, the Commandant of the 

14 United States Coast Guard shall submit to the Committee 

15 on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 

16 and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

17 of the House of Representatives the polar icebreaker busi18 ness case analysis prepared by the Coast Guard. 

19 (c) MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING VESSELS.—Until 

20 the date that is 2 years after the date the Commandant 

21 of the United States Coast Guard makes the submission 

22 required by subsection (b)— 

23 (1) the Commandant may not— 

24 (A) transfer, relinquish ownership of, dis25 mantle, or recycle the covered vessels; 


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1 (B) change the homeport of either of the 

2 covered vessels; 

3 (C) expend any funds— 

4 (i) for any expenses directly or indi5 rectly associated with the decommissioning 

6 of either of the covered vessels, including 

7 expenses for dock use or other goods and 

8 services; 

9 (ii) for any personnel expenses di10 rectly or indirectly associated with the de11 commissioning of either of the covered ves12 sels, including expenses for decommis13 sioning officer; or 

14 (iii) for any expenses associated with 

15 a decommissioning ceremony for either of 

16 the covered vessels; 

17 (D) appoint a decommissioning officer to 

18 be affiliated with either of the covered vessels; 

19 or 

20 (E) place either of the covered vessels in 

21 inactive status; and 

22 (2) the Administrator of the Maritime Adminis23 tration may not receive, maintain, dismantle, or re24 cycle either of the covered vessels. 

Æ 


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