I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6253 
To authorize the Maritime Administrator to make grants to States or port 
authorities to cover the cost of repair and construction activities relating 
to certain commercial strategic seaports, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 1, 2012 
Ms. RICHARDSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined 
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize the Maritime Administrator to make grants 
to States or port authorities to cover the cost of repair 
and construction activities relating to certain commercial 
strategic seaports, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ports-to-Forts Act of 
2012’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Seaports serve vital national interests by 
supporting the mobilization and deployment of 
United States troops, facilitating the flow of trade, 
and creating jobs. 
(2) The Commercial Strategic Seaport Grant 
Program is designed to facilitate the movement of 
military forces securely through United States sea-
ports with minimal disruptions to commerce. 
(3) The exponential growth of commercial cargo 
over the past 20 years has generated concern over 
the potential for conflict between military and com-
mercial needs and about the future adequacy of the 
commercial strategic seaport infrastructure to meet 
national security requirements. 
(4) The existing infrastructure at seaports may 
not be readily available when required by the De-
partment of Defense. 
SEC. 3. COMMERCIAL STRATEGIC SEAPORT GRANT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Maritime Administrator, sub-
ject to the availability of appropriations, may make a 
grant to a State or port authority to assist that State or 
port authority to conduct repair or construction activities 
relating to a commercial strategic seaport. 
(b) APPLICATION.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible for a grant 
under this section, a State or port authority shall 
submit to the Administrator, by not later than 1 
year after publication of notice under paragraph (2), 
an application in such form and containing such in-
formation as the Administrator may require. The 
application shall include, at a minimum, a certifi-
cation that any grant funds received by the State or 
port authority shall be used only as provided under 
subsection (c). 
(2) NOTICE.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall, in the Federal Register, publish notice that 
applications are being accepted for grants under 
subsection (a). 
(3) APPLICATION ACCEPTABILITY.—If the Ad-
ministrator determines that an application received 
under paragraph (1) is incomplete or unacceptable, 
the Administrator shall— 
(A) reject the application; and 
(B) advise the State or port authority that 
submitted the application of the reasons for the 
rejection. 
(4) REAPPLICATION.—If the Administrator re-
jects a State’s or port authority’s application under 
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paragraph (1), that State or port authority may sub-
mit an additional application under that paragraph 
not later than the end of the 1-year application pe-
riod established under that paragraph. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) STATE.—A State that receives a grant 
under subsection (a) may only use funds from such 
grant for direct or indirect costs of repair or con-
struction activities relating to— 
(A) a commercial strategic seaport; or 
(B) bridges, roads, rail systems, and other 
infrastructure in the vicinity of such seaport. 
(2) PORT AUTHORITY.—A port authority that 
receives a grant under subsection (a) may only use 
funds from such grant for direct or indirect costs of 
repair or construction activities relating to infra-
structure that is part of the commercial strategic 
seaport. 
(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 1 
year after the date on which a State or port authority re-
ceives a grant under subsection (a), and annually there-
after until all repair or construction activities to be carried 
out under the grant are completed, the State or port au-
thority shall submit a report to the Administrator that in-
cludes— 
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(1) a description of the progress made with re-
spect to such activities; and 
(2) a detailed list of all expenses related to such 
activities. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF USE OF DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS.—Such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this section may be used by the Maritime Ad-
ministrator from any amounts otherwise appropriated for 
the Department of Defense after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COMMERCIAL
STRATEGIC
SEAPORT.—The 
term ‘‘commercial strategic seaport’’ means a port 
(including bridges, roads, rail systems, and other in-
frastructure that is part of the port) that the Sec-
retary of Defense has determined to be vital to the 
readiness and cargo throughput capacity of the De-
partment of Defense. 
(2) PORT AUTHORITY.—The term ‘‘port author-
ity’’ means a local port authority with jurisdiction 
over a commercial strategic seaport. 
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States of the United States and Guam. 
Æ 
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