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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 805

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue rules which require vessels

operating in harbors in the United States to use state-of-the-art maritime

vessel traffic control equipment, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 3, 1993

Mr. TORRICELLI (for himself and Mr. ROHRABACHER) introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Merchant Marine and Fisheries and Science, Space, and Technology

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue rules

which require vessels operating in harbors in the United

States to use state-of-the-art maritime vessel traffic control equipment, 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 TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Maritime Navigation

5 Technology and Research Act of 1993’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds the following:
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1 (1) The United States should have as a goal the

2 establishment of a vessel traffic control system that

3 is as effective as the United States air traffic control

4 system.

5 (2) The technology exists to display, in real

6 time electronic charts on board a vessel, the position

7 of any vessel in the immediate area, based on global

8 positioning system satellites.

9 (3) The global positioning system has an accu10 racy of less than 100 meters and 3 to 10 meters in

11 a differential mode which could be used to signifi12 cantly improve the accuracy and reliability of vessel

13 navigation in both harbors and in open water.

14 (4) Laser navigation technology could be used

15 to enhance harbor safety by improving the accuracy

16 of early warnings to vessels of the clearances needed

17 when approaching various fixed structures.

18 (5) Existing vessel traffic control systems are

19 often little more than informational services.

20 (6) Improved vessel traffic control and collision

21 avoidance systems are needed in United States har22 bors to improve the safety of vessel traffic and pro23 tect the marine environment.
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1 (7) Technology for real time tidal and current

2 measurements, if combined with vessel traffic control

3 systems, could improve navigation safety.

4 SEC. 3. RULES REQUIRING STATE-OF-THE-ART VESSEL

5 TRAFFIC CONTROL EQUIPMENT.

6 (a) ISSUANCE OF RULES.—Not later than 180 days

7 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary

8 of Transportation shall issue rules which require vessels

9 which operate in harbors in the United States to have

10 operational state-of-the-art navigation, communication,

11 and collision avoidance equipment that is compatible with

12 Coast Guard vessel traffic systems.

13 (b) REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN VESSELS.—Rules

14 issued under this section shall require the use, by any ves15 sel of a class to be determined by the Secretary and speci16 fied in the rules, of vessel traffic control and collision

17 avoidance equipment that meets performance standards

18 established in the rules for—

19 (1) determining vessel position with an accuracy

20 that is at least 5 to 10 meters;

21 (2) an onboard visual display, to be updated in

22 real time, showing the location, speed, track, and

23 projected course of both the parent vessel and other

24 vessels within a radius of 40 kilometers; and
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1 (3) an onboard collision avoidance alarm system

2 capable of—

3 (A) computing the potential for collision

4 and alerting the pilot of impending collision;

5 and

6 (B) displaying the best alternatives for

7 evasive action.

8 (c) REQUIREMENTS FOR OTHER VESSELS.—Rules is9 sued under this section shall require the use, by a vessel

10 that is not included in the class specified pursuant to sub11 section (b), of a transponder capable of transmitting data

12 regarding—

13 (1) the position, speed, and direction of the ves14 sel; and

15 (2) other pertinent information.

16 (d) UPGRADE OF COAST GUARD SYSTEMS.—The

17 Secretary of Transportation shall upgrade all vessel traffic

18 control systems as necessary to make them compatible

19 with technologies required under rules issued under this

20 section.

21 SEC. 4. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—

23 (1) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of Trans24 portation shall conduct or provide for the conduct of
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1 research and development of technologies for vessel

2 navigation.

3 (2) REQUIRED RESEARCH.—Research under

4 this subsection shall include—

5 (A) programs in the maritime applications

6 of the advanced global positioning satellite sys7 tems and equivalent or better technology, elec8 tronic charting and information display, com9 puterized vessel tracking, vessel transponders,

10 collision avoidance, and computerized alarm

11 systems; and

12 (B) a program to better understand the re13 lationship between human factors and vessel ac14 cidents and between human factors and mari15 time safety, to develop a human factors analysis

16 of the hazards associated with new technologies

17 to be used in maritime traffic control.

18 (b) RESEARCH PLAN.—

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after

20 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary

21 of Transportation shall submit to the Congress and

22 begin implementing a national research plan for re23 search in vessel navigation technology.

24 (2) CONTENTS.—The national research plan

25 shall describe research and development which will
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1 be carried out by the Secretary over a 5-year period

2 to ensure continued advancement in navigation tech3 nology that will provide the highest degree of safety.

4 SEC. 5. RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT AND FUNCTIONS.—Not later

6 than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,

7 the Secretary of Transportation shall establish and ap8 point the members of an advisory committee which shall

9 be known as the ‘‘Maritime Navigation Research Advisory

10 Committee’’. The advisory committee shall—

11 (1) provide advice and recommendations to the

12 Secretary regarding needs, objectives, plans, ap13 proaches, content, and accomplishments with respect

14 to the research plan under section 4(b) and the mar15 itime research program carried out by the Depart16 ment of Transportation; and

17 (2) assist the Secretary in assuring that re18 search under that program is coordinated with simi19 lar research being conducted by persons outside of

20 the Department of Transportation.

21 (b) MEMBERSHIP.—The advisory committee—

22 (1) shall consist of not more than 20 members

23 appointed by the Secretary from among individuals

24 who are not employees of the Department of Trans25 portation and who are specially qualified to serve on
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1 the advisory committee by reason of their education,

2 training, or experience; and

3 (2) shall include representatives of schools, uni4 versities, public port authorities, corporations, asso5 ciations, labor unions, consumers, and other Federal,

6 State, and local government agencies.

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