H. R. 4310—594 
(2) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘an operating agreement 
under this chapter is terminated under subsection (c)(3), or 
if’’. 
(e) TRANSFER OF OPERATING AGREEMENTS.—Section 53105 of 
such title is amended— 
(1) by amending subsection (e) to read as follows: 
‘‘(e) TRANSFER OF OPERATING AGREEMENTS.—A contractor under 
an operating agreement may transfer the agreement (including 
all rights and obligations under the operating agreement) to any 
person that is eligible to enter into the operating agreement under 
this chapter if the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense determine 
that the transfer is in the best interests of the United States. 
A transaction shall not be considered a transfer of an operating 
agreement if the same legal entity with the same vessels remains 
the contracting party under the operating agreement.’’; and 
(2) by amending subsection (f) to read as follows: 
‘‘(f) REPLACEMENT VESSELS.—A contractor may replace a vessel 
under an operating agreement with another vessel that is eligible 
to be included in the Fleet under section 53102(b), if the Secretary, 
in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, approves the replace-
ment of the vessel.’’. 
(f) PAYMENTS.—Section 53106 of such title is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon 
at the end of subparagraph (B), and by striking subparagraph 
(C) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(C) $3,100,000 for each of fiscal years 2012, 2013, 
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018; 
‘‘(D) $3,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2019, 2020, 
and 2021; and 
‘‘(E) $3,700,000 for each of fiscal years 2022, 2023, 
2024, and 2025.’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)(3)(C), by striking ‘‘a LASH vessel.’’ 
and inserting ‘‘a lighter aboard ship vessel.’’; and 
(3) by striking subsection (f). 
(g) 
EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS
AGREEMENTS.—Section 
53107(b)(1) of such title is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An Emergency Preparedness Agreement 
under this section shall require that a contractor for a vessel 
covered by an operating agreement under this chapter shall 
make commercial transportation resources (including services) 
available, upon request by the Secretary of Defense during 
a time of war or national emergency, or whenever the Secretary 
of Defense determines that it is necessary for national security 
or contingency operation (as that term is defined in section 
101 of title 10, United States Code).’’. 
(h) REPEAL OF WAIVER OF AGE RESTRICTION.—Section 53109 
of such title is repealed. 
(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 53111 of such 
title is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (2); and 
(2) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows: 
‘‘(3) $186,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012, 2013, 2014, 
2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018; 
‘‘(4) $210,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019, 2020, and 
2021; and 
‘‘(5) $222,000,000 for each fiscal year thereafter through 
fiscal year 2025.’’.
H. R. 4310—595 
(j) EFFECTIVE DATE OF AMENDMENTS.—The amendments made 
by— 
(1) paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of subsection (a) take effect 
on December 31, 2014; and 
(2) subsection (f)(2) take effect on December 31, 2014. 
SEC. 3509. CONTAINER-ON-BARGE TRANSPORTATION. 
(a) ASSESSMENT.—The Maritime Administrator shall assess the 
potential for using container-on-barge transportation in short sea 
transportation (as such term is defined in section 55605 of title 
46, United States Code). 
(b) FACTORS.—In conducting the assessment under subsection 
(a), the Administrator shall consider— 
(1) the environmental benefits of increasing container-on- 
barge movements in short sea transportation; 
(2) the regional differences in the use of short sea transpor-
tation; 
(3) the existing programs established at coastal and Great 
Lakes ports for establishing awareness of deep sea shipping 
operations; 
(4) the mechanisms necessary to ensure that implementa-
tion of a plan under subsection (c) will not be inconsistent 
with antitrust laws; and 
(5) the potential frequency of container-on-barge service 
at short sea transportation ports. 
(c) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The assessment under subsection (a) 
may include recommendations for a plan to increase awareness 
of the potential for use of container-on-barge transportation. 
(d) DEADLINE.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enact-
ment of this title, the Administrator shall submit the assessment 
required under this section to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives. 
SEC. 3510. SHORT SEA TRANSPORTATION. 
(a) PURPOSE.—Section 55601 of title 46, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘landside congestion.’’ and 
inserting ‘‘landside congestion or to promote short sea transpor-
tation.’’; 
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘coastal corridors’’ and 
inserting ‘‘coastal corridors or to promote short sea transpor-
tation’’; 
(3) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘that the project may’’ 
and all that follows through the end of the subsection and 
inserting ‘‘that the project uses documented vessels and— 
‘‘(1) mitigates landside congestion; or 
‘‘(2) promotes short sea transportation.’’; and 
(4) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘shall’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘may’’. 
(b) DOCUMENTATION.—Section 55605 of title 46, United States 
Code, is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking 
‘‘by vessel’’ and inserting ‘‘by a documented vessel’’. 
SEC. 3511. MARITIME ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 503 of title 46, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
H. R. 4310—596 
‘‘§ 50307. Maritime environmental and technical assistance 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation may engage 
in the environmental study, research, development, assessment, 
and deployment of emerging marine technologies and practices 
related to the marine transportation system through the use of 
public vessels under the control of the Maritime Administration 
or private vessels under United States registry, and through part-
nerships and cooperative efforts with academic, public, private, 
and non-governmental entities and facilities. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary of Transportation may— 
‘‘(1) identify, study, evaluate, test, demonstrate, or improve 
emerging marine technologies and practices that are likely 
to achieve environmental improvements by— 
‘‘(A) reducing air emissions, water emissions, or other 
ship discharges; 
‘‘(B) increasing fuel economy or the use of alternative 
fuels and alternative energy (including the use of shore 
power); or 
‘‘(C) controlling aquatic invasive species; and 
‘‘(2) coordinate with the Environmental Protection Agency, 
the United States Coast Guard, and other Federal, State, local, 
or tribal agencies, as appropriate. 
‘‘(c) COORDINATION.—Coordination under subsection (b)(2) may 
include— 
‘‘(1) activities that are associated with the development 
or approval of validation and testing regimes; and 
‘‘(2) certification or validation of emerging technologies or 
practices that demonstrate significant environmental benefits. 
‘‘(d) ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of Transportation may accept 
gifts, or enter into cooperative agreements, contracts, or other agree-
ments with academic, public, private, and non-governmental entities 
to carry out the activities authorized under subsection (a).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—The table of contents for 
chapter 503 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 50306 the following: 
‘‘50307. Maritime environmental and technical assistance.’’. 
SEC. 3512. IDENTIFICATION OF ACTIONS TO ENABLE QUALIFIED 
UNITED STATES FLAG CAPACITY TO MEET NATIONAL 
DEFENSE REQUIREMENTS. 
Section 501(b) of title 46, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘When the head’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—When the head’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) 
DETERMINATIONS.—The 
Maritime 
Administrator 
shall— 
‘‘(A) for each determination referred to in paragraph 
(1), identify any actions that could be taken to enable 
qualified United States flag capacity to meet national 
defense requirements; 
‘‘(B) provide notice of each such determination to the 
Secretary of Transportation and the head of the agency 
referred to in paragraph (1) for which the determination 
is made; and 
‘‘(C) publish each such determination on the Internet 
Web site of the Department of Transportation not later
H. R. 4310—597 
than 48 hours after notice of the determination is provided 
to the Secretary of Transportation. 
‘‘(3) NOTICE TO CONGRESS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The head of an agency referred 
to in paragraph (1) shall notify the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Armed 
Services of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the 
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate— 
‘‘(i) of any request for a waiver of the navigation 
or vessel-inspection laws under this section not later 
than 48 hours after receiving such a request; and 
‘‘(ii) of the issuance of any such waiver not later 
than 48 hours after such issuance. 
‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—Such head of an agency shall include 
in each notification under subparagraph (A)(ii) an expla-
nation of— 
‘‘(i) the reasons the waiver is necessary; and 
‘‘(ii) the reasons actions referred to in paragraph 
(2)(A) are not feasible.’’. 
SEC. 3513. MARITIME WORKFORCE STUDY. 
(a) TRAINING STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study on the training needs of the maritime 
workforce. 
(b) STUDY COMPONENTS.—The study shall— 
(1) analyze the impact of maritime training requirements 
imposed by domestic and international regulations and conven-
tions, companies, and government agencies that charter or 
operate vessels; 
(2) evaluate the ability of the United States maritime 
training infrastructure to meet the needs of the maritime 
industry; 
(3) identify trends in maritime training; 
(4) compare the training needs of United States mariners 
with the vocational training and educational assistance pro-
grams available from Federal agencies to evaluate the ability 
of Federal programs to meet the training needs of United 
States mariners; 
(5) include recommendations to enhance the capabilities 
of the United States maritime training infrastructure; and 
(6) include recommendations to assist United States mari-
ners and those entering the maritime profession to achieve 
the required training. 
(c) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this title, the Comptroller General shall submit a 
report on the results of the study to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Armed Services 
of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
SEC. 3514. MARITIME ADMINISTRATION VESSEL RECYCLING CON-
TRACT AWARD PRACTICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after the date 
of enactment of this title, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct an assessment of the source selection proce-
dures and practices used to award the Maritime Administration’s