H. R. 4188—55 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an assess-
ment of the costs incurred by the Federal Government to carry 
out polar icebreaking missions. The assessment shall— 
(1) describe current and emerging requirements for the 
Coast Guard’s polar icebreaking capabilities, taking into 
account the rapidly changing ice cover in the Arctic environ-
ment, national security considerations, and expanding commer-
cial activities in the Arctic and Antarctic, including marine 
transportation, energy development, fishing, and tourism; 
(2) identify potential design, procurement, leasing, service 
contracts, crewing, and technology options that could minimize 
life-cycle costs and optimize efficiency and reliability of Coast 
Guard polar icebreaker operations in the Arctic and Antarctic; 
and 
(3) examine— 
(A) Coast Guard estimates of the procurement and 
operating costs of a Polar icebreaker capable of carrying 
out Coast Guard maritime safety, national security, and 
stewardship responsibilities including— 
(i) economies of scale that might be achieved for 
construction of multiple vessels; and 
(ii) costs of renovating existing polar class ice-
breakers to operate for a period of no less than 10 
years. 
(B) the incremental cost to augment the design of 
such an icebreaker for multiuse capabilities for scientific 
missions; 
(C) the potential to offset such incremental cost 
through cost-sharing agreements with other Federal 
departments and agencies; and 
(D) United States polar icebreaking capability in 
comparison with that of other Arctic nations, and with 
nations that conduct research in the Arctic. 
(b) INCLUDED COSTS.—For purposes of subsection (a), the 
assessment shall include costs incurred by the Federal Government 
for— 
(1) the lease or operation and maintenance of the vessel 
or vessels concerned; 
(2) disposal of such vessels at the end of the useful life 
of the vessels; 
(3) retirement and other benefits for Federal employees 
who operate such vessels; and 
(4) interest payments assumed to be incurred for Federal 
capital expenditures. 
(c) ASSUMPTIONS.—For purposes of comparing the costs of such 
alternatives, the Academy shall assume that— 
(1) each vessel under consideration is— 
(A) capable of breaking out McMurdo Station and con-
ducting Coast Guard missions in the Antarctic, and in 
the United States territory in the Arctic (as that term 
is defined in section 112 of the Arctic Research and Policy 
Act of 1984 (15 U.S.C. 4111)); and 
(B) operated for a period of 30 years; 
(2) the acquisition of services and the operation of each 
vessel begins on the same date; and 
(3) the periods for conducting Coast Guard missions in 
the Arctic are of equal lengths.
H. R. 4188—56 
(d) USE
OF INFORMATION.—In formulating cost pursuant to 
subsection (a), the National Academy of Sciences may utilize 
information from other Coast Guard reports, assessments, or anal-
yses regarding existing Coast Guard Polar class icebreakers or 
for the acquisition of a polar icebreaker for the Federal Government. 
SEC. 605. COASTWISE ENDORSEMENTS. 
(a) ‘‘ELETTRA III’’.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding sections 12112 and 
12132, of title 46, United States Code, and subject to para-
graphs (2) and (3), the Secretary of the department in which 
the Coast Guard is operating may issue a certificate of docu-
mentation with a coastwise endorsement for the vessel M/ 
V Elettra III (United States official number 694607). 
(2) LIMITATION ON OPERATION.—Coastwise trade authorized 
under a certificate of documentation issued under paragraph 
(1) shall be limited to the carriage of passengers and equipment 
in association with the operation of the vessel in the Puget 
Sound region to support marine and maritime science edu-
cation. 
(3) TERMINATION
OF
EFFECTIVENESS
OF
CERTIFICATE.—A 
certificate of documentation issued under paragraph (1) shall 
expire on the earlier of— 
(A) the date of the sale of the vessel or the entity 
that owns the vessel; 
(B) the date any repairs or alterations are made to 
the vessel outside of the United States; or 
(C) the date the vessel is no longer operated as a 
vessel in the Puget Sound region to support the marine 
and maritime science education. 
(b) ‘‘F/V RONDYS’’.—Notwithstanding section 12132 of title 46, 
United States Code, the Secretary of the department in which 
the Coast Guard is operating may issue a certificate of documenta-
tion with a coastwise endorsement for the F/V Rondys (O.N. 291085) 
SEC. 606. INTERNATIONAL ICE PATROL. 
(a) REQUIREMENT FOR REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commandant of the 
Coast Guard shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representatives a report that 
describes the current operations to perform the International Ice 
Patrol mission and on alternatives for carrying out that mission, 
including satellite surveillance technology. 
(b) ALTERNATIVES.—The report required by subsection (a) shall 
include whether an alternative— 
(1) provides timely data on ice conditions with the highest 
possible resolution and accuracy; 
(2) is able to operate in all weather conditions or any 
time of day; and 
(3) is more cost effective than the cost of current operations. 
SEC. 607. ASSESSMENT OF OIL SPILL RESPONSE AND CLEANUP ACTIVI-
TIES IN THE GREAT LAKES. 
(a) ASSESSMENT.—The Commandant of the Coast Guard, in 
consultation with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration and the head of any other agency
H. R. 4188—57 
the Commandant determines appropriate, shall conduct an assess-
ment of the effectiveness of oil spill response activities specific 
to the Great Lakes. Such assessment shall include— 
(1) an evaluation of new research into oil spill impacts 
in fresh water under a wide range of conditions; and 
(2) an evaluation of oil spill prevention and clean up contin-
gency plans, in order to improve understanding of oil spill 
impacts in the Great Lakes and foster innovative improvements 
to safety technologies and environmental protection systems. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Commandant of the Coast 
Guard shall submit to the Congress a report on the results of 
the assessment required by subsection (a). 
SEC. 608. REPORT ON STATUS OF TECHNOLOGY DETECTING PAS-
SENGERS WHO HAVE FALLEN OVERBOARD. 
Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall submit 
a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives that— 
(1) describes the status of technology for immediately 
detecting passengers who have fallen overboard; 
(2) includes a recommendation to cruise lines on the feasi-
bility of implementing technology that immediately detects pas-
sengers who have fallen overboard, factoring in cost and the 
risk of false positives; 
(3) includes data collected from cruise lines on the status 
of the integration of the technology described in paragraph 
(2) on cruise ships, including— 
(A) the number of cruise ships that have the technology 
to capture images of passengers who have fallen overboard; 
and 
(B) the number of cruise lines that have tested tech-
nology that can detect passengers who have fallen over-
board; and 
(4) includes information on any other available technologies 
that cruise ships could integrate to assist in facilitating the 
search and rescue of a passenger who has fallen overboard. 
SEC. 609. VENUE. 
Section 311(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1861(d)) is amended by striking 
the second sentence and inserting ‘‘In the case of Hawaii or any 
possession of the United States in the Pacific Ocean, the appropriate 
court is the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, 
except that in the case of Guam and Wake Island, the appropriate 
court is the United States District Court for the District of Guam, 
and in the case of the Northern Mariana Islands, the appropriate 
court is the United States District Court for the District of the 
Northern Mariana Islands.’’. 
SEC. 610. DISPOSITION OF INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED TO E-LORAN. 
(a) DISPOSITION OF INFRASTRUCTURE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 14, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
H. R. 4188—58 
‘‘§ 681. Disposition of infrastructure related to E–LORAN 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may not carry out activities 
related to the dismantling or disposal of infrastructure comprising 
the LORAN–C system until the date on which the Secretary pro-
vides to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and 
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and 
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate notice of a deter-
mination by the Secretary that such infrastructure is not required 
to provide a positioning, navigation, and timing system to provide 
redundant capability in the event the Global Positioning System 
signals are disrupted. 
‘‘(b) EXCEPTION.—Subsection (a) does not apply to activities 
necessary for the safety of human life. 
‘‘(c) DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—On any date after the notification is 
made under subsection (a), the Administrator of General Serv-
ices, acting on behalf of the Secretary, may, notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, sell any real and personal property 
under the administrative control of the Coast Guard and used 
for the LORAN–C system, subject to such terms and conditions 
that the Secretary believes to be necessary to protect govern-
ment interests and program requirements of the Coast Guard. 
‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY OF PROCEEDS.— 
‘‘(A) AVAILABILITY OF PROCEEDS.—The proceeds of such 
sales, less the costs of sale incurred by the General Services 
Administration, shall be deposited as offsetting collections 
into the Coast Guard ‘Environmental Compliance and Res-
toration’ account and, without further appropriation, shall 
be available until expended for— 
‘‘(i) environmental compliance and restoration pur-
poses associated with the LORAN–C system; 
‘‘(ii) the costs of securing and maintaining equip-
ment that may be used as a backup to the Global 
Positioning System or to meet any other Federal 
navigation requirement; 
‘‘(iii) the demolition of improvements on such real 
property; and 
‘‘(iv) the costs associated with the sale of such 
real and personal property, including due diligence 
requirements, necessary environmental remediation, 
and reimbursement of expenses incurred by the Gen-
eral Services Administration. 
‘‘(B) OTHER
ENVIRONMENTAL
COMPLIANCE
AND
RES-
TORATION
ACTIVITIES.—After the completion of activities 
described in subparagraph (A), the unexpended balances 
of such proceeds shall be available for any other environ-
mental compliance and restoration activities of the Coast 
Guard.’’ 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis at the beginning 
of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘681. Disposition of infrastructure related to E–LORAN.’’. 
(3) CONFORMING REPEALS.— 
(A) Section 229 of the Howard Coble Coast Guard 
and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–
H. R. 4188—59 
281; 128 Stat. 3040), and the item relating to that section 
in section 2 of such Act, are repealed. 
(B) Subsection 559(e) of the Department of Homeland 
Security Appropriations Act, 2010 (Public Law 111–83; 123 
Stat. 2180) is repealed. 
(b) AGREEMENTS TO DEVELOP BACKUP POSITIONING, NAVIGA-
TION, AND TIMING SYSTEM.—Section 93(a) of title 14, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the 
end of paragraph (23), by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
(24) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and by adding at the end the following 
the following: 
‘‘(25) enter into cooperative agreements, contracts, and 
other agreements with Federal entities and other public or 
private entities, including academic entities, to develop a posi-
tioning, navigation, and timing system to provide redundant 
capability in the event Global Positioning System signals are 
disrupted, which may consist of an enhanced LORAN system.’’. 
SEC. 611. PARKING. 
Section 611(a) of the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime 
Transportation Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–281; 128 Stat. 3064) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) REIMBURSEMENT.—Through September 30, 2017, additional 
parking made available under paragraph (2) shall be made available 
at no cost to the Coast Guard or members and employees of the 
Coast Guard.’’. 
SEC. 612. INAPPLICABILITY OF LOAD LINE REQUIREMENTS TO CER-
TAIN UNITED STATES VESSELS TRAVELING IN THE GULF 
OF MEXICO. 
Section 5102(b) of title 46, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(13) a vessel of the United States on a domestic voyage 
that is within the Gulf of Mexico and operating not more 
than 15 nautical miles seaward of the base line from which 
the territorial sea of the United States is measured between 
Crystal Bay, Florida and Hudson Creek, Florida.’’. 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.