non-Federal entity to construct and establish an aid to 
navigation that facilitates safe and efficient marine trans-
portation on a Federal navigation project authorized by 
title I of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 
(Public Law 110–114). 
SEC. 503. CORRECTIONS TO PROVISIONS ENACTED BY 
COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACTS. 
Section 604(b) of the Howard Coble Coast Guard and 
Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (Public Law 113– 
281; 128 Stat. 3061) is amended by inserting ‘‘and fishery 
endorsement’’ after ‘‘endorsement’’. 
SEC. 504. SHIP SHOAL LIGHTHOUSE TRANSFER: REPEAL. 
Effective January 1, 2021, section 27 of the Coast 
Guard Authorization Act of 1991 (Public Law 102–241; 
105 Stat. 2218) is repealed. 
SEC. 505. COAST GUARD MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the department in 
which the Coast Guard is operating shall seek to enter into 
an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences not 
later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act under which the Academy shall prepare an assessment 
of available unmanned, autonomous, or remotely controlled 
maritime domain awareness technologies for use by the 
Coast Guard. 
(b) ASSESSMENT.—The assessment shall— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00073
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(1) describe the potential limitations of current 
and emerging unmanned technologies used in the 
maritime domain for— 
(A) ocean observation; 
(B) vessel monitoring and identification; 
(C) weather observation; 
(D) to the extent practicable for consider-
ation by the Academy, intelligence gathering, 
surveillance, and reconnaissance; and 
(E) communications; 
(2) examine how technologies described in para-
graph (1) can help prioritize Federal investment by 
examining; 
(A) affordability, including acquisition, op-
erations, and maintenance; 
(B) reliability; 
(C) versatility; 
(D) efficiency; and 
(E) estimated service life and persistence of 
effort; and 
(3) analyze whether the use of new and emerging 
maritime domain awareness technologies can be used 
to— 
(A) carry out Coast Guard missions at 
lower costs; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00074
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(B) expand the scope and range of Coast 
Guard maritime domain awareness; 
(C) allow the Coast Guard to more effi-
ciently and effectively allocate Coast Guard ves-
sels, aircraft, and personnel; and 
(D) identify adjustments that would be nec-
essary in Coast Guard policies, procedures, and 
protocols to incorporate unmanned technologies 
to enhance efficiency. 
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after entering into an agreement with the Secretary under 
subsection (a), National Academy of Science shall submit 
the assessment prepared under this section to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate. 
(d) USE OF INFORMATION.—In formulating costs pur-
suant to subsection (b), the National Academy of Sciences 
may utilize information from other Coast Guard reports, 
assessments, or analyses regarding existing Coast Guard 
manpower requirements or other reports, assessments, or 
analyses for the acquisition of unmanned, autonomous, or 
remotely controlled technologies by the Federal Government. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00075
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 506. TOWING SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FEES. 
(a) REVIEW.—The Commandant of the Coast Guard 
shall— 
(1) review and compare the costs to the Govern-
ment of— 
(A) towing vessel inspections performed by 
the Coast Guard; and 
(B) such inspections performed by a third 
party; and 
(2) based on such review and comparison, deter-
mine whether the costs to the Government of such in-
spections performed by a third party are different 
than the costs to the Government of such inspections 
performed by the Coast Guard. 
(b) REVISION OF FEES.—If the Commandant deter-
mines under subsection (a) that the costs to the Government 
of such inspections performed by a third party are different 
than the costs to the Government of such inspections per-
formed by the Coast Guard, then the Commandant shall 
revise the fee assessed by the Coast Guard for such inspec-
tions as necessary to conform to the requirements under sec-
tion 9701 of title 31, United States Code, that such fee be 
based on the cost to the Government of such inspections and 
accurately reflect such costs. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00076
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 507. OIL SPILL DISBURSEMENTS AUDITING AND RE-
PORT. 
Section 1012 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2712) is amended— 
(1) by repealing subsection (g); 
(2) in subsection (l)(1), by striking ‘‘Within one 
year after the date of enactment of the Coast Guard 
Authorization Act of 2010, and annually thereafter,’’ 
and inserting ‘‘Each year, on the date on which the 
President submits to Congress a budget under section 
1105 of title 31, United States Code,’’; and 
(3) by amending subsection (l)(2) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The report shall include— 
‘‘(A) a list of each incident that— 
‘‘(i) occurred in the preceding fiscal 
year; and 
‘‘(ii) resulted in disbursements from 
the Fund, for removal costs and damages, 
totaling $500,000 or more; 
‘‘(B) a list of each incident that— 
‘‘(i) occurred in the fiscal year pre-
ceding the preceding fiscal year; and 
‘‘(ii) resulted in disbursements from 
the Fund, for removal costs and damages, 
totaling $500,000 or more; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00077
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(C) an accounting of any amounts reim-
bursed to the Fund in the preceding fiscal year 
that were recovered from a responsible party for 
an incident that resulted in disbursements from 
the Fund, for removal costs and damages, total-
ing $500,000 or more.’’. 
SEC. 508. LAND EXCHANGE, AYAKULIK ISLAND, ALASKA. 
(a) LAND EXCHANGE.—If the owner of Ayakulik Is-
land, Alaska, offers to exchange the Island for the Tract— 
(1) within 30 days after receiving such offer, the 
Secretary shall provide notice of the offer to the Com-
mandant; 
(2) within 30 days after receiving the notice 
under paragraph (1), the Commandant shall develop 
and transmit to the Secretary proposed operational 
restrictions on commercial activity conducted on the 
Tract, including the right of the Commandant to— 
(A) order the immediate termination, for a 
period of up to 72 hours, of any activity occur-
ring on or from the Tract that violates or threat-
ens to violate one or more of such restrictions; or 
(B) commence a civil action for appropriate 
relief, including a permanent or temporary in-
junction enjoining the activity that violates or 
threatens to violate such restrictions; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00078
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
vey all right, title, and interest of the United States in and 
to the Tract to the owner of Ayakulik Island in exchange 
for all right, title, and interest of such owner in and to 
Ayakulik Island. 
(e) CERCLA NOT AFFECTED.—This section and an 
exchange under this section shall not be construed to limit 
the application of or otherwise affect section 120(h) of the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 
and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)). 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COMMANDANT.—The term ‘‘Commandant’’ 
means the Secretary of the department in which the 
Coast Guard is operating, acting through the Com-
mandant of the Coast Guard. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(3) TRACT.—The term ‘‘Tract’’ means the land 
(including submerged land) depicted as ‘‘PROPOSED 
PROPERTY EXCHANGE AREA’’ on the survey ti-
tled ‘‘PROPOSED PROPERTY EXCHANGE PAR-
CEL’’ and dated 3/22/17. 
SEC. 509. VESSEL RESPONSE PLANS IN THE ARCTIC. 
(a) AMENDMENTS TO THE OIL POLLUTION ACT OF 
1990.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00080
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(1) IN GENERAL.—Title V of the Oil Pollution 
Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2731 et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 5009. VESSEL RESPONSE PLANS IN THE ARCTIC. 
‘‘The Secretary of the department in which the Coast 
Guard is operating may not approve a vessel response plan 
under section 311(j)(5) of the Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Act for a vessel operating in any area covered by the 
Captain of the Port Zone, as established by the Secretary, 
that includes the Arctic (as defined in section 112 of the 
Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 U.S.C. 4111)), 
unless the Secretary verifies that— 
‘‘(1) all equipment required to be available for 
response under the plan has been tested and proven 
capable of operating in the environment in which it 
is intended to be operated, as determined by the Sec-
retary; and 
‘‘(2) the oil spill removal organization identified 
in the vessel response plan under section 311(j)(5) of 
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act— 
‘‘(A) has records of training for equipment 
operators; and 
‘‘(B) conducts a full equipment deployment 
exercise in the area covered by the vessel response 
plan at least once every 3 years, except that the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00081
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
Secretary may waive a required full equipment 
deployment exercise, upon request of the organi-
zation, if the organization implemented the vessel 
response plan (including the deployment of 
equipment and operators) during the preceding 3 
years in response to a discharge or substantial 
threat of a discharge of oil.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents in section 2 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 5007 the following: 
‘‘Sec. 5008. North Pacific Marine Research Institute. 
‘‘Sec. 5009. Vessel response plans in the Arctic.’’. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of 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 Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
of Representatives a report on the oil spill prevention and 
response capabilities available for the area covered by the 
Captain of the Port Zone, as established by the Secretary, 
that includes the Arctic (as defined in section 112 of the 
Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (15 U.S.C. 4111)). 
The report shall include— 
(1) a description of equipment and assets avail-
able for response under the vessel response plans ap-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00082
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
proved for vessels operating in the area covered by 
such Captain of the Port Zone; 
(2) a description of the locations of such equip-
ment and assets, including an estimate of the time 
necessary to deploy such equipment and assets; 
(3) a determination regarding how effectively 
such equipment and assets are distributed throughout 
such Captain of the Port Zone; 
(4) a determination regarding whether the abil-
ity to deploy such equipment and assets is taken into 
account when measuring the equipment and assets 
available; 
(5) a validation of the port assessment visit 
process and a verification of the response resource in-
ventory; and 
(6) a description of the resources needed by the 
Coast Guard to conduct port assessments, exercises, 
response plan review, and spill responses in such 
Captain of the Port Zone. 
SEC. 510. ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ADDI-
TIONAL 
ANCHORAGES 
ON 
THE 
HUDSON 
RIVER. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Commandant of the 
Coast Guard shall— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00083
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(1) assess the public comments received by the 
Coast Guard on proposals to establish additional an-
chorages on the Hudson River between Yonkers, New 
York, and Kingston, New York; and 
(2) submit to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate a report on such assessment, 
including— 
(A) a detailed summary of concerns raised 
in such comments about the economic, safety, 
and environmental impacts of such additional 
anchorages on the communities bordering the 
Hudson River between Yonkers, New York, and 
Kingston, New York, including impacts of such 
anchorage grounds to sites listed on the National 
Priorities List under the Comprehensive Envi-
ronmental Response, Compensation, and Liabil-
ity Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) and 
areas designated as critical habitat of species 
listed as endangered species under the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.); and 
(B) the response of the Coast Guard to such 
concerns. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00084
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(b) RESTRICTION.—The Commandant may not estab-
lish any of the anchorages described in subsection (a) before 
the end of the 180-day period beginning on the date of the 
submission of the report under subsection (a)(2). 
SEC. 511. PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINTS AND MARI-
TIME SEARCH AND RESCUE COORDINATION. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act— 
(1) the Secretary of the department in which the 
Coast Guard is operating acting through the Com-
mandant of the Coast Guard shall review Coast 
Guard policies and procedures for public safety an-
swering points and search-and-rescue coordination 
with State and local law enforcement entities in order 
to— 
(A) further minimize the possibility of mar-
itime 911 calls being improperly routed; and 
(B) assure the Coast Guard is able to effec-
tively carry out the Coast Guard’s maritime 
search and rescue mission; and 
(2) the Commandant shall formulate a national 
maritime public safety answering points policy and 
submit a report to the Congress on that subject. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00085
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 512. DOCUMENTATION OF ‘‘AMERICA’S FINEST’’. 
Notwithstanding sections 12112 and 12113 of title 46, 
United States Code, the Secretary of the department in 
which the Coast Guard is operating may issue a certificate 
of documentation with a coastwise and a fishery endorse-
ment for the vessel AMERICA’S FINEST (United States 
official number 1276760). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00086
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00087
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 133 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2518 
[Report No. 115–194] 
A BILL 
To authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard 
for fiscal years 2018 and 2019, and for other 
purposes. 
JUNE 26, 2017 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Jun 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00088
Fmt 6651
Sfmt 6651
E:\BILLS\H2518.RH
H2518
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS