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Reserve component employees of such employers, including
assessing options for improving the time in which employ-
ers of Reservists are notified of the call or order of such
members to active duty other than for training.
(b) REPORT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller
General of the United States shall submit to the ap-
propriate committees of Congress a report on the
study conducted under subsection (a).
(2) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under
paragraph (1) shall—
(A) provide a quantitative and qualitative
assessment of—
(i) what measures, if any, are being
taken to inform Reservists of the obligations
and responsibilities of such members to
their employers;
(ii) how effective such measures have
been; and
(iii) whether there are additional
measures that could be taken to promote
positive working relations between Reserv-
ists and their employers, including any
steps that could be taken to ensure that em-
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ployers are timely notified of a call to ac-
tive duty; and
(B) assess whether there has been a reduc-
tion in the hiring of Reservists by business con-
cerns because of—
(i) any increase in the use of Reservists
after September 11, 2001; or
(ii) any change in any policy of the
Department of Defense relating to Reservists
after September 11, 2001.
(c) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES
OF CONGRESS DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate committees
of Congress’’ means—
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the
Committee on Small Business of the House of Rep-
resentatives.
DIVISION E—MARITIME
ADMINISTRATION
SEC. 5001. SHORT TITLE.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This division may be cited as the
‘‘Maritime Administration Authorities Act of 2007’’.
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TITLE LI—GENERAL
SEC. 5101. COMMERCIAL VESSEL CHARTERING AUTHORITY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 575 of
title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following:
‘‘§ 57533. Vessel chartering authority
‘‘The Secretary of Transportation may enter into con-
tracts or other agreements on behalf of the United States
to purchase, charter, operate, or otherwise acquire the use
of any vessels documented under chapter 121 of this title
and any other related real or personal property. The Sec-
retary is authorized to use this authority as the Secretary
deems appropriate.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The chapter analysis
for chapter 575 of such title is amended by adding at the
end the following:
‘‘57533. Vessel chartering authority.’’.
SEC. 5102. MARITIME ADMINISTRATION VESSEL CHAR-
TERING AUTHORITY.
Section 50303 of title 46, United States Code, is
amended by—
(1) inserting ‘‘vessels,’’ after ‘‘piers,’’; and
(2) by striking ‘‘control;’’ in subsection (a)(1)
and inserting ‘‘control, except that the prior consent
of the Secretary of Defense for such use shall be re-
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quired with respect to any vessel in the Ready Reserve
Force or in the National Defense Reserve Fleet which
is maintained in a retention status for the Depart-
ment of Defense;’’.
SEC. 5103. CHARTERING TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERN-
MENTAL INSTRUMENTALITIES.
Section 11(b) of the Merchant Ship Sales Act of 1946
(50 U.S.C. App. 1744(b)), is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘or’’ after the semicolon in para-
graph (3);
(2) by striking ‘‘Defense.’’ in paragraph (4) and
inserting ‘‘Defense; or’’; and
(3) by adding at the end thereof the following:
‘‘(5) on a reimbursable basis, for charter to the
government of any State, locality, or Territory of the
United States, except that the prior consent of the
Secretary of Defense for such use shall be required
with respect to any vessel in the Ready Reserve Force
or in the National Defense Reserve Fleet which is
maintained in a retention status for the Department
of Defense.’’.
SEC. 5104. DISPOSAL OF OBSOLETE GOVERNMENT VESSELS.
Section 6(c)(1) of the National Maritime Heritage Act
of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 5405(c)(1)) is amended—