I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2204
To authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1998 and 1999 for the Coast
Guard, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 21, 1997
Mr. SHUSTER (for himself, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. GILCHREST, and Mr. CLEM-
ENT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1998 and 1999
for the Coast Guard, 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 ‘‘Coast Guard Author-
ization Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
TITLE I—AUTHORIZATION
Sec. 101. Authorization of appropriations.
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Sec. 102. Authorized levels of military strength and training.
TITLE II—COAST GUARD MANAGEMENT
Sec. 201. Removal of cap on warrant officer severance pay.
Sec. 202. Authority to implement awards programs.
TITLE III—MARINE SAFETY
Sec. 301. Extension of territorial sea for certain laws.
Sec. 302. Penalties for interfering with the safe operation of a vessel.
TITLE IV—MISCELLANEOUS
Sec. 401. Vessel identification system amendments.
Sec. 402. Conveyance of Coast Guard Reserve training facility, Jacksonville,
Florida.
Sec. 403. Documentation of certain vessels.
Sec. 404. Conveyance of Coast Guard facility in Nahant, Massachusetts.
Sec. 405. Unreasonable obstruction to navigation.
Sec. 406. Financial responsibility for oil spill response vessels.
Sec. 407. Conveyance of Coast Guard property to Jacksonville University, Flor-
ida.
Sec. 408. Penalty for violation of international safety convention.
TITLE I—AUTHORIZATION
SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Funds are authorized to be appropriated for nec-
essary expenses of the Coast Guard, as follows:
(1) For the operation and maintenance of the
Coast Guard—
(A) for fiscal year 1998, $2,790,700,000;
and
(B) for fiscal year 1999, $2,854,700,000;
of which $25,000,000 shall be derived each fis-
cal year from the Oil Spill Liability Trust
Fund.
(2) For the acquisition, construction, rebuild-
ing, and improvement of aids to navigation, shore
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shall be derived each fiscal year from the Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund to carry out the purposes of
section 1012(a)(5) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
(4) For retired pay (including the payment of
obligations otherwise chargeable to lapsed appropria-
tions for this purpose), payments under the Retired
Serviceman’s Family Protection and Survivor Bene-
fit Plans, and payments for medical care of retired
personnel and their dependents under chapter 55 of
title 10, United States Code—
(A) for fiscal year 1998, $652,000,000;
and
(B) for fiscal year 1999, $692,000,000.
(5) For alteration or removal of bridges over
navigable waters of the United States constituting
obstructions to navigation, and for personnel and
administrative costs associated with the Bridge Al-
teration Program—
(A) for fiscal year 1998, $17,300,000; and
(B) for fiscal year 1999, $20,000,000,
to remain available until expended.
(6) For environmental compliance and restora-
tion at Coast Guard facilities (other than parts and
equipment associated with operations and mainte-
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nance), $21,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1998
and 1999, to remain available until expended.
SEC. 102. AUTHORIZED LEVELS OF MILITARY STRENGTH
AND TRAINING.
(a) ACTIVE DUTY STRENGTH.—The Coast Guard is
authorized an end-of-year strength for active duty person-
nel of—
(1) 37,944 as of September 30, 1998; and
(2) 38,038 as of September 30, 1999.
(b) MILITARY TRAINING STUDENT LOADS.—The
Coast Guard is authorized average military training stu-
dent loads as follows:
(1) For recruit and special training—
(A) for fiscal year 1998, 1424 student
years; and
(B) for fiscal year 1999, 1424 student
years.
(2) For flight training—
(A) for fiscal year 1998, 98 student years;
and
(B) for fiscal year 1999, 98 student years.
(3) For professional training in military and ci-
vilian institutions—
(A) for fiscal year 1998, 283 student
years; and
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(B) for fiscal year 1999, 283 student
years.
(4) For officer acquisition—
(A) for fiscal year 1998, 814 student
years; and
(B) for fiscal year 1999, 810 student
years.
TITLE II—COAST GUARD
MANAGEMENT
SEC. 201. REMOVAL OF CAP ON WARRANT OFFICER SEVER-
ANCE PAY.
Section 286a(d) of title 14, United States Code, is
amended by striking the last sentence.
SEC. 202. AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT AWARDS PROGRAMS.
Section 93 of title 14, United States Code, is amend-
ed—
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at
the end and inserting a semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (4), by redesignating subpara-
graphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B),
respectively;
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (a) through (u)
in order as paragraphs (1) through (21);
(4) by redesignating the existing text (as so
amended) as subsection (a); and
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(5) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(b) The Commandant may provide for the honorary
recognition of individuals and organizations, including
State and local governments and commercial and non-
profit organizations, that significantly contribute to Coast
Guard programs, missions, or operations, by awarding
plaques, medals, trophies, badges, and similar items to ac-
knowledge that contribution.’’.
TITLE III—MARINE SAFETY
SEC. 301. EXTENSION OF TERRITORIAL SEA FOR CERTAIN
LAWS.
(a) PORTS AND WATERWAYS SAFETY ACT.—Section
102 of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act (Public Law
92–340; 33 U.S.C. 1222) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
‘‘(5) ‘Navigable waters of the United States’ in-
cludes all waters of the territorial sea of the United
States as described in Presidential Proclamation
5928 of December 27, 1988.’’.
(b) TITLE 46, UNITED STATES CODE.—Subtitle II
of title 46, United States Code, is amended as follows:
(1) In section 2101—
(A) by redesignating paragraph (17a) as
paragraph (17b); and
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(B) by inserting after paragraph (17) the
following:
‘‘(17a) ‘navigable waters of the United States’
includes all waters of the territorial sea of the Unit-
ed States as described in Presidential Proclamation
5928 of December 27, 1988.’’.
(2) In section 2301, by inserting ‘‘(including
the territorial sea of the United States as described
in Presidential Proclamation 5928 of December 27,
1988,)’’ after ‘‘of the United States’’.
(3) In section 4102(e), by striking ‘‘on the high
seas’’ and inserting ‘‘beyond 3 nautical miles from
the baseline from which the territorial sea of the
United States is measured’’.
(4) In section 4301(a), by inserting ‘‘(including
the territorial sea of the United States as described
in Presidential Proclamation 5928 of December 27,
1988)’’ after ‘‘of the United States’’.
(5) In section 4502(a)(7), by striking ‘‘on ves-
sels that operate on the high seas’’ and inserting
‘‘beyond 3 nautical miles from the baseline from
which the territorial sea of the United States is
measured’’.
(6) In section 4506(b), by striking paragraph
(2) and inserting the following: