I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2481
To improve maritime safety and the quality of life for Coast Guard personnel,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 12, 2001
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska (for himself, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. LOBIONDO, and Ms.
BROWN of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To improve maritime safety and the quality of life for Coast
Guard personnel, 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 ‘‘Omnibus Maritime Im-
provements Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF COAST GUARD HOUSING AUTHORI-
TIES.
(a) HOUSING CONTRACTORS.—Section 681 of title
14, United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘, includ-
ing a small business concern qualified under section 8(a)
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(a)),’’ after ‘‘pri-
vate persons’’.
(b) BUDGET
AUTHORITY
LIMITATION.—Section
687(f) of title 14, United States Code, is amended by
striking ‘‘$20,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$40,000,000’’.
(c) DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.—Section 687 of title
14, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end
the following new subsection:
‘‘(g) DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AUTHORIZED.—To
promote efficiencies through the use of alternative proce-
dures for expediting new housing projects, the Secretary—
‘‘(1) may develop and implement a Demonstra-
tion Project for acquisition or construction of mili-
tary family housing and military unaccompanied
housing at the Coast Guard installation at Kodiak,
Alaska;
‘‘(2) 
in 
implementing 
the 
Demonstration
Project shall utilize, to the maximum extent possible,
the contracting authority of the Small Business Ad-
ministration’s section 8(a) program;
‘‘(3) shall, to the maximum extent possible, ac-
quire or construct such housing through contracts
with small business concerns qualified under section
8(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(a))
that have their principal place of business in the
State of Alaska; and
‘‘(4) shall report to Congress by September 1 of
each year on the progress of activities under the
Demonstration Project.’’.
(d) EXTENSION.—Section 689 of title 14, United
States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘2001’ and inserting
‘‘2006’’.
SEC. 3. VESSELS FOR CABLE LAYING.
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Only eligible vessels may be
used after the date of enactment of this Act in the course
of—
(1) laying a submarine cable between 2 land-
ings in the United States;
(2) making a shore landing of a submarine
cable in the United States;
(3) laying or burying a submarine cable on or
under the lands beneath the navigable waters of the
United States; or
(4) servicing or maintaining a submarine
cable—
(A) between 2 landings in the United
States, or
(B) on or under the lands beneath the nav-
igable waters of the United States,
(2) the term ‘‘escort operations’’ means accom-
panying a vessel for the purpose of providing towing
or towing assistance to the vessel.
(c) PENALTY.—A person violating this section is lia-
ble to the United States Government for a civil penalty
of not more than $10,000 for each day during which the
violation occurs.
SEC. 5. SEARCH AND RESCUE CENTER STANDARDS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title 14, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end of chapter 17 the following
new section:
‘‘§ 676. Search and rescue center standards
‘‘(a) The Secretary shall establish, implement, and
maintain the minimum standards necessary for the safe
operation of all Coast Guard search and rescue center fa-
cilities, including with respect to the following:
‘‘(1) The lighting, acoustics, and temperature in
the facilities.
‘‘(2) The number of individuals on a shift in
the facility assigned search and rescue responsibil-
ities (including communications), which may be ad-
justed based on seasonal workload.
‘‘(3) The length of time an individual may serve
on watch to minimize fatigue, based on the best sci-
entific information available.
‘‘(4) The scheduling of individuals having
search and rescue responsibilities to minimize fa-
tigue of the individual when on duty in the facility.
‘‘(5) The workload of each individual engaged
in search and rescue responsibilities in the facility.
‘‘(6) Stress management for the individuals as-
signed search and rescue responsibilities in the fa-
cilities.
‘‘(7) The design of equipment and facilities to
minimize fatigue and enhance search and rescue op-
erations.
‘‘(8) Any other requirements that the Secretary
believes will increase the safe operation of the search
and rescue centers.
‘‘(b) An individual on duty or watch in a Coast Guard
search and rescue center facility, including a communica-
tions center, may not work more than 12 hours in a 24-
hour period except in an emergency.’’.
(b) APPLICATION.—Section 676 of title 14, United
States Code (as enacted by subsection (a) of this section)
shall apply beginning on July 1, 2002.
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
at the beginning of chapter 17 of title 14, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘676. Search and rescue center standards.’’.
SEC. 6. VHF COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.
The Secretary of Transportation may authorize a
person providing commercial VHF communications serv-
ices to place commercial VHF communications equipment
on Coast Guard owned or controlled property (including
towers) subject to any terms agreed to by the parties. The
Secretary and that commercial VHF communications
service provider also may enter into an agreement pro-
viding for VHF communications services to the Coast
Guard (including digital selective calling and radio direc-
tion finding services) at a discounted price based on pro-
viding such access to property owned or controlled by the
Coast Guard.
SEC. 7. LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER MARITIME FIRE AND
SAFETY ACTIVITIES.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Transportation not more than $987,400 for
lower Columbia River marine, fire, oil, and toxic spill re-
sponse communications, training, equipment, and program
administration activities conducted by the Maritime Fire
and Safety Association.
SEC. 8. CONFORMING REFERENCES TO THE FORMER MER-
CHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES COMMITTEE.
(a) LAWS CODIFIED IN TITLE 14, UNITED STATES
CODE.—(1) Section 194(b)(2) of title 14, United States
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘Merchant Marine and Fish-
eries’’ and inserting ‘‘Transportation and Infrastructure’’.
(2) Section 663 of title 14, United States Code, is
amended by striking ‘‘Merchant Marine and Fisheries’’
and inserting ‘‘Transportation and Infrastructure’’.
(3) Section 664 of title 14, United States Code, is
amended by striking ‘‘Merchant Marine and Fisheries’’
and inserting ‘‘Transportation and Infrastructure’’.
(b) LAWS CODIFIED IN TITLE 33, UNITED STATES
CODE.—(1) Section 3(d)(3) of the International Naviga-
tional Rules Act of 1977 (33 U.S.C. 1602(d)(3)) is
amended by striking ‘‘Merchant Marine and Fisheries’’
and inserting ‘‘Transportation and Infrastructure’’.
(2) Section 5004(2) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990
(33 U.S.C. 2734(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘Merchant
Marine and Fisheries’’ and inserting Transportation and
Infrastructure’’.
(c) LAWS CODIFIED IN TITLE 46, UNITED STATES
CODE.—(1) Section 6307 of title 46, United States Code,
is amended by striking ‘‘Merchant Marine and Fisheries’’
and inserting ‘‘Transportation and Infrastructure’’.
(2) Section 901g(b)(3) of the Merchant Marine Act,
1936 (46 App. U.S.C. 1241k(b)(3)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘Merchant Marine and Fisheries’’ and inserting
‘‘Transportation and Infrastructure’’.
(3) Section 913(b) of the International Maritime and
Port Security Act (46 App. U.S.C. 1809(b)) is amended
by striking ‘‘Merchant Marine and Fisheries’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Transportation and Infrastructure’’.
SEC. 9. RESTRICTION ON VESSEL DOCUMENTATION.
Section 12108(a) of title 46, United States Code, is
amended by—
(1) amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
‘‘(2) was built in the United States;’’;
(2) striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (3);
(3) inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
‘‘(4) was not forfeited to the United States
Government for a breach of the laws of the United
States; and’’; and
(4) redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph
(5).
SEC. 10. SURVIVAL SUIT REQUIREMENT.
The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall ensure
that all Coast Guard personnel are equipped with ade-
quate safety equipment, including survival suits, while per-
forming search and rescue missions.
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