H. R. 7776—1620 
(v) a description of the resources necessary to sup-
port the fleet mix resulting from such fleet mix anal-
ysis, including billets for crew and operating costs; 
and 
(vi) recommendations to the Commandant for 
Improvements to the Great Lakes icebreaking program, 
including with respect to facilitating commerce and 
meeting all Coast Guard mission needs. 
(2) PROPOSED STANDARDS FOR ICEBREAKING OPERATIONS.— 
The proposed standards described in this subsection are the 
following: 
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Com-
mandant shall keep ice-covered waterways in the Great 
Lakes open to navigation during not less than 90 percent 
of the hours that commercial vessels and ferries attempt 
to transit such ice-covered waterways. 
(B) 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 Commandant 
shall keep ice-covered waterways in the Great Lakes open 
to navigation during not less than 70 percent of the hours 
that commercial vessels and ferries attempt to transit such 
ice-covered waterways. 
(3) REPORT BY COMMANDANT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date on which the Comptroller General submits the report 
under paragraph (1), the Commandant shall submit to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives a report that includes 
the following: 
(A) A plan for Coast Guard implementation of any 
recommendation made by the Comptroller General under 
paragraph (1)(B)(ii) that the Commandant considers appro-
priate. 
(B) With respect to any recommendation made under 
such paragraph that the Commandant declines to imple-
ment and a justification for such decision. 
(C) A review of, and a proposed implementation plan 
for, the results of the fleet mix analysis under paragraph 
(1)(B)(iv). 
(D) Any proposed modifications to the standards for 
icebreaking operations in the Great Lakes. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COMMERCIAL VESSEL.—The term ‘‘commercial vessel’’ 
means any privately owned cargo vessel operating in the Great 
Lakes during the winter season of at least 500 tons, as meas-
ured under section 14502 of title 46, or an alternate tonnage 
measured under section 14302 of such title, as prescribed by 
the Secretary under section 14104 of such title. 
(2) GREAT
LAKES.—The term ‘‘Great Lakes’’ means the 
United States waters of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake 
Huron (including Lake St. Clair), Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, 
their connecting waterways, and their adjacent harbors, and 
the connecting channels (including the following rivers and 
tributaries of such rivers: Saint Mary’s River, Saint Clair River, 
Detroit River, Niagara River, Illinois River, Chicago River, 
Fox River, Grand River, St. Joseph River, St. Louis River,
H. R. 7776—1621 
Menominee River, Muskegon River, Kalamazoo River, and 
Saint Lawrence River to the Canadian border). 
(3) ICE-COVERED WATERWAY.—The term ‘‘ice-covered water-
way’’ means any portion of the Great Lakes in which commer-
cial vessels or ferries operate that is 70 percent or greater 
covered by ice, but does not include any waters adjacent to 
piers or docks for which commercial icebreaking services are 
available and adequate for the ice conditions. 
(4) OPEN TO NAVIGATION.—The term ‘‘open to navigation’’ 
means navigable to the extent necessary, in no particular order 
of priority, to meet the reasonable demands of commerce, mini-
mize delays to passenger ferries, extricate vessels and individ-
uals from danger, prevent damage due to flooding, and conduct 
other Coast Guard missions (as required). 
(5) REASONABLE
DEMANDS
OF
COMMERCE.—The term 
‘‘reasonable demands of commerce’’ means the safe movement 
of commercial vessels and ferries transiting ice-covered water-
ways in the Great Lakes, regardless of type of cargo, at a 
speed consistent with the design capability of Coast Guard 
icebreakers operating in the Great Lakes and appropriate to 
the ice capability of the commercial vessel. 
SEC. 11213. DATABASE ON ICEBREAKING OPERATIONS IN GREAT 
LAKES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant shall establish and main-
tain a database for collecting, archiving, and disseminating data 
on icebreaking operations and commercial vessel and ferry transit 
in the Great Lakes during ice season. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The database required under subsection (a) 
shall include the following: 
(1) Attempts by commercial vessels and ferries to transit 
ice-covered waterways in the Great Lakes that are unsuccessful 
because of inadequate icebreaking. 
(2) The period of time that each commercial vessel or 
ferry was unsuccessful at transit described in paragraph (1) 
due to inadequate icebreaking. 
(3) The amount of time elapsed before each such commercial 
vessel or ferry was successfully broken out of the ice and 
whether it was accomplished by the Coast Guard or by commer-
cial icebreaking assets. 
(4) Relevant communications of each such commercial 
vessel or ferry with the Coast Guard and with commercial 
icebreaking services during such period. 
(5) A description of any mitigating circumstance, such as 
Coast Guard icebreaker diversions to higher priority missions, 
that may have contributed to the amount of time described 
in paragraph (3). 
(c) VOLUNTARY REPORTING.—Any reporting by operators of 
commercial vessels or ferries under this section shall be voluntary. 
(d) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Commandant shall make the 
database available to the public on a publicly accessible website 
of the Coast Guard. 
(e) CONSULTATION WITH INDUSTRY.—With respect to the Great 
Lakes icebreaking operations of the Coast Guard and the develop-
ment of the database required under subsection (a), the Com-
mandant shall consult operators of commercial vessels and ferries.
H. R. 7776—1622 
(f) PUBLIC REPORT.—Not later than July 1 after the first winter 
in which the Commandant is subject to the requirements of section 
564 of title 14, United States Code, the Commandant shall publish 
on a publicly accessible website of the Coast Guard a report on 
the cost to the Coast Guard of meeting the requirements of such 
section. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COMMERCIAL VESSEL.—The term ‘‘commercial vessel’’ 
means any privately owned cargo vessel operating in the Great 
Lakes during the winter season of at least 500 tons, as meas-
ured under section 14502 of title 46, United States Code, or 
an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of such 
title, as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of 
such title. 
(2) GREAT
LAKES.—The term ‘‘Great Lakes’’ means the 
United States waters of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake 
Huron (including Lake St. Clair), Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, 
their connecting waterways, and their adjacent harbors, and 
the connecting channels (including the following rivers and 
tributaries of such rivers: Saint Mary’s River, Saint Clair River, 
Detroit River, Niagara River, Illinois River, Chicago River, 
Fox River, Grand River, St. Joseph River, St. Louis River, 
Menominee River, Muskegon River, Kalamazoo River, and 
Saint Lawrence River to the Canadian border). 
(3) ICE-COVERED WATERWAY.—The term ‘‘ice-covered water-
way’’ means any portion of the Great Lakes in which commer-
cial vessels or ferries operate that is 70 percent or greater 
covered by ice, but does not include any waters adjacent to 
piers or docks for which commercial icebreaking services are 
available and adequate for the ice conditions. 
(4) OPEN TO NAVIGATION.—The term ‘‘open to navigation’’ 
means navigable to the extent necessary to— 
(A) extricate vessels and individuals from danger; 
(B) prevent damage due to flooding; 
(C) meet the reasonable demands of commerce; 
(D) minimize delays to passenger ferries; and 
(E) conduct other Coast Guard missions as required. 
(5) REASONABLE
DEMANDS
OF
COMMERCE.—The term 
‘‘reasonable demands of commerce’’ means the safe movement 
of commercial vessels and ferries transiting ice-covered water-
ways in the Great Lakes, regardless of type of cargo, at a 
speed consistent with the design capability of Coast Guard 
icebreakers operating in the Great Lakes and appropriate to 
the ice capability of the commercial vessel. 
SEC. 11214. CENTER OF EXPERTISE FOR GREAT LAKES OIL SPILL 
SEARCH AND RESPONSE. 
Section 807(d) of the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authoriza-
tion Act of 2018 (14 U.S.C. 313 note) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘Great Lakes’ 
means— 
‘‘(1) Lake Ontario; 
‘‘(2) Lake Erie; 
‘‘(3) Lake Huron (including Lake St. Clair); 
‘‘(4) Lake Michigan; 
‘‘(5) Lake Superior; and
H. R. 7776—1623 
‘‘(6) the connecting channels (including the following rivers 
and tributaries of such rivers: Saint Mary’s River, Saint Clair 
River, Detroit River, Niagara River, Illinois River, Chicago 
River, Fox River, Grand River, St. Joseph River, St. Louis 
River, Menominee River, Muskegon River, Kalamazoo River, 
and Saint Lawrence River to the Canadian border).’’. 
SEC. 11215. GREAT LAKES SNOWMOBILE ACQUISITION PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant shall develop a plan to 
expand snowmobile procurement for Coast Guard units for which 
snowmobiles may improve ice rescue response times while 
maintaining the safety of Coast Guard personnel engaged in ice 
search and rescue. The plan shall include consideration of input 
from Officers in Charge, commanding officers, and commanders 
of such units. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The plan required under subsection (a) shall 
include— 
(1) a consideration of input from Officers in Charge, com-
manding officers, and commanders of Coast Guard units 
described in subsection (a); 
(2) a detailed description of the estimated costs of pro-
curing, maintaining, and training members of the Coast Guard 
at such units to use snowmobiles; and 
(3) an assessment of— 
(A) the degree to which snowmobiles may improve 
ice rescue response times while maintaining the safety 
of Coast Guard personnel engaged in ice search and rescue; 
(B) the operational capabilities of a snowmobile, as 
compared to an airboat, and a force laydown assessment 
with respect to the assets needed for effective operations 
at Coast Guard units conducting ice search and rescue 
activities; and 
(C) the potential risks to members of the Coast Guard 
and members of the public posed by the use of snowmobiles 
by members of the Coast Guard for ice search and rescue 
activities. 
(c) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall finalize the plan 
required under subsection (a) and make the plan available on 
a publicly accessible website of the Coast Guard. 
SEC. 11216. GREAT LAKES BARGE INSPECTION EXEMPTION. 
Section 3302(m) of title 46, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by inserting 
‘‘or a Great Lakes barge’’ after ‘‘seagoing barge’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘section 3301(6) of this title’’ and inserting 
‘‘paragraph (6) or (13) of section 3301 of this title’’. 
SEC. 11217. STUDY ON SUFFICIENCY OF COAST GUARD AVIATION 
ASSETS TO MEET MISSION DEMANDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Commandant shall submit to the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives a report on— 
(1) the force laydown of Coast Guard aviation assets; and