National Icebreaker Fund Act of 2015

To amend title 14, United States Code, to establish the National Icebreaker Fund to pay the costs of construction, alteration, renovation, lease, or charter of icebreakers for the Coast Guard, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the National Icebreaker Fund Act of 2015 2. National Icebreaker Fund (a) Establishment of Fund Chapter 15 (1) by redesignating subchapter III as subchapter IV; (2) by redesignating section 581 as section 591; and (3) by inserting after chapter II the following: III Icebreakers 581. National Icebreaker Fund (a) Establishment There is established in the Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the National Icebreaker Fund (b) Use (1) Authorized purposes Amounts in the Fund shall be available for obligation and expenditure by the Secretary only for the following purposes: (A) Construction, alteration, and renovation of icebreakers for the Coast Guard, including design work related to construction, alteration, and renovation. (B) Lease or charter of icebreakers for the Coast Guard. (2) Authorization required Amounts in the Fund may be obligated or expended only in amounts authorized by law. (c) Deposits There shall be deposited in the Fund the following: (1) All funds appropriated to the department in which the Coast Guard is operating for— (A) construction, alteration, and renovation of icebreakers, including design work related to construction, alteration, and renovation; or (B) lease or charter of icebreakers. (2) All receipts from the disposition of icebreakers by the Federal Government. (3) Unobligated funds that are transferred to the Fund under subsection (d). (4) Contributions of money, and proceeds of other contributions, accepted under subsection (e). (5) All funds appropriated to the Department of Defense or any other Federal agency for— (A) construction, alteration, and renovation of icebreakers, including design work related to construction, alteration, and renovation; or (B) lease or charter of icebreakers. (d) Transfers At the end of any fiscal year, the Secretary may transfer to the Fund any unobligated funds remaining from funds under the administrative control of the Secretary. (e) Acceptance of support (1) In general The Secretary may accept from any person, foreign government, or international organization any contribution of money, personal property, or assistance in-kind for support of icebreaking in the polar regions. (2) Use Any contribution accepted under paragraph (1) may be retained and used by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating or disposed of in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Secretary, subject to the limitations in subsection (f) and paragraph (3) of this subsection. (f) Limitations on use of funds (1) Foreign vessels Amounts in the Fund may not be used to lease, charter, construct, alter, renovate, or in any other way acquire any vessel built in a shipyard located in a foreign country, unless specifically authorized by law. (2) Construction, alteration, and renovation in United States; vessel design requirements Amounts in the Fund may not be used to construct, alter, or renovate a vessel in any shipyard other than a shipyard in the United States. (3) Purpose of expenditures The Secretary may— (A) expend from the Fund amounts deposited under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (c), only for the lease, charter, construction, alteration, or renovation of icebreakers capable of search and rescue, saving of life at sea, maritime safety and security, drug and migrant interdiction, fisheries law enforcement, and environmental response in the Arctic; and (B) expend from the Fund the amounts deposited under paragraphs (4) and (5) of subsection (c), for— (i) activities described in subparagraph (A); or (ii) additional capabilities that are— (I) necessary to carry out national defense missions; or (II) for missions related to research and resupply in the Antarctic. (g) Expiration of appropriated funds after 10 years No part of an appropriation that is deposited in the Fund under subsection (c)(1) shall remain available for obligation more than 10 years after the end of fiscal year for which appropriated, except to the extent specifically provided by law. (h) Budget requests Budget requests submitted to Congress for the Fund shall separately identify— (1) the amount requested for programs, projects, and activities for construction, alteration, and renovation of icebreakers; and (2) the amount requested for programs, projects, and activities for lease or charter of icebreakers; (i) Definitions In this section: (1) The term Fund (2) The term icebreaker . (b) Clerical amendment The analysis for such chapter is amended by striking the items relating to subchapter III and inserting the following: Subchapter III. Icebreakers Sec. 581. National Icebreaker Fund Subchapter IV. Definitions Sec. 591. Definitions. . 3. International agreement The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of the National Science Foundation, shall enter into an agreement with nations that operate facilities in Antarctica to establish a mechanism to provide icebreaking services necessary to supply those facilities by constructing, leasing or chartering, renovating, operating, or maintaining an icebreaker capable of performing such services.

Summary: National Icebreaker Fund Act of 2015 This bill establishes the National Icebreaker Fund, which shall be available for obligation and expenditure only for construction, alteration, renovation, and the lease or charter of icebreakers for the Coast Guard. There shall be deposited into the Fund: (1) all funds appropriated to any federal agency for construction, alteration, renovation, or the lease or charter of icebreakers; and (2) all receipts from the disposition of icebreakers by the federal government. Amounts in the Fund may not be used to: (1) lease, charter, construct, alter, renovate, or otherwise acquire any vessel built in a shipyard located in a foreign country, unless specifically authorized by law; or (2) construct, alter, or renovate a vessel in any shipyard other than a U.S. shipyard. Amounts in the Fund may be expended for: (1) the lease, charter, construction, alteration, or renovation of icebreakers capable of search and rescue, saving of life at sea, maritime safety and security, drug and migrant interdiction, fisheries law enforcement, and environmental response in the Arctic; and (2) additional capabilities that are necessary to carry out national defense missions or for missions related to research and resupply in the Antarctic. The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall enter into an agreement with nations that operate facilities in Antarctica to establish a mechanism to provide icebreaking services necessary to supply those facilities by constructing, leasing or chartering, renovating, operating, or maintaining an icebreaker.