993 
SEC. 3308. HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTATION AND SUP-
PORTIVE RESEARCH. 
Section 957 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 16277) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 957. HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTATION AND SUP-
PORTIVE RESEARCH. 
‘‘(a) MODELING
AND SIMULATION.—The Secretary 
shall carry out a program to enhance the Nation’s capabili-
ties to develop new reactor technologies through high-per-
formance computation modeling and simulation techniques. 
This program shall coordinate with relevant Federal agen-
cies through the National Strategic Computing Initiative 
created under Executive Order No. 13702 (July 29, 2015) 
while taking into account the following objectives: 
‘‘(1) Utilizing expertise from the private sector, 
universities, and National Laboratories to develop 
computational software and capabilities that prospec-
tive users may access to accelerate research and devel-
opment of advanced fission reactor systems, nuclear 
fusion systems, and reactor systems for space explo-
ration. 
‘‘(2) Developing computational tools to simulate 
and predict nuclear phenomena that may be vali-
dated through physical experimentation. 
‘‘(3) Increasing the utility of the Department’s 
research infrastructure by coordinating with the Ad-
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vanced Scientific Computing Research program with-
in the Office of Science. 
‘‘(4) Leveraging experience from the Energy In-
novation Hub for Modeling and Simulation. 
‘‘(5) Ensuring that new experimental and com-
putational tools are accessible to relevant research 
communities. 
‘‘(b) SUPPORTIVE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.—The Sec-
retary shall consider support for additional research activi-
ties to maximize the utility of its research facilities, includ-
ing physical processes to simulate degradation of materials 
and behavior of fuel forms and for validation of computa-
tional tools.’’. 
SEC. 3309. ENABLING NUCLEAR ENERGY INNOVATION. 
Subtitle E of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(42 U.S.C. 16271 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 958. ENABLING NUCLEAR ENERGY INNOVATION. 
‘‘(a) NATIONAL REACTOR INNOVATION CENTER.—The 
Secretary shall carry out a program to enable the testing 
and demonstration of reactor concepts to be proposed and 
funded by the private sector. The Secretary shall leverage 
the technical expertise of relevant Federal agencies and Na-
tional Laboratories in order to minimize the time required 
to enable construction and operation of privately funded ex-
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perimental reactors at National Laboratories or other De-
partment-owned sites. Such reactors shall operate to meet 
the following objectives: 
‘‘(1) Enabling physical validation of novel reac-
tor concepts. 
‘‘(2) Resolving technical uncertainty and in-
creasing practical knowledge relevant to safety, resil-
ience, security, and functionality of first-of-a-kind re-
actor concepts. 
‘‘(3) General research and development to im-
prove nascent technologies. 
‘‘(b) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of the Nuclear Energy In-
novation Capabilities Act, the Secretary, in consultation 
with the National Laboratories, relevant Federal agencies, 
and other stakeholders, shall transmit to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
of the Senate a report assessing the Department’s capabili-
ties to authorize, host, and oversee privately funded fusion 
and advanced fission experimental reactors as described 
under subsection (a). The report shall address the following: 
‘‘(1) The Department’s oversight capabilities, in-
cluding options to leverage expertise from the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission and National Laboratories. 
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‘‘(2) Potential sites capable of hosting activities 
described under subsection (a). 
‘‘(3) The efficacy of the Department’s available 
contractual mechanisms to partner with the private 
sector and Federal agencies, including cooperative re-
search and development agreements, strategic partner-
ship projects, and agreements for commercializing 
technology. 
‘‘(4) Potential cost structures related to long- 
term projects, including physical security, distribu-
tion of liability, and other related costs. 
‘‘(5) Other challenges or considerations identified 
by the Secretary.’’. 
SEC. 3310. BUDGET PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle E of title IX of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271 et seq.) is further 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 959. BUDGET PLAN. 
‘‘Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment 
of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, the De-
partment shall transmit to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen-
ate 2 alternative 10-year budget plans for civilian nuclear 
energy research and development by the Department. The 
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first shall assume constant annual funding for 10 years at 
the appropriated level for the Department’s civilian nuclear 
energy research and development for fiscal year 2016. The 
second shall be an unconstrained budget. The two plans 
shall include— 
‘‘(1) a prioritized list of the Department’s pro-
grams, projects, and activities to best support the de-
velopment of next generation nuclear energy tech-
nology; 
‘‘(2) realistic budget requirements for the De-
partment to implement sections 955(c), 957, and 958 
of this Act; and 
‘‘(3) the Department’s justification for con-
tinuing or terminating existing civilian nuclear en-
ergy research and development programs.’’. 
(b) REPORT ON FUSION INNOVATION.—Not later than 
6 months after the date of enactment of this title, the Sec-
retary of the Department of Energy shall transmit to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Nat-
ural Resources of the Senate a report that will identify en-
gineering designs for innovative fusion energy systems that 
have the potential to demonstrate net energy production not 
later than 15 years after the start of construction. In this 
report, the Secretary will identify budgetary requirements 
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that would be necessary for the Department to carry out 
a fusion innovation initiative to accelerate research and de-
velopment of these designs. 
SEC. 3311. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
The table of contents for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
is amended by striking the item relating to section 957 and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘957. High-performance computation and supportive research. 
‘‘958. Enabling nuclear energy innovation. 
‘‘959. Budget plan.’’. 
TITLE XXXIV—NAVAL 
PETROLEUM RESERVES 
SEC. 3401. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) AMOUNT.—There are hereby authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Secretary of Energy $14,950,000 for fiscal 
year 2017 for the purpose of carrying out activities under 
chapter 641 of title 10, United States Code, relating to the 
naval petroleum reserves. 
(b) PERIOD OF AVAILABILITY.—Funds appropriated 
pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in sub-
section (a) shall remain available until expended. 
TITLE XXXV—MARITIME 
ADMINISTRATION 
SEC. 3501. AUTHORIZATION OF THE MARITIME ADMINIS-
TRATION. 
Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated for fis-
cal year 2017, to be available without fiscal year limitation 
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if so provided in appropriations Acts, for the use of the De-
partment of Transportation for Maritime Administration 
programs associated with maintaining the United States 
merchant marine, as follows: 
(1) For expenses necessary for operations of the 
United 
States 
Merchant 
Marine 
Academy, 
$99,902,000. 
(2) For expenses necessary to support the State 
maritime academies, $29,550,000. 
(3) For expenses necessary to support Maritime 
Administration 
operations 
and 
programs, 
$58,694,000. 
(4) For expenses necessary to dispose of vessels in 
the National Defense Reserve Fleet, $20,000,000, to 
remain available until expended. 
(5) For expenses to maintain and preserve a 
United States-flag merchant marine to serve the na-
tional security needs of the United States under chap-
ter 531 of title 46, United States Code, $299,997,000. 
SEC. 3502. AUTHORITY TO MAKE PRO RATA ANNUAL PAY-
MENTS 
UNDER 
OPERATING 
AGREEMENTS 
FOR VESSELS PARTICIPATING IN MARITIME 
SECURITY FLEET. 
Section 53106(d) of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended— 
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(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(2); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (3) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end following: 
‘‘(4) may make a pro rata reduction in payment 
if sufficient funds have not been appropriated to pay 
the full annual payment authorized in subsection 
(a).’’. 
SEC. 3503. AUTHORITY TO EXTEND CERTAIN AGE RESTRIC-
TIONS RELATING TO VESSELS IN THE MARI-
TIME SECURITY FLEET. 
(a) AUTHORITY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 53102 of title 46, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(g) AUTHORITY TO EXTEND MAXIMUM SERVICE AGE 
FOR VESSEL.—The Secretary of Defense, in conjunction 
with the Secretary of Transportation, may, for a particular 
participating fleet vessel, extend the maximum age restric-
tions under section 53101(5)(A)(ii) and section 53106(c)(3) 
for a period of up to 5 years if the Secretaries jointly deter-
mine that it is in the national interest to do so.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The heading of 
subsection (f) of such section is amended to read as 
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follows: ‘‘AUTHORITY TO WAIVE AGE RESTRICTION 
FOR ELIGIBILITY OF A VESSEL TO BE INCLUDED IN 
FLEET.—’’. 
(b) REPEAL OF REDUNDANT AGE LIMITATION.—Sec-
tion 53106(c)(3) of such title is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘or (C);’’ 
and inserting ‘‘; or’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘; or’’ and 
inserting a period; and 
(3) by striking subparagraph (C). 
SEC. 3504. CORRECTIONS TO PROVISIONS ENACTED BY 
COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE CORRECTION.—The Coast Guard 
Authorization Act of 2015 (Public Law 114–120) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015’’ 
each place it appears (including in quoted material) and 
inserting ‘‘Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2016’’. 
(b) TITLE 46, U.S.C..— 
(1) Section 7510 of title 46, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(A) in subsection (c)(1)(D), by striking ‘‘en-
gine’’ and inserting ‘‘engineer’’; and 
(B) in subsection (c)(9), by inserting a pe-
riod after ‘‘App’’; 
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(2) Section 4503(f)(2) of title 46, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘, that’’ and inserting 
‘‘, then’’. 
(c) PROVISIONS RELATING
TO
THE PRIBILOF IS-
LANDS.— 
(1) SHORT TITLE CORRECTION.—Section 521 of 
the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2016 (Public 
Law 114–120), as amended by subsection (a), is fur-
ther amended by striking ‘‘2015’’ and inserting 
‘‘2016’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
105(e)(1) of the Pribilof Islands Transition Act (16 
U.S.C. 1161 note; Public Law 106–562) is amended 
by striking ‘‘2015’’ and inserting ‘‘2016’’. 
(3) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Section 522(b)(2) 
of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2016 (Public 
Law 114–120), as amended by subsection (a), is fur-
ther amended by striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘paragraph (1)’’. 
(d) TITLE 14, UNITED STATES CODE.— 
(1) REDISTRIBUTION
OF
AUTHORIZATIONS
OF 
APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 2702 of title 14, United 
States Code, is amended— 
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(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking 
‘‘$6,981,036,000’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘$6,986,815,000’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking 
‘‘$140,016,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$134, 237,000’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis at the 
beginning of part III of title 14, United States Code, 
is amended by striking the period at the end of the 
item relating to chapter 29. 
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this 
section shall take effect as if included in the enactment of 
Public Law 114–120. 
SEC. 3505. STATUS OF NATIONAL DEFENSE RESERVE FLEET 
VESSELS. 
Section 11 of the Merchant Ship Sales Act of 1946 (50 
U.S.C. 4405) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 
following: ‘‘Vessels in the National Defense Reserve 
Fleet, including vessels loaned to State Maritime 
Academies, shall be considered public vessels of the 
United States.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) VESSEL STATUS.—A vessel in the National De-
fense Reserve Fleet determined by the Maritime Adminis-
tration to be of insufficient value to remain in the National 
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Defense Reserve Fleet shall remain a vessel within the 
meaning of that term in section 3 of title 1 and subject 
to the rights and responsibilities of a vessel under admiralty 
law at least until such time as the vessel is delivered to 
a dismantling facility or is disposed of otherwise from the 
National Defense Reserve Fleet.’’. 
SEC. 3506. NDRF NATIONAL SECURITY MULTI-MISSION VES-
SEL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of appro-
priations for fiscal year 2017 and each fiscal year there-
after, the Maritime Administrator shall seek to contract for 
construction of a national security multi-mission vessel for 
the National Defense Reserve Fleet for— 
(1) use as a training vessel that can be provided 
to State maritime academies, under section 51504(b) 
of title 46, United States Code; and 
(2) humanitarian assistance, disaster response, 
domestic and foreign emergency contingency oper-
ations, and other authorized uses of vessels of the Na-
tional Defense Reserve Fleet. 
(b) CONSTRUCTION AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIRE-
MENTS.—A vessel constructed under this section shall— 
(1) be constructed in a private United States 
shipyard; 
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(2) be constructed in accordance with designs ap-
proved by the Maritime Administrator; and 
(3) meet— 
(A) the safety requirements of the Coast 
Guard as a documented vessel; and 
(B) the content standards of the Coast 
Guard to qualify the vessel for a coastwise en-
dorsement as if such vessel were a privately 
owned and operated commercial vessel; and 
(4) be documented under section 12103 of title 
46, United States Code. 
(c) DESIGN STANDARDS AND CONSTRUCTION PRAC-
TICES.—Subject to subsection (b), construction of a vessel 
under this section shall use commercial design standards 
and commercial construction practices that are consistent 
with the best interests of the Federal Government. 
(d) GENERAL AGENT REQUIREMENT.—The Maritime 
Administrator shall enter into a contract or other agree-
ment with the Secretary of the Navy under which the Navy 
shall act as general agent for the Maritime Administration 
for purposes of construction of a vessel under this section. 
(e) CONTRACTS WITH OTHER FEDERAL ENTITIES.— 
The Maritime Administrator may contract on a reimburs-
able basis with other Federal entities for goods and services 
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in connection with this section and other associated future 
activities. 
(f) CONTRACTORS.—Any contractor selected by the 
Maritime Administration through its general agent to con-
struct the vessel under (a) shall be an entity established 
under the laws of the United States or of a State, common-
wealth, or territory of the United States, that during the 
five-year period preceding the date of the enactment of this 
Act, either directly or through a subsidiary, completed the 
construction of a vessel in excess of 10,000 gross tons and 
documented under section 12103 of title 46, United States 
Code. 
(g) REPEAL OF PLAN APPROVAL REQUIREMENT.—Sec-
tion 109(j)(3) of title 49, United States Code, is repealed. 
SEC. 3507. UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 51301 of title 46, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) SUPERINTENDENT.—The immediate command of 
the United States Merchant Marine Academy shall be in 
the Superintendent of the Academy, subject to the direction 
of the Maritime Administrator under the general super-
vision of the Secretary of Transportation. The Secretary of 
Transportation shall appoint the Superintendent from the 
senior ranks of the United States merchant marine, mari-
time industry, or from the retired list of flag-rank Navy 
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or Coast Guard officers who have significant afloat com-
mand experience. Due to the unique mission of the Acad-
emy, it is highly desirable that the Superintendent be a 
graduate of the Academy and have attained an unlimited 
merchant mariner officer’s license. 
‘‘(d) COMMANDANT OF MIDSHIPMEN.—Subject to the 
direction of the Superintendent, the Commandant is the im-
mediate commander of the Regiment of Midshipmen and 
is responsible for the instruction of all midshipmen in mar-
itime professionalism, ethics, leadership, and military bear-
ing necessary for future service as a licensed officer in the 
merchant marine and a commissioned officer in the uni-
formed services. The Commandant shall be appointed from 
the senior ranks of the United States merchant marine, 
maritime industry, or from the retired list of flag-rank 
Navy or Coast Guard officers who possess significant mer-
chant marine experience. It is highly desirable that the 
Commandant have attained an unlimited merchant mar-
iner officer’s license and is a graduate of United States Mer-
chant Marine Academy.’’. 
(b) LIMITATION ON APPLICATION.—The amendment 
made by subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to the 
individual serving on the date of the enactment of this Act 
as the Superintendent of the United States Merchant Ma-
rine Academy. 
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SEC. 3508. USE OF NATIONAL DEFENSE RESERVE FLEET 
SCRAPPING PROCEEDS. 
Section 308704(a)(1)(C) of title 54, United States 
Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(C) The remainder shall be available to the 
Secretary to carry out the Program, as provided 
in subsection (b).’’. 
SEC. 3509. FLOATING DRY DOCKS. 
Section 55122 of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection 
(c); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b) DRYDOCKS
FOR CONSTRUCTION
OF CERTAIN 
NAVAL VESSELS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In the application of sub-
section (a)(1)(C) to a floating drydock used for the 
construction of naval vessels in a United States ship-
yard, ‘December 19, 2017’ shall be substituted for the 
date referred to in that subsection if the Secretary of 
the Navy determines that— 
‘‘(A) such a drydock is necessary for the 
timely completion of such construction; and 
‘‘(B)(i) such drydock is owned and operated 
by— 
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