Title: Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act of 2020
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act of 2020
This bill directs the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct icebreaking operations in the Great Lakes in accordance with specific performance standards.
Specifically, the Coast Guard must
The bill prohibits the Coast Guard from breaking ice in Canadian harbors or bays unless it meets these performance standards during such activity. Such prohibition may be waived on a case-by-case basis upon approval by the Department of Homeland Security and notification to Congress.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5896 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5896

 To amend title 14, United States Code, to require the Coast Guard to 
     conduct icebreaking operations in the Great Lakes to minimize 
  commercial disruption in the winter months, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2020

 Mr. Gallagher (for himself, Ms. Kaptur, Mrs. Dingell, and Mr. Gibbs) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 14, United States Code, to require the Coast Guard to 
     conduct icebreaking operations in the Great Lakes to minimize 
  commercial disruption in the winter months, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act of 
2020''.

SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES ICEBREAKING OPERATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter IV of chapter 5 of title 14, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 564. Great Lakes icebreaking operations
    ``(a) Icebreaking Operations.--The Commandant shall conduct 
icebreaking operations in the Great Lakes in accordance with the 
standard for icebreaking operations under subsection (b).
    ``(b) Standard for Icebreaking Operations.--In carrying out 
subsection (a)--
            ``(1) except as provided in paragraph (2), the Commandant 
        shall keep channels and harbors in the Great Lakes open to 
        navigation not less than 90 percent of the hours that 
        commercial vessels transit ice-covered waterways; and
            ``(2) 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 Coast Guard shall keep channels 
        and harbors in the Great Lakes open to navigation at least 70 
        percent of the hours that commercial vessels transit ice-
        covered waterways.
    ``(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than July 1 of each year, the 
Commandant shall submit to Congress a report on the icebreaking 
operations conducted by the Coast Guard in the Great Lakes for the most 
recent fiscal year for which data are available.
    ``(d) Coordination With Industry.--The Commandant shall coordinate 
Great Lakes icebreaking operations with operators of commercial 
vessels.
    ``(e) Icebreaking in Canada.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Coast Guard shall not break ice in 
        Canadian harbors or bays unless the requirements of subsection 
        (b) will be met during such activity.
            ``(2) Waiver authority.--The Commandant may waive the 
        prohibition in paragraph (1) on a case-by-case basis upon the 
        approval of the Secretary for such waiver and notification to 
        Congress of such waiver.
    ``(f) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Commercial vessel.--The term `commercial vessel' 
        means any privately owned cargo vessel of at least 500 tons 
        operating in the Great Lakes during the winter season.
            ``(2) Great lakes.--The term `Great Lakes' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 118 of the Federal Water Pollution 
        Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1268).
            ``(3) Ice-covered waterway.--The term `ice-covered 
        waterway' means any portion of the Great Lakes in which 
        commercial vessels 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.
            ``(4) Open to navigation.--The term `open to navigation' 
        means navigable to the extent necessary to meet the reasonable 
        demands of commerce, minimize delays to passenger ferries, 
        extricate vessels and persons 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 transiting ice-covered waterways in the Great Lakes at 
        a speed of 3 knots or greater.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of analysis for such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``564. Great Lakes icebreaking operations.''.
    (c) Report.--Not later than the first July 1 after the first winter 
in which the Commandant of the Coast Guard is subject to the 
requirements of section 564 of title 14, United States Code, such 
Commandant shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate, a report on the cost to the Coast Guard 
of meeting the requirements of such section.
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