To establish an interagency task force to address the backlog of cargo ships at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach and in the coastal waters of Orange County, California, and for other purposes.
Bill: H.R.5885 | Sponsor: Rep. Steel, Michelle (R-CA)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
This bill requires the Coast Guard to establish an interagency task force to address the vessel backlogs at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach and in the coastal waters of Orange County, California.
Specifically, the task force must

To establish an interagency task force to address the backlog of cargo 
ships at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach and in the 
  coastal waters of Orange County, California, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall 
establish an interagency task force (in this section referred to as the 
``task force'') to address the vessel backlogs at the Port of Los 
Angeles and the Port of Long Beach and in the coastal waters of Orange 
County, California.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Chair.--The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall serve 
        as the Chair of the task force.
            (2) Composition.--The task force shall be composed of at 
        least 1 representative from the following agencies, to be 
        appointed by the head of each respective agency:
                    (A) The Environmental Protection Agency.
                    (B) The Department of Agriculture.
                    (C) The Department of Commerce.
                    (D) The Department of Defense.
                    (E) The Department of Energy.
                    (F) The Department of Health and Human Services.
                    (G) The Department of the Interior.
                    (H) The Department of Justice.
                    (I) The Department of Labor.
                    (J) The Department of State.
                    (K) The Department of Transportation.
                    (L) The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
                    (M) The Federal Maritime Commission.
                    (N) The General Services Administration.
            (3) Additional members.--The Chair of the task force may 
        appoint a representative from any of the following entities to 
        serve on the task force:
                    (A) The government of Orange County, California.
                    (B) The Port Authority of Los Angeles.
                    (C) The Port Authority of Long Beach.
                    (D) The State of California.
    (c) Duties.--The task force shall--
            (1) evaluate and quantify the impact of the vessel backlogs 
        at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach;
            (2) evaluate and quantify the costs incurred by other 
        Federal, State, and local governments due to such vessel 
        backlogs;
            (3) evaluate the responses of Federal agencies to such 
        vessel backlogs and the extent to which vessels are complying 
        with the requirements of chapter 700 of title 46, United States 
        Code;
            (4) investigate the cause of the oil spill that occurred in 
        October 2021 in the coastal waters of Orange County, 
        California, including the impact of, and events that led to, an 
        oil pipeline being dragged more than 100 feet in such coastal 
        waters; and
            (5) not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 
        this Act--
                    (A) develop a plan to solve the vessel backlog and 
                oil spill crises along the coast of southern 
                California, including a plan to address--
                            (i) safety concerns with ongoing idling of 
                        waiting ships;
                            (ii) the environmental impacts of waiting 
                        ships; and
                            (iii) delays withing the ports; and
                    (B) submit to Congress a report containing such 
                plan.
    (d) Authority.--The task force may obtain from a Federal agency any 
information the task force determines is necessary to carry out this 
Act.
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