I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5896 
To amend title 14, United States Code, to require the Coast Guard to 
conduct icebreaking operations in the Great Lakes to minimize commer-
cial disruption in the winter months, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 13, 2020 
Mr. GALLAGHER (for himself, Ms. KAPTUR, Mrs. DINGELL, and Mr. GIBBS) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 14, United States Code, to require the Coast 
Guard to conduct icebreaking operations in the Great 
Lakes to minimize commercial disruption in the winter 
months, 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 ‘‘Great Lakes Winter 
Commerce Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES ICEBREAKING OPERATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter IV of chapter 5 of 
title 14, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§ 564. Great Lakes icebreaking operations 
‘‘(a) ICEBREAKING OPERATIONS.—The Commandant 
shall conduct icebreaking operations in the Great Lakes 
in accordance with the standard for icebreaking operations 
under subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) STANDARD FOR ICEBREAKING OPERATIONS.— 
In carrying out subsection (a)— 
‘‘(1) except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
Commandant shall keep channels and harbors in the 
Great Lakes open to navigation not less than 90 
percent of the hours that commercial vessels transit 
ice-covered waterways; and 
‘‘(2) in a year in which the Great Lakes are not 
open to navigation because of ice of a thickness that 
occurs on average only once every 10 years, the 
Coast Guard shall keep channels and harbors in the 
Great Lakes open to navigation at least 70 percent 
of the hours that commercial vessels transit ice-cov-
ered waterways. 
‘‘(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than July 1 
of each year, the Commandant shall submit to Congress 
a report on the icebreaking operations conducted by the 
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Coast Guard in the Great Lakes for the most recent fiscal 
year for which data are available. 
‘‘(d) COORDINATION WITH INDUSTRY.—The Com-
mandant shall coordinate Great Lakes icebreaking oper-
ations with operators of commercial vessels. 
‘‘(e) ICEBREAKING IN CANADA.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Coast Guard shall not 
break ice in Canadian harbors or bays unless the re-
quirements of subsection (b) will be met during such 
activity. 
‘‘(2) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The Commandant 
may waive the prohibition in paragraph (1) on a 
case-by-case basis upon the approval of the Sec-
retary for such waiver and notification to Congress 
of such waiver. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section: 
‘‘(1) COMMERCIAL
VESSEL.—The term ‘com-
mercial vessel’ means any privately owned cargo ves-
sel of at least 500 tons operating in the Great Lakes 
during the winter season. 
‘‘(2) GREAT LAKES.—The term ‘Great Lakes’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 118 of 
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1268). 
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