I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1987 

To authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal years 2016 and 

2017, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 23, 2015 

Mr. HUNTER (for himself, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. SHUSTER, and Mr. DEFAZIO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal 

years 2016 and 2017, 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 ‘‘Coast Guard Author5 ization Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

7 The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title. 

Sec. 2. Table of contents. 

TITLE I—AUTHORIZATIONS 

Sec. 101. Authorizations. 


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Sec. 102. Conforming amendments. 

TITLE II—COAST GUARD 

Sec. 201. Vice Commandant. 

Sec. 202. Vice admirals. 

Sec. 203. Coast Guard remission of indebtedness. 

Sec. 204. Acquisition reform. 

Sec. 205. Auxiliary jurisdiction. 

Sec. 206. Long-term major acquisitions plan. 

Sec. 207. Coast Guard communities. 

Sec. 208. ‘‘Polar Sea’’ materiel condition assessment and service life extension 

decision. 

Sec. 209. Repeal. 

Sec. 210. Technical corrections to title 14. 

Sec. 211. Digital boat profile pilot program. 

Sec. 212. Discontinuance of an aid to navigation. 

Sec. 213. Mission performance measures. 

Sec. 214. Communications. 

Sec. 215. Coast Guard graduate maritime operations education. 

TITLE III—SHIPPING AND NAVIGATION 

Sec. 301. Treatment of fishing permits. 

Sec. 302. Survival craft. 

Sec. 303. Enforcement. 

Sec. 304. Model years for recreational vessels. 

Sec. 305. Merchant mariner credential expiration harmonization. 

Sec. 306. Marine event safety zones. 

Sec. 307. Technical corrections. 

Sec. 308. Recommendations for improvements of marine casualty reporting. 

Sec. 309. Recreational vessel engine weights. 

Sec. 310. Merchant mariner medical certification reform. 

Sec. 311. Atlantic Coast port access route study. 

Sec. 312. Certificates of documentation for recreational vessels. 

Sec. 313. Program guidelines. 

TITLE IV—FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION 

Sec. 401. Authorization of appropriations. 

Sec. 402. Duties of the Chairman. 

Sec. 403. Prohibition on awards. 

TITLE V—MISCELLANEOUS 

Sec. 501. Conveyance of Coast Guard property in Marin County, California. 

Sec. 502. Elimination of reports. 

Sec. 503. Vessel documentation. 

1 TITLE I—AUTHORIZATIONS 

2 SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATIONS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title 14, United States Code, is 

4 amended by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘PART III—COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATIONS AND 

2 REPORTS TO CONGRESS 

‘‘Chap. Sec. 

‘‘27. Authorizations .......................................................................... 2701

‘‘29. Reports ......................................................................................... 2901. 

3 ‘‘CHAPTER 27—AUTHORIZATIONS 

‘‘Sec. 

‘‘2702. Authorization of appropriations. 

‘‘2704. Authorized levels of military strength and training. 

4 ‘‘§ 2702. Authorization of appropriations 

5 ‘‘Funds are authorized to be appropriated for each 

6 of fiscal years 2016 and 2017 for necessary expenses of 

7 the Coast Guard as follows: 

8 ‘‘(1) For the operation and maintenance of the 

9 Coast Guard, not otherwise provided for— 

10 ‘‘(A) $6,981,036,000 for fiscal year 2016; 

11 and 

12 ‘‘(B) $6,981,036,000 for fiscal year 2017. 

13 ‘‘(2) For the acquisition, construction, renova14 tion, and improvement of aids to navigation, shore 

15 facilities, vessels, and aircraft, including equipment 

16 related thereto, and for maintenance, rehabilitation, 

17 lease, and operation of facilities and equipment— 

18 ‘‘(A) $1,546,448,000 for fiscal year 2016; 

19 and 

20 ‘‘(B) $1,546,448,000 for fiscal year 2017. 

21 ‘‘(3) For the Coast Guard Reserve program, in22 cluding operations and maintenance of the program, 


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1 personnel and training costs, equipment, and serv2 ices— 

3 ‘‘(A) $140,016,000 for fiscal year 2016; 

4 and 

5 ‘‘(B) $140,016,000 for fiscal year 2017. 

6 ‘‘(4) For the environmental compliance and res7 toration functions of the Coast Guard under chapter 

8 19 of this title— 

9 ‘‘(A) $16,701,000 for fiscal year 2016; and 

10 ‘‘(B) $16,701,000 for fiscal year 2017. 

11 ‘‘(5) To the Commandant of the Coast Guard 

12 for research, development, test, and evaluation of 

13 technologies, materials, and human factors directly 

14 related to improving the performance of the Coast 

15 Guard’s mission with respect to search and rescue, 

16 aids to navigation, marine safety, marine environ17 mental protection, enforcement of laws and treaties, 

18 ice operations, oceanographic research, and defense 

19 readiness, and for maintenance, rehabilitation, lease, 

20 and operation of facilities and equipment— 

21 ‘‘(A) $19,890,000 for fiscal year 2016; and 

22 ‘‘(B) $19,890,000 for fiscal year 2017. 


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1 ‘‘§ 2704. Authorized levels of military strength and 

2 training 

3 ‘‘(a) ACTIVE DUTY STRENGTH.—The Coast Guard is 

4 authorized an end-of-year strength for active duty per5 sonnel of 43,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 and 2017. 

6 ‘‘(b) MILITARY TRAINING STUDENT LOADS.—The 

7 Coast Guard is authorized average military training stu8 dent loads for each of fiscal years 2016 and 2017 as fol9 lows: 

10 ‘‘(1) For recruit and special training, 2,500 

11 student years. 

12 ‘‘(2) For flight training, 165 student years. 

13 ‘‘(3) For professional training in military and 

14 civilian institutions, 350 student years. 

15 ‘‘(4) For officer acquisition, 1,200 student 

16 years. 

17 ‘‘CHAPTER 29—REPORTS 

‘‘Sec. 

‘‘2904. Manpower requirements plan. 

18 ‘‘§ 2904. Manpower requirements plan 

19 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—On the date on which the Presi20 dent submits to Congress a budget for fiscal year 2017 

21 under section 1105 of title 31, on the date on which the 

22 President submits to Congress a budget for fiscal year 

23 2019 under such section, and every 4 years thereafter, the 

24 Commandant shall submit to the Committee on TransporVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 Apr 28, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1987.IH H1987

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1 tation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 

2 and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor3 tation of the Senate a manpower requirements plan. 

4 ‘‘(b) SCOPE.—A manpower requirements plan sub5 mitted under subsection (a) shall include for each mission 

6 of the Coast Guard— 

7 ‘‘(1) an assessment of all projected mission re8 quirements for the upcoming fiscal year and for each 

9 of the 3 fiscal years thereafter; 

10 ‘‘(2) the number of active duty, reserve, and ci11 vilian personnel assigned or available to fulfill such 

12 mission requirements— 

13 ‘‘(A) currently; and 

14 ‘‘(B) as projected for the upcoming fiscal 

15 year and each of the 3 fiscal years thereafter; 

16 ‘‘(3) the number of active duty, reserve, and ci17 vilian personnel required to fulfill such mission re18 quirements— 

19 ‘‘(A) currently; and 

20 ‘‘(B) as projected for the upcoming fiscal 

21 year and each of the 3 fiscal years thereafter; 

22 ‘‘(4) an identification of any capability gaps be23 tween mission requirements and mission perform24 ance caused by deficiencies in the numbers of per25 sonnel available— 


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1 ‘‘(A) currently; and 

2 ‘‘(B) as projected for the upcoming fiscal 

3 year and each of the 3 fiscal years thereafter; 

4 and 

5 ‘‘(5) an identification of the actions the Com6 mandant will take to address capability gaps identi7 fied under paragraph (4). 

8 ‘‘(c) CONSIDERATION.—In composing a manpower 

9 requirements plan for submission under subsection (a), 

10 the Commandant shall consider— 

11 ‘‘(1) the marine safety strategy required under 

12 section 2116 of title 46; 

13 ‘‘(2) information on the adequacy of the acqui14 sition workforce included in the most recent report 

15 under section 2903 of this title; and 

16 ‘‘(3) any other Federal strategic planning effort 

17 the Commandant considers appropriate.’’. 

18 (b) REQUIREMENT FOR PRIOR AUTHORIZATION OF

19 APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 662 of title 14, United States 

20 Code, is amended— 

21 (1) by redesignating such section as section 

22 2701; 

23 (2) by transferring such section to appear be24 fore section 2702 of such title (as added by sub25 section (a) of this section); and 


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1 (3) by striking paragraphs (1) through (5) and 

2 inserting the following: 

3 ‘‘(1) For the operation and maintenance of the 

4 Coast Guard, not otherwise provided for. 

5 ‘‘(2) For the acquisition, construction, renova6 tion, and improvement of aids to navigation, shore 

7 facilities, vessels, and aircraft, including equipment 

8 related thereto, and for maintenance, rehabilitation, 

9 lease, and operation of facilities and equipment. 

10 ‘‘(3) For the Coast Guard Reserve program, in11 cluding operations and maintenance of the program, 

12 personnel and training costs, equipment, and serv13 ices. 

14 ‘‘(4) For the environmental compliance and res15 toration functions of the Coast Guard under chapter 

16 19 of this title. 

17 ‘‘(5) For research, development, test, and eval18 uation of technologies, materials, and human factors 

19 directly related to improving the performance of the 

20 Coast Guard’s mission with respect to search and 

21 rescue, aids to navigation, marine safety, marine en22 vironmental protection, enforcement of laws and 

23 treaties, ice operations, oceanographic research, and 

24 defense readiness, and for maintenance, rehabilita25 tion, lease, and operation of facilities and equipment. 


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1 ‘‘(6) For alteration or removal of bridges over 

2 navigable waters of the United States constituting 

3 obstructions to navigation, and for personnel and 

4 administrative costs associated with the Alteration of 

5 Bridges Program.’’. 

6 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF PERSONNEL END

7 STRENGTHS.—Section 661 of title 14, United States 

8 Code, is amended— 

9 (1) by redesignating such section as section 

10 2703; and 

11 (2) by transferring such section to appear be12 fore section 2704 of such title (as added by sub13 section (a) of this section). 

14 (d) REPORTS.— 

15 (1) TRANSMISSION OF ANNUAL COAST GUARD

16 AUTHORIZATION REQUEST.—Section 662a of title 

17 14, United States Code, is amended— 

18 (A) by redesignating such section as sec19 tion 2901; 

20 (B) by transferring such section to appear 

21 before section 2904 of such title (as added by 

22 subsection (a) of this section); and 

23 (C) in subsection (b)— 


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1 (i) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘de2 scribed in section 661’’ and inserting ‘‘de3 scribed in section 2703’’; and 

4 (ii) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘de5 scribed in section 662’’ and inserting ‘‘de6 scribed in section 2701’’. 

7 (2) CAPITAL INVESTMENT PLAN.—Section 663 

8 of title 14, United States Code, is amended— 

9 (A) by redesignating such section as sec10 tion 2902; and 

11 (B) by transferring such section to appear 

12 after section 2901 of such title (as so redesig13 nated and transferred by paragraph (1) of this 

14 subsection). 

15 (3) MAJOR ACQUISITIONS.—Section 569a of 

16 title 14, United States Code, is amended— 

17 (A) by redesignating such section as sec18 tion 2903; 

19 (B) by transferring such section to appear 

20 after section 2902 of such title (as so redesig21 nated and transferred by paragraph (2) of this 

22 subsection); and 

23 (C) in subsection (c)(2) by striking ‘‘of this 

24 subchapter’’. 


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1 (e) ICEBREAKING ON THE GREAT LAKES.—For fiscal 

2 years 2016 and 2017, the Commandant of the Coast 

3 Guard may use funds made available pursuant to section 

4 2702(2) of title 14, United States Code (as added by sub5 section (a) of this section) for the selection of a design 

6 for and the construction of an icebreaker that is capable 

7 of buoy tending to enhance icebreaking capacity on the 

8 Great Lakes. 

9 SEC. 102. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 

10 (a) ANALYSIS FOR TITLE 14.—The analysis for title 

11 14, United States Code, is amended by adding after the 

12 item relating to part II the following: 

‘‘III. Coast Guard Authorizations and Reports to Congress ............................................................................ 2701’’. 

13 (b) ANALYSIS FOR CHAPTER 15.—The analysis for 

14 chapter 15 of title 14, United States Code, is amended 

15 by striking the item relating to section 569a. 

16 (c) ANALYSIS FOR CHAPTER 17.—The analysis for 

17 chapter 17 of title 14, United States Code, is amended 

18 by striking the items relating to sections 661, 662, 662a, 

19 and 663. 

20 (d) ANALYSIS FOR CHAPTER 27.—The analysis for 

21 chapter 27 of title 14, United States Code, as added by 

22 section 101(a) of this Act, is amended by inserting— 


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1 (1) before the item relating to section 2702 the 

2 following: 

‘‘2701. Requirement for prior authorization of appropriations.’’; 

3 and 

4 (2) before the item relating to section 2704 the 

5 following: 

‘‘2703. Authorization of personnel end strengths.’’. 

6 (e) ANALYSIS FOR CHAPTER 29.—The analysis for 

7 chapter 29 of title 14, United States Code, as added by 

8 section 101(a) of this Act, is amended by inserting before 

9 the item relating to section 2904 the following: 

‘‘2901. Transmission of annual Coast Guard authorization request. 

‘‘2902. Capital investment plan. 

‘‘2903. Major acquisitions.’’. 

10 (f) MISSION NEED STATEMENT.—Section 569(b) of 

11 title 14, United States Code, is amended— 

12 (1) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘in section 

13 569a(e)’’ and inserting ‘‘in section 2903’’; and 

14 (2) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘under section 

15 663(a)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘under section 

16 2902(a)(1)’’. 

17 TITLE II—COAST GUARD 

18 SEC. 201. VICE COMMANDANT. 

19 (a) GRADES AND RATINGS.—Section 41 of title 14, 

20 United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘an admiral,’’ 

21 and inserting ‘‘admirals (two);’’. 


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1 (b) VICE COMMANDANT; APPOINTMENT.—Section 47 

2 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by striking 

3 ‘‘vice admiral’’ and inserting ‘‘admiral’’. 

4 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 51 of title 

5 14, United States Code, is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (a) by inserting ‘‘admiral or’’ 

7 before ‘‘vice admiral,’’; 

8 (2) in subsection (b) by inserting ‘‘admiral or’’ 

9 before ‘‘vice admiral,’’ each place it appears; and 

10 (3) in subsection (c) by inserting ‘‘admiral or’’ 

11 before ‘‘vice admiral,’’. 

12 (d) APPLICATION.—Notwithstanding any other provi13 sion of law, the officer who, on the date of the enactment 

14 of this Act, is serving as Vice Commandant of the Coast 

15 Guard— 

16 (1) shall have the grade of admiral, with the 

17 pay and allowances of that grade; and 

18 (2) shall not be required to be reappointed by 

19 reason of the enactment of this Act, including the 

20 amendments made by this Act. 

21 SEC. 202. VICE ADMIRALS. 

22 Section 50 of title 14, United States Code, is amend23 ed— 

24 (1) in subsection (a)— 


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1 (A) by striking paragraph (1) and insert2 ing the following: 

3 ‘‘(1) The President may— 

4 ‘‘(A) designate, within the Coast Guard, no 

5 more than 5 positions of importance and responsi6 bility that shall be held by officers who, while so 

7 serving, shall have the grade of vice admiral, with 

8 the pay and allowances of that grade, and shall per9 form such duties as the Commandant may prescribe 

10 (if the President designates 5 such positions, 1 posi11 tion shall be a Chief of Staff); and 

12 ‘‘(B) designate, within the executive branch, 

13 other than within the Coast Guard, positions of im14 portance and responsibility that shall be held by offi15 cers who, while so serving, shall have the grade of 

16 vice admiral, with the pay and allowances of that 

17 grade.’’; and 

18 (B) in paragraph (3)(A) by striking 

19 ‘‘under paragraph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘under 

20 paragraph (1)(A)’’; and 

21 (2) in subsection (b)(2)— 

22 (A) in subparagraph (B) by striking ‘‘and’’ 

23 at the end; 

24 (B) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 

25 subparagraph (D); and 


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1 (C) by inserting after subparagraph (B) 

2 the following: 

3 ‘‘(C) at the discretion of the Secretary, while 

4 awaiting orders after being relieved from the posi5 tion, beginning on the day the officer is relieved 

6 from the position, but not for more than 60 days; 

7 and’’. 

8 SEC. 203. COAST GUARD REMISSION OF INDEBTEDNESS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 461 of title 14, United 

10 States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

11 ‘‘§ 461. Remission of indebtedness 

12 ‘‘The Secretary may have remitted or cancelled any 

13 part of a person’s indebtedness to the United States or 

14 any instrumentality of the United States if— 

15 ‘‘(1) the indebtedness was incurred while the 

16 person served on active duty as a member of the 

17 Coast Guard; and 

18 ‘‘(2) the Secretary determines that remitting or 

19 cancelling the indebtedness is in the best interest of 

20 the United States.’’. 

21 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap22 ter 13 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by 

23 striking the item relating to section 461 and inserting the 

24 following: 

‘‘461. Remission of indebtedness.’’. 


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1 SEC. 204. ACQUISITION REFORM. 

2 (a) MINIMUM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.—Section 

3 572(d)(3) of title 14, United States Code, is amended— 

4 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) through 

5 (H) as subparagraphs (E) through (J), respectively; 

6 (2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as sub7 paragraph (C); 

8 (3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘(B) the performance data to be used to 

11 determine whether the key performance param12 eters have been resolved;’’; and 

13 (4) by inserting after subparagraph (C), as re14 designated by paragraph (2) of this subsection, the 

15 following: 

16 ‘‘(D) the results during test and evaluation 

17 that will be required to demonstrate that a ca18 pability, asset, or subsystem meets performance 

19 requirements;’’. 

20 (b) CAPITAL INVESTMENT PLAN.—Section 

21 2902(a)(1) of title 14, United States Code, as redesig22 nated and otherwise amended by this Act, is further 

23 amended— 

24 (1) in subparagraph (B) by striking ‘‘comple25 tion;’’ and inserting ‘‘completion based on the pro26 posed appropriations included in the budget;’’; and 


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1 (2) in subparagraph (D) by striking ‘‘at the 

2 projected funding levels;’’ and inserting ‘‘based on 

3 the proposed appropriations included in the budg4 et;’’. 

5 (c) DAYS AWAY FROM HOMEPORT.—Not later than 

6 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

7 Commandant of the Coast Guard shall— 

8 (1) implement a standard for tracking oper9 ational days at sea for Coast Guard cutters that 

10 does not include days during which such cutters are 

11 undergoing maintenance or repair; and 

12 (2) notify the Committee on Transportation 

13 and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 

14 and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

15 Transportation of the Senate of the standard imple16 mented under paragraph (1). 

17 (d) FIXED WING AIRCRAFT FLEET MIX ANALYSIS.— 

18 Not later than September 30, 2015, the Commandant of 

19 the Coast Guard shall submit to the Committee on Trans20 portation and Infrastructure of the House of Representa21 tives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

22 Transportation of the Senate a revised fleet mix analysis 

23 of Coast Guard fixed wing aircraft. 


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1 SEC. 205. AUXILIARY JURISDICTION. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 822 of title 14, United 

3 States Code, is amended— 

4 (1) by striking ‘‘The purpose’’ and inserting the 

5 following: 

6 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The purpose’’; and 

7 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(b) LIMITATION.—The Auxiliary may conduct a pa9 trol of a waterway, or a portion thereof, only if— 

10 ‘‘(1) the Commandant has determined such wa11 terway, or portion thereof, is navigable for purposes 

12 of the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard; or 

13 ‘‘(2) a State or other proper authority has re14 quested such patrol pursuant to section 141 of this 

15 title or section 13109 of title 46.’’. 

16 (b) NOTIFICATION.—The Commandant of the Coast 

17 Guard shall— 

18 (1) review the waterways patrolled by the Coast 

19 Guard Auxiliary in the most recently completed fis20 cal year to determine whether such waterways are 

21 eligible or ineligible for patrol under section 822(b) 

22 of title 14, United States Code (as added by sub23 section (a)); and 

24 (2) not later than 180 days after the date of 

25 the enactment of this Act, provide to the Committee 

26 on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 


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1 of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 

2 Science, and Transportation of the Senate a written 

3 notification of— 

4 (A) any waterways determined ineligible 

5 for patrol under paragraph (1); and 

6 (B) the actions taken by the Commandant 

7 to ensure Auxiliary patrols do not occur on such 

8 waterways. 

9 SEC. 206. LONG-TERM MAJOR ACQUISITIONS PLAN. 

10 Section 2903 of title 14, United States Code, as re11 designated and otherwise amended by this Act, is further 

12 amended— 

13 (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as sub14 section (f); and 

15 (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the fol16 lowing: 

17 ‘‘(e) LONG-TERM MAJOR ACQUISITIONS PLAN.— 

18 Each report under subsection (a) shall include a plan that 

19 describes for the upcoming fiscal year, and for each of the 

20 20 fiscal years thereafter— 

21 ‘‘(1) the numbers and types of cutters and air22 craft to be decommissioned; 

23 ‘‘(2) the numbers and types of cutters and air24 craft to be acquired to— 


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1 ‘‘(A) replace the cutters and aircraft iden2 tified under paragraph (1); or 

3 ‘‘(B) address an identified capability gap; 

4 and 

5 ‘‘(3) the estimated level of funding in each fis6 cal year required to— 

7 ‘‘(A) acquire the cutters and aircraft iden8 tified under paragraph (2); 

9 ‘‘(B) acquire related command, control, 

10 communications, computer, intelligence, surveil11 lance, and reconnaissance systems; and 

12 ‘‘(C) acquire, construct, or renovate shore13 side infrastructure.’’. 

14 SEC. 207. COAST GUARD COMMUNITIES. 

15 Section 409 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act 

16 of 1998 (14 U.S.C. 639 note) is amended by striking the 

17 second sentence and inserting the following: ‘‘The Com18 mandant may recognize any other community in a similar 

19 manner if the Commandant determines that such commu20 nity has demonstrated enduring support of the Coast 

21 Guard, Coast Guard personnel, and the dependents of 

22 Coast Guard personnel.’’. 


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1 SEC. 208. ‘‘POLAR SEA’’ MATERIEL CONDITION ASSESSMENT 

2 AND SERVICE LIFE EXTENSION DECISION. 

3 Section 222 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Trans4 portation Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–213; 126 Stat. 

5 1560) is amended— 

6 (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol7 lows: 

8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days after 

9 the date of the enactment of the Coast Guard Authoriza10 tion Act of 2015, the Secretary of the department in which 

11 the Coast Guard is operating shall— 

12 ‘‘(1) complete a materiel condition assessment 

13 with respect to the Polar Sea; 

14 ‘‘(2) make a determination of whether it is cost 

15 effective to reactivate the Polar Sea compared with 

16 other options to provide icebreaking services as part 

17 of a strategy to maintain polar icebreaking services; 

18 and 

19 ‘‘(3) submit to the Committee on Transpor20 tation and Infrastructure of the House of Represent21 atives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

22 and Transportation of the Senate— 

23 ‘‘(A) the assessment required under para24 graph (1); and 

25 ‘‘(B) written notification of the determina26 tion required under paragraph (2).’’; 


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1 (2) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘analysis’’ and 

2 inserting ‘‘written notification’’; 

3 (3) by striking subsection (c); 

4 (4) by redesignating subsections (d) through (h) 

5 as subsections (c) through (g), respectively; 

6 (5) in subsection (c) (as redesignated by para7 graph (4) of this section)— 

8 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

9 (i) in subparagraph (A) by striking 

10 ‘‘based on the analysis required’’; and 

11 (ii) in subparagraph (C) by striking 

12 ‘‘analysis’’ and inserting ‘‘written notifica13 tion’’; 

14 (B) by amending paragraph (2) to read as 

15 follows: 

16 ‘‘(2) DECOMMISSIONING.—If the Secretary 

17 makes a determination under subsection (a) that it 

18 is not cost effective to reactivate the Polar Sea, 

19 then, not later than 180 days after written notifica20 tion of that determination is submitted under that 

21 subsection, the Commandant of the Coast Guard 

22 may decommission the Polar Sea.’’; and 

23 (C) by amending paragraph (3) to read as 

24 follows: 


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1 ‘‘(3) RESULT OF NO DETERMINATION.—If the 

2 Secretary does not make a determination under sub3 section (a) regarding whether it is cost effective to 

4 reactivate the Polar Sea, then the Commandant of 

5 the Coast Guard may decommission the Polar Sea.’’; 

6 (6) in subsection (d)(1) (as redesignated by 

7 paragraph (4) of this section) by striking ‘‘analysis’’ 

8 and inserting ‘‘written notification’’; and 

9 (7) in subsection (e) (as redesignated by para10 graph (4) of this section) by striking ‘‘in subsection 

11 (d)’’ and inserting ‘‘in subsection (c)’’. 

12 SEC. 209. REPEAL. 

13 Section 225(b)(2) of the Howard Coble Coast Guard 

14 and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (Public Law 

15 113–281; 128 Stat. 3039) is repealed. 

16 SEC. 210. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO TITLE 14. 

17 Title 14, United States Code, as amended by this Act, 

18 is further amended— 

19 (1) in the analysis for part I by striking the 

20 item relating to chapter 19 and inserting the fol21 lowing: 

‘‘19. Environmental Compliance and Restoration Program ............................................................................ 690’’; 

22 (2) in section 46(a) by striking ‘‘subsection’’ 

23 and inserting ‘‘section’’; 


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1 (3) in section 47 in the section heading by 

2 striking ‘‘commandant’’ and inserting ‘‘Com3 mandant’’; 

4 (4) in section 93(f) by striking paragraph (2) 

5 and inserting the following: 

6 ‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—The Commandant may 

7 lease submerged lands and tidelands under para8 graph (1) only if— 

9 ‘‘(A) the lease is for cash exclusively; 

10 ‘‘(B) the lease amount is equal to the fair 

11 market value of the use of the leased sub12 merged lands or tidelands for the period during 

13 which such lands are leased, as determined by 

14 the Commandant; 

15 ‘‘(C) the lease does not provide authority 

16 to or commit the Coast Guard to use or support 

17 any improvements to such submerged lands and 

18 tidelands, or obtain goods and services from the 

19 lessee; and 

20 ‘‘(D) proceeds from the lease are deposited 

21 in the Coast Guard Housing Fund established 

22 under section 687.’’; 

23 (5) in the analysis for chapter 9 by striking the 

24 item relating to section 199 and inserting the fol25 lowing: 

‘‘199. Marine safety curriculum.’’; 


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1 (6) in section 427(b)(2) by striking ‘‘this chap2 ter’’ and inserting ‘‘chapter 61 of title 10’’; 

3 (7) in the analysis for chapter 15 before the 

4 item relating to section 571 by striking the fol5 lowing: 

‘‘Sec.’’; 

6 (8) in section 573(c)(3)(A) by inserting ‘‘and 

7 shall maintain such cutter in class’’ before the pe8 riod at the end; 

9 (9) in section 581(5)(B) by striking 

10 ‘‘$300,000,0000,’’ and inserting ‘‘$300,000,000,’’; 

11 (10) in section 637(c)(3) in the matter pre12 ceding subparagraph (A) by inserting ‘‘it is’’ before 

13 ‘‘any’’; 

14 (11) in section 641(d)(3) by striking ‘‘Guard, 

15 installation’’ and inserting ‘‘Guard installation’’; 

16 (12) in section 691(c)(3) by striking ‘‘state’’ 

17 and inserting ‘‘State’’; 

18 (13) in the analysis for chapter 21— 

19 (A) by striking the item relating to section 

20 709 and inserting the following: 

‘‘709. Reserve student aviation pilots; Reserve aviation pilots; appointments in 

commissioned grade.’’; 

21 and 


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1 (B) by striking the item relating to section 

2 740 and inserting the following: 

‘‘740. Failure of selection and removal from an active status.’’; 

3 (14) in section 742(c) by striking ‘‘subsection’’ 

4 and inserting ‘‘subsections’’; 

5 (15) in section 821(b)(1) by striking ‘‘Chapter 

6 26’’ and inserting ‘‘Chapter 171’’; and 

7 (16) in section 823a(b)(1), by striking ‘‘Chap8 ter 26’’ and inserting ‘‘Chapter 171’’. 

9 SEC. 211. DIGITAL BOAT PROFILE PILOT PROGRAM. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—If, during the 1-year period begin11 ning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec12 retary of the department in which the Coast Guard is op13 erating determines that there are at least 2 digital boat 

14 profile technologies that are commercially available, the 

15 Secretary shall establish a pilot program, in accordance 

16 with this section, under which digital boat profiles are uti17 lized for— 

18 (1) not less than 2 National Security Cutters; 

19 (2) not less than 4 Fast Response Cutters; and 

20 (3) not less than 4 Medium Endurance Cutters 

21 (270 foot). 

22 (b) TIMING.—With respect to the National Security 

23 Cutters and Fast Response Cutters participating in the 

24 pilot program, a digital boat profile shall be established 

25 prior to the commissioning of the cutters. 


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1 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the estab2 lishment of the pilot program, and annually thereafter for 

3 the succeeding 4 years, the Secretary of the department 

4 in which the Coast Guard is operating shall submit to the 

5 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 

6 House of Representatives and the Committee on Com7 merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report 

8 describing— 

9 (1) the implementation of the pilot program; 

10 and 

11 (2) the results of the use of digital boat profiles 

12 under the pilot program with respect to— 

13 (A) efficient maintenance of the cutters in14 volved; and 

15 (B) the post-delivery warranty manage16 ment of equipment items, the repair and re17 placement of which are contractually obligated. 

18 (d) DIGITAL BOAT PROFILE DEFINED.—In this sec19 tion, the term ‘‘digital boat profile’’ means a commercially 

20 available off-the-shelf technology that creates an electronic 

21 data source with respect to a vessel that— 

22 (1) provides lifecycle management support, in23 cluding through the incorporation of systems manu24 als, schematics, and vessel documentation; 


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1 (2) incorporates all manufacturer recommenda2 tions and operator best practices; 

3 (3) incorporates the use of real-time analytics 

4 of deferred tasks, future tasks, readiness assess5 ments, and budgetary planners; 

6 (4) provides advance electronic notification of 

7 upcoming maintenance and inspections to multi-level 

8 permission-based recipients on a daily, weekly, or 

9 monthly basis; 

10 (5) facilitates oversight for pre-delivery discrep11 ancy reporting and post-delivery warranty manage12 ment of equipment items, the repair and replace13 ment of which are contractually obligated; and 

14 (6) is accessible by computing devices. 

15 SEC. 212. DISCONTINUANCE OF AN AID TO NAVIGATION. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

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

18 department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall 

19 establish a process for the discontinuance of an aid to 

20 navigation established, maintained, or operated by the 

21 Coast Guard. 

22 (b) REQUIREMENT.—The process established under 

23 subsection (a) shall include procedures to notify the public 

24 of any discontinuance of an aid to navigation described 

25 in that subsection. 


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1 (c) CONSULTATION.—In establishing a process under 

2 subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with and con3 sider any recommendations of the Navigation Safety Advi4 sory Council. 

5 (d) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 30 days after es6 tablishing a process under subsection (a), the Secretary 

7 shall notify the Committee on Transportation and Infra8 structure of the House of Representatives and the Com9 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

10 Senate of the process established. 

11 SEC. 213. MISSION PERFORMANCE MEASURES. 

12 Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 

13 of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 

14 shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and In15 frastructure of the House of Representatives and the Com16 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

17 Senate an assessment of the efficacy of the Coast Guard’s 

18 Standard Operational Planning Process with respect to 

19 annual mission performance measures. 

20 SEC. 214. COMMUNICATIONS. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the department 

22 in which the Coast Guard is operating shall establish and 

23 carry out a response capabilities pilot program to assess, 

24 at not fewer than 2 Coast Guard command centers, the 

25 effectiveness of a radio gateway that— 


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1 (1) provides for— 

2 (A) multiagency collaboration and inter3 operability; and 

4 (B) wide-area, secure, and peer-invitation5 and-acceptance-based multimedia communica6 tions; 

7 (2) is certified by the Department of Defense 

8 Joint Interoperability Test Center; and 

9 (3) is composed of commercially available, off10 the-shelf technology. 

11 (b) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

12 date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter 

13 for the succeeding 4 years, the Secretary shall submit to 

14 the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 

15 the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com16 merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an as17 sessment of the pilot program, including the impacts of 

18 the program with respect to interagency and Coast Guard 

19 response capabilities. 

20 SEC. 215. COAST GUARD GRADUATE MARITIME OPER21 ATIONS EDUCATION. 

22 Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 

23 of this Act, the Secretary of the department in which the 

24 Coast Guard is operating shall establish an education proVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 Apr 28, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1987.IH H1987

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1 gram, for members and employees of the Coast Guard, 

2 that— 

3 (1) offers a master’s degree in maritime oper4 ations; 

5 (2) is relevant to the professional development 

6 of such members and employees; 

7 (3) provides resident and distant education op8 tions, including the ability to utilize both options; 

9 and 

10 (4) to the greatest extent practicable, is con11 ducted using existing academic programs at an ac12 credited public academic institution that— 

13 (A) is located near a significant number of 

14 Coast Guard, maritime, and other Department 

15 of Homeland Security law enforcement per16 sonnel; and 

17 (B) has an ability to simulate operations 

18 normally conducted at a command center. 

19 TITLE III—SHIPPING AND 

20 NAVIGATION 

21 SEC. 301. TREATMENT OF FISHING PERMITS. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 313 of 

23 title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

24 end the following: 


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1 ‘‘§ 31310. Treatment of fishing permits 

2 ‘‘(a) LIMITATION ON MARITIME LIENS.—This chap3 ter— 

4 ‘‘(1) does not establish a maritime lien on a 

5 fishing permit; and 

6 ‘‘(2) does not authorize any civil action to en7 force a maritime lien on a fishing permit. 

8 ‘‘(b) TREATMENT OF FISHING PERMITS UNDER

9 STATE AND FEDERAL LAW.—A fishing permit— 

10 ‘‘(1) is governed solely by the State or Federal 

11 law under which it is issued; and 

12 ‘‘(2) shall not be treated as part of a vessel, or 

13 as an appurtenance or intangible of a vessel, for any 

14 purpose under Federal law. 

15 ‘‘(c) AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF COMMERCE NOT

16 AFFECTED.—Nothing in this section shall be construed as 

17 imposing any limitation upon the authority of the Sec18 retary of Commerce— 

19 ‘‘(1) to modify, suspend, revoke, or impose a 

20 sanction on any fishing permit issued by the Sec21 retary of Commerce; or 

22 ‘‘(2) to bring a civil action to enforce such a 

23 modification, suspension, revocation, or sanction. 

24 ‘‘(d) FISHING PERMIT DEFINED.—In this section the 

25 term ‘fishing permit’ means any authorization of a person 


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1 or vessel to engage in fishing that is issued under State 

2 or Federal law.’’. 

3 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

4 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

5 after the item relating to section 31309 the following: 

‘‘31310. Treatment of fishing permits.’’. 

6 SEC. 302. SURVIVAL CRAFT. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3104 of title 46, United 

8 States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘§ 3104. Survival craft 

10 ‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT TO EQUIP.—The Secretary shall 

11 require that a passenger vessel be equipped with survival 

12 craft that ensures that no part of an individual is im13 mersed in water, if— 

14 ‘‘(1) such vessel is built or undergoes a major 

15 conversion after January 1, 2016; and 

16 ‘‘(2) operates in cold waters as determined by 

17 the Secretary. 

18 ‘‘(b) HIGHER STANDARD OF SAFETY.—The Sec19 retary may revise part 117 or part 180 of title 46, Code 

20 of Federal Regulations, as in effect before January 1, 

21 2016, if such revision provides a higher standard of safety 

22 than is provided by the regulations in effect on or before 

23 the date of the enactment of the Coast Guard Authoriza24 tion Act of 2015. 


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1 ‘‘(c) INNOVATIVE AND NOVEL DESIGNS.—The Sec2 retary may, in lieu of the requirements set out in part 

3 117 or part 180 of title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, 

4 as in effect on the date of the enactment of the Coast 

5 Guard Authorization Act of 2015, allow a passenger vessel 

6 to be equipped with a life saving appliance or arrangement 

7 of an innovative or novel design that— 

8 ‘‘(1) ensures no part of an individual is im9 mersed in water; and 

10 ‘‘(2) provides an equal or higher standard of 

11 safety than is provided by such requirements as in 

12 effect before such date of the enactment. 

13 ‘‘(d) BUILT DEFINED.—In this section, the term 

14 ‘built’ has the meaning that term has under section 

15 4503(e).’’. 

16 (b) REVIEW; REVISION OF REGULATIONS.— 

17 (1) REVIEW.—Not later than December 31, 

18 2015, the Secretary of the department in which the 

19 Coast Guard is operating shall submit to the Com20 mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 

21 House of Representatives and the Committee on 

22 Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen23 ate a review of— 

24 (A) the number of casualties for individ25 uals with disabilities, children, and the elderly 


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1 as a result of immersion in water, reported to 

2 the Coast Guard over the preceding 30-year pe3 riod, by vessel type and area of operation; 

4 (B) the risks to individuals with disabil5 ities, children, and the elderly as a result of im6 mersion in water, by passenger vessel type and 

7 area of operation; 

8 (C) the effect that carriage of survival 

9 craft that ensure that no part of an individual 

10 is immersed in water has on— 

11 (i) passenger vessel safety, including 

12 stability and safe navigation; 

13 (ii) improving the survivability of indi14 viduals, including individuals with disabil15 ities, children, and the elderly; and 

16 (iii) the costs, the incremental cost 

17 difference to vessel operators, and the cost 

18 effectiveness of requiring the carriage of 

19 such survival craft to address the risks to 

20 individuals with disabilities, children, and 

21 the elderly; 

22 (D) the efficacy of alternative safety sys23 tems, devices, or measures in improving surviv24 ability of individuals with disabilities, children, 

25 and the elderly; and 


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1 (E) the number of small businesses and 

2 nonprofit vessel operators that would be af3 fected by requiring the carriage of such survival 

4 craft on passenger vessels to address the risks 

5 to individuals with disabilities, children, and the 

6 elderly. 

7 (2) REVISION.—Based on the review conducted 

8 under paragraph (1), the Secretary may revise regu9 lations concerning the carriage of survival craft pur10 suant to section 3104(c) of title 46, United States 

11 Code. 

12 SEC. 303. ENFORCEMENT. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 55305(d) of title 46, 

14 United States Code, is amended— 

15 (1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as fol16 lows: 

17 ‘‘(1) Each department or agency that has re18 sponsibility for a program under this section shall 

19 administer that program consistent with this section 

20 and any regulations and guidance issued by the Sec21 retary of Transportation concerning this section.’’; 

22 (2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para23 graph (3), and by inserting after paragraph (1) the 

24 following: 


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1 ‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary, after consulting with 

2 the department, agency, organization, or person in3 volved, shall have exclusive authority for determining 

4 the applicability of this section to a program of a 

5 Federal department or agency, after consulting with 

6 the department, agency, organization, or person in7 volved. 

8 ‘‘(B) The head of a Federal department or 

9 agency shall request the Secretary to determine the 

10 applicability of this section to a program of such de11 partment or agency if the department or agency is 

12 uncertain of such applicability. Not later than 30 

13 days after receiving such a request, the Secretary 

14 shall make such determination. 

15 ‘‘(C) Subparagraph (B) shall not be construed 

16 to limit the authority of the Secretary to make a de17 termination regarding the applicability of this sec18 tion to a program administered by a Federal depart19 ment or agency. 

20 ‘‘(D) A determination made by the Secretary 

21 under this paragraph regarding a program shall re22 main in effect until the Secretary determines that 

23 this section no longer applies to such program.’’; 

24 (3) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by 

25 amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows: 


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1 ‘‘(A) shall conduct an annual review of the 

2 administration of programs subject to the re3 quirements of this section to determine compli4 ance with the requirements of this section;’’; 

5 and 

6 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(4) On the date on which the President sub8 mits to Congress a budget pursuant to section 1105 

9 of title 31, the Secretary shall make available on the 

10 Internet website of the Department of Transpor11 tation a report that— 

12 ‘‘(A) lists the programs that were subject 

13 to determinations made by the Secretary under 

14 paragraph (2) in the preceding year; and 

15 ‘‘(B) describes the results of the most re16 cent annual review required by paragraph 

17 (3)(A), including identification of the depart18 ments and agencies that transported cargo in 

19 violation of this section and any action the Sec20 retary took under paragraph (3) with respect to 

21 each violation.’’. 

22 (b) DEADLINE FOR FIRST REVIEW.—The Secretary 

23 of Transportation shall complete the first review required 

24 under the amendment made by subsection (a)(1)(C) by 

25 not later than December 31, 2015. 


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1 SEC. 304. MODEL YEARS FOR RECREATIONAL VESSELS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 4302 of title 46, United 

3 States Code is amended by adding at the end the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(d)(1) If in prescribing regulations under this sec6 tion the Secretary establishes a model year for recreational 

7 vessels and associated equipment, such model year shall, 

8 except as provided in paragraph (2)— 

9 ‘‘(A) begin on June 1 of a year and end on July 

10 31 of the following year; and 

11 ‘‘(B) be designated by the year in which it ends. 

12 ‘‘(2) Upon the request of a recreational vessel manu13 facturer to which this chapter applies, the Secretary may 

14 alter a model year for a model of recreational vessel of 

15 the manufacturer and associated equipment, by no more 

16 than 6 months from the model year described in para17 graph (1).’’. 

18 (b) APPLICATION.—This section shall only apply with 

19 respect to recreational vessels and associated equipment 

20 constructed or manufactured, respectively, on or after 

21 June 1, 2015. 

22 (c) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 90 days after the 

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

24 department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall 

25 publish guidance to implement section 4302(d)(2) of title 

26 46, United States Code. 


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1 SEC. 305. MERCHANT MARINER CREDENTIAL EXPIRATION 

2 HARMONIZATION. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 

4 (c) and not later than 1 year after the date of the enact5 ment of this Act, the Secretary of the department in which 

6 the Coast Guard is operating shall establish a process to 

7 harmonize the expiration dates of merchant mariner cre8 dentials, mariner medical certificates, and radar observer 

9 endorsements for individuals applying to the Secretary for 

10 a new merchant mariner credential or for renewal of an 

11 existing merchant mariner credential. 

12 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall ensure 

13 that the process established under subsection (a)— 

14 (1) does not require an individual to renew a 

15 merchant mariner credential earlier than the date on 

16 which the individual’s current credential expires; and 

17 (2) results in harmonization of expiration dates 

18 for merchant mariner credentials, mariner medical 

19 certificates, and radar observer endorsements for all 

20 individuals by not later than 6 years after the date 

21 of the enactment of this Act. 

22 (c) EXCEPTION.—The process established under sub23 section (a) does not apply to individuals— 

24 (1) holding a merchant mariner credential 

25 with— 


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1 (A) an active Standards of Training, Cer2 tification, and Watchkeeping endorsement; or 

3 (B) Federal first-class pilot endorsement; 

4 or 

5 (2) who have been issued a time-restricted med6 ical certificate. 

7 SEC. 306. MARINE EVENT SAFETY ZONES. 

8 Section 6 of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act of 

9 1972 (33 U.S.C. 1225) is amended by adding at the end 

10 the following: 

11 ‘‘(c) MARINE EVENT SAFETY ZONES.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para13 graph (2), the Secretary shall recover all costs the 

14 Coast Guard incurs to enforce a safety zone under 

15 this section if such safety zone is established for a 

16 marine event conducted under a permit or other au17 thorization by the Coast Guard. 

18 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may not re19 cover costs under paragraph (1) from a State or 

20 local government. 

21 ‘‘(3) TREATMENT OF RECOVERED COSTS.— 

22 Costs recovered by the Secretary under this sub23 section shall be credited to the appropriation for op24 erating expenses of the Coast Guard. 


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1 ‘‘(4) MARINE EVENT DEFINED.—In this section 

2 the term ‘marine event’ means a planned activity of 

3 limited duration that by its nature, circumstances, 

4 or location, will introduce extra or unusual hazards 

5 to the safety of life on the navigable waters of the 

6 United States.’’. 

7 SEC. 307. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 

8 (a) TITLE 46.—Title 46, United States Code, is 

9 amended— 

10 (1) in section 103, by striking ‘‘(33 U.S.C. 

11 151).’’ and inserting ‘‘(33 U.S.C. 151(b)).’’; 

12 (2) in section 2118— 

13 (A) in subsection (a), in the matter pre14 ceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘title,’’ and 

15 inserting ‘‘subtitle,’’; and 

16 (B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘title’’ 

17 and inserting ‘‘subtitle’’; 

18 (3) in the analysis for chapter 35— 

19 (A) by adding a period at the end of the 

20 item relating to section 3507; and 

21 (B) by adding a period at the end of the 

22 item relating to section 3508; 

23 (4) in section 3715(a)(2), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 

24 and inserting a semicolon; 


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1 (5) in section 8103(b)(1)(A)(iii), by striking 

2 ‘‘Academy.’’ and inserting ‘‘Academy; and’’; and 

3 (6) in section 11113(c)(1)(A)(i), by striking 

4 ‘‘under this Act’’; 

5 (b) GENERAL BRIDGE STATUTES.— 

6 (1) ACT OF MARCH 3, 1899.—The Act of March 

7 3, 1899, popularly known as the Rivers and Harbors 

8 Appropriations Act of 1899, is amended— 

9 (A) in section 9 (33 U.S.C. 401), by strik10 ing ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ each place it 

11 appears and inserting ‘‘Secretary of the depart12 ment in which the Coast Guard is operating’’; 

13 and 

14 (B) in section 18 (33 U.S.C. 502), by 

15 striking ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ each 

16 place it appears and inserting ‘‘Secretary of the 

17 department in which the Coast Guard is oper18 ating’’. 

19 (2) ACT OF MARCH 23, 1906.—The Act of March 

20 23, 1906, popularly known as the Bridge Act of 

21 1906, is amended— 

22 (A) in the first section (33 U.S.C. 491), by 

23 striking ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ and in24 serting ‘‘Secretary of the department in which 

25 the Coast Guard is operating’’; 


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1 (B) in section 4 (33 U.S.C. 494), by strik2 ing ‘‘Secretary of Homeland Security’’ each 

3 place it appears and inserting ‘‘Secretary of the 

4 department in which the Coast Guard is oper5 ating’’; and 

6 (C) in section 5 (33 U.S.C. 495), by strik7 ing ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ each place it 

8 appears and inserting ‘‘Secretary of the depart9 ment in which the Coast Guard is operating’’. 

10 (3) ACT OF AUGUST 18, 1894.—Section 5 of the 

11 Act entitled ‘‘An Act making appropriations for the 

12 construction, repair, and preservation of certain pub13 lic works on rivers and harbors, and for other pur14 poses’’, approved August 18, 1894 (33 U.S.C. 499) 

15 is amended by striking ‘‘Secretary of Transpor16 tation’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘Sec17 retary of the department in which the Coast Guard 

18 is operating’’. 

19 (4) ACT OF JUNE 21, 1940.—The Act of June 

20 21, 1940, popularly known as the Truman-Hobbs 

21 Act, is amended— 

22 (A) in the first section (33 U.S.C. 511), by 

23 striking ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ and in24 serting ‘‘Secretary of the department in which 

25 the Coast Guard is operating’’; 


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1 (B) in section 4 (33 U.S.C. 514), by strik2 ing ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘Secretary of the department in which the 

4 Coast Guard is operating’’; 

5 (C) in section 7 (33 U.S.C. 517), by strik6 ing ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ each place it 

7 appears and inserting ‘‘Secretary of the depart8 ment in which the Coast Guard is operating’’; 

9 and 

10 (D) in section 13 (33 U.S.C. 523), by 

11 striking ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ and in12 serting ‘‘Secretary of the department in which 

13 the Coast Guard is operating’’. 

14 (5) GENERAL BRIDGE ACT OF 1946.—The Gen15 eral Bridge Act 1946 is amended— 

16 (A) in section 502(b) (33 U.S.C. 525(b)), 

17 by striking ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ and 

18 inserting ‘‘Secretary of the department in which 

19 the Coast Guard is operating’’; and 

20 (B) in section 510 (33 U.S.C. 533), by 

21 striking ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ each 

22 place it appears and inserting ‘‘Secretary of the 

23 department in which the Coast Guard is oper24 ating’’. 


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1 (6) INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE ACT OF 1972.—The 

2 International Bridge Act of 1972 is amended— 

3 (A) in section 5 (33 U.S.C. 535c), by 

4 striking ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ and in5 serting ‘‘Secretary of the department in which 

6 the Coast Guard is operating’’; and 

7 (B) in section 8 (33 U.S.C. 535e), by 

8 striking ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ each 

9 place it appears and inserting ‘‘Secretary of the 

10 department in which the Coast Guard is oper11 ating’’. 

12 SEC. 308. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS OF MA13 RINE CASUALTY REPORTING. 

14 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact15 ment of this Act, the Commandant of the Coast Guard 

16 shall notify the Committee on Transportation and Infra17 structure of the House of Representatives and the Com18 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

19 Senate of the actions the Commandant will take to imple20 ment recommendations on improvements to the Coast 

21 Guard’s marine casualty reporting requirements and pro22 cedures included in— 

23 (1) the Department of Homeland Security Of24 fice of Inspector General report entitled ‘‘Marine Ac25 cident Reporting, Investigations, and Enforcement 


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1 in the United States Coast Guard’’, released on May 

2 23, 2013; and 

3 (2) the Towing Safety Advisory Committee re4 port entitled ‘‘Recommendations for Improvement of 

5 Marine Casualty Reporting’’, released on March 26, 

6 2015. 

7 SEC. 309. RECREATIONAL VESSEL ENGINE WEIGHTS. 

8 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact9 ment of this Act, the Secretary of the department in which 

10 the Coast Guard is operating shall issue regulations 

11 amending Table 4 to Subpart H of Part 183–Weights 

12 (Pounds) of Outboard Motor and Related Equipment for 

13 Various Boat Horsepower Ratings (33 C.F.R. 183) as ap14 propriate to reflect ‘‘Standard 30–Outboard Engine and 

15 Related Equipment Weights’’ published by the American 

16 Boat and Yacht Council, as in effect on the date of the 

17 enactment of this Act. 

18 SEC. 310. MERCHANT MARINER MEDICAL CERTIFICATION 

19 REFORM. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 75 of title 46, United 

21 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol22 lowing: 

23 ‘‘§ 7509. Medical certification by trusted agents 

24 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro25 vision of law and pursuant to regulations prescribed by 


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1 the Secretary, a trusted agent may issue a medical certifi2 cate to an individual who— 

3 ‘‘(1) must hold such certificate to qualify for a 

4 license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s 

5 document, or endorsement thereto under this part; 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(2) is qualified as to sight, hearing, and phys8 ical condition to perform the duties of such license, 

9 certificate, document, or endorsement, as determined 

10 by the trusted agent. 

11 ‘‘(b) TRUSTED AGENT DEFINED.—In this section the 

12 term ‘trusted agent’ means a medical practitioner certified 

13 by the Secretary to perform physical examinations of an 

14 individual for purposes of a license, certificate of registry, 

15 or merchant mariner’s document under this part.’’. 

16 (b) DEADLINE.—Not later than 3 years after the 

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

18 department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall 

19 issue a final rule implementing section 7509 of title 46, 

20 United States Code, as added by this section. 

21 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for such 

22 chapter is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘7509. Medical certification by trusted agents.’’. 

23 SEC. 311. ATLANTIC COAST PORT ACCESS ROUTE STUDY. 

24 Not later than April 1, 2016, the Commandant of the 

25 Coast Guard shall conclude the Atlantic Coast Port Access 


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1 Route Study and submit the results of such study to the 

2 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 

3 House of Representatives and the Committee on Com4 merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. 

5 SEC. 312. CERTIFICATES OF DOCUMENTATION FOR REC6 REATIONAL VESSELS. 

7 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact8 ment of this Act, the Secretary of the Department in 

9 which the Coast Guard is operating shall issue regulations 

10 that— 

11 (1) make certificates of documentation for rec12 reational vessels effective for 5 years; and 

13 (2) require the owner of such a vessel— 

14 (A) to notify the Coast Guard of each 

15 change in the information on which the 

16 issuance of the certificate of documentation is 

17 based, that occurs before the expiration of the 

18 certificate; and 

19 (B) apply for a new certificates of docu20 mentation for such a vessel if there is any such 

21 change. 

22 SEC. 313. PROGRAM GUIDELINES. 

23 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact24 ment this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall— 


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1 (1) develop guidelines to implement the pro2 gram authorized under section 304(a) of the Coast 

3 Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006 

4 (Public Law 109–241); and 

5 (2) submit such guidelines to the Committee 

6 Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 

7 Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 

8 Science, and Transportation of the Senate. 

9 TITLE IV—FEDERAL MARITIME 

10 COMMISSION 

11 SEC. 401. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 46, United 

13 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol14 lowing: 

15 ‘‘§ 308. Authorization of appropriations 

16 ‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fed17 eral Maritime Commission $24,700,000 for each of fiscal 

18 years 2016 and 2017 for the activities of the Commission 

19 authorized under this chapter and subtitle IV.’’. 

20 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap21 ter 3 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by add22 ing at the end the following: 

‘‘308. Authorization of appropriations.’’. 

23 SEC. 402. DUTIES OF THE CHAIRMAN. 

24 Section 301(c)(3)(A) of title 46, United States Code, 

25 is amended— 


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1 (1) in clause (ii) by striking ‘‘units, but only 

2 after consultation with the other Commissioners;’’ 

3 and inserting ‘‘units (with such appointments sub4 ject to the approval of the Commission);’’; 

5 (2) in clause (iv) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

6 (3) in clause (v) by striking the period at the 

7 end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

8 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(vi) prepare and submit to the Presi10 dent and Congress requests for appropria11 tions for the Commission (with such re12 quests subject to the approval of the Com13 mission).’’. 

14 SEC. 403. PROHIBITION ON AWARDS. 

15 Section 307 of title 46, United States Code, is 

16 amended— 

17 (1) by striking ‘‘The Federal Maritime Commis18 sion’’ and inserting the following: 

19 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Federal Maritime Commis20 sion’’; and 

21 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

22 ‘‘(b) PROHIBITION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), 

23 the Federal Maritime Commission may not expend any 

24 funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it to 


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1 issue an award, prize, commendation, or other honor to 

2 a non-Federal entity.’’. 

3 TITLE V—MISCELLANEOUS 

4 SEC. 501. CONVEYANCE OF COAST GUARD PROPERTY IN 

5 MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 

6 (a) CONVEYANCE AUTHORIZED.—The Commandant 

7 of the Coast Guard may convey all right, title, and interest 

8 of the United States in and to the covered property, upon 

9 payment to the United States of the fair market value of 

10 the covered property. 

11 (b) RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL.—The County of 

12 Marin, California shall have the right of first refusal with 

13 respect to purchase of the covered property under this sec14 tion. 

15 (c) SURVEY.—The exact acreage and legal descrip16 tion of the covered property shall be determined by a sur17 vey satisfactory to the Commandant. 

18 (d) FAIR MARKET VALUE.—The fair market value 

19 of the covered property shall— 

20 (1) be determined by appraisal; and 

21 (2) be subject to the approval of the Com22 mandant. 

23 (e) COSTS OF CONVEYANCE.—The responsibility for 

24 all reasonable and necessary costs, including real estate 

25 transaction and environmental documentation costs, assoVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 Apr 28, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1987.IH H1987

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1 ciated with a conveyance under this section shall be deter2 mined by the Commandant and the purchaser. 

3 (f) ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The 

4 Commandant may require such additional terms and con5 ditions in connection with a conveyance under this section 

6 as the Commandant considers appropriate and reasonable 

7 to protect the interests of the United States. 

8 (g) DEPOSIT OF PROCEEDS.—Any proceeds received 

9 by the United States in a conveyance under this section 

10 shall be deposited in the Coast Guard Housing Fund es11 tablished by section 687 of title 14, United States Code. 

12 (h) COVERED PROPERTY DEFINED.—In this section, 

13 the term ‘‘covered property’’ means the approximately 32 

14 acres of real property (including all improvements located 

15 on the property) that are— 

16 (1) located at Station Point Reyes in Marin 

17 County, California; 

18 (2) under the administrative control of the 

19 Coast Guard; and 

20 (3) described as ‘‘Parcel A, Tract 1’’, ‘‘Parcel 

21 B, Tract 2’’, ‘‘Parcel C’’, and ‘‘Parcel D’’ in the 

22 Declaration of Taking (Civil No. C–71–1245 SC) 

23 filed June 28, 1971, in the United States District 

24 Court for the Northern District of California. 


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1 SEC. 502. ELIMINATION OF REPORTS. 

2 (a) DISTANT WATER TUNA FLEET.—Section 421 of 

3 the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 

4 2006 (46 U.S.C. 8103 note) is amended by striking sub5 section (d). 

6 (b) ANNUAL UPDATES ON LIMITS TO LIABILITY.— 

7 Section 603(c)(3) of the Coast Guard and Maritime 

8 Transportation Act of 2006 (33 U.S.C. 2704 note) is 

9 amended by striking ‘‘on an annual basis.’’ and inserting 

10 ‘‘not later than January 30 of the year following each year 

11 in which occurs an oil discharge from a vessel or nonvessel 

12 source that results or is likely to result in removal costs 

13 and damages (as those terms are defined in section 1001 

14 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701)) that 

15 exceed liability limits established under section 1004 of the 

16 Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2704).’’. 

17 (c) INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE ACT OF 1972.—The 

18 International Bridge Act of 1972 is amended by striking 

19 section 11 (33 U.S.C. 535h). 

20 SEC. 503. VESSEL DOCUMENTATION. 

21 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact22 ment this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 

23 States shall submit to the Committee on Transportation 

24 and infrastructure of the House and the Committee on 

25 Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a 

26 description of actions that could be taken to— 


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1 (1) improve the efficiency of performance of the 

2 functions currently carried out by the National Ves3 sel Documentation Center, including by— 

4 (A) transferring such functions to Coast 

5 Guard headquarters; and 

6 (B) reassigning Coast Guard personnel to 

7 better meet the Coast Guard’s vessel docu8 mentation mission; and 

9 (2) strengthen the review of compliance with 

10 United States ownership requirements for vessels 

11 documented under the laws of the United States. 

Æ 


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