Port Performance Act

Bill: 114-s-1298
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]
Introduced: 2015-05-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Labor-management relations
Marine and inland water transportation
Navigation, waterways, harbors
Performance measurement
Transportation employees

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-12
text: 
This bill directs the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to establish a port performance statistics program to provide nationally consistent measures of performance of the nation's top 25 ports by tonnage, top 25 ports by 20-foot equivalent unit, and top 25 ports by dry bulk.
 
BTS shall require each specified U.S. port authority that receives federal assistance, or is subject to federal regulation, to report annually to the BTS on statistics, including those on capacity and throughput.
 
The Department of Transportation shall report periodically to Congress before the expiration of a maritime labor agreement, especially about certain port performance indicators at affected ports.

action_date: 2015-11-05
text: 

Port Performance Act

 
(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to: (1) establish a port performance statistics program to provide nationally consistent measures of performance of the nation's top 25 ports by tonnage, by 20-foot equivalent unit, and by dry bulk; and (2) submit annual reports that include statistics on capacity and throughput at such ports. 
 
The BTS shall collect monthly port performance measures for each of such ports that receives federal assistance or is subject to federal regulation to submit an annual report to the BTS that includes monthly statistics on capacity and throughput as applicable to the specific configuration of the port, including:
 
 
the total capacity of inbound and outbound cargo;
 
the total volume of inbound and outbound cargo;
 
the average number of lifts per hour of containers by crane; 
 
the average vessel turn time by vessel type; 
 
the average cargo or container dwell time;
 
port storage capacity and utilization; 
 
the average truck time and rail time at ports; and
 
any additional metrics as determined by the BTS after receiving recommendations from a working group established by this Act.
 
 
The BTS shall commission a working group, from which it shall obtain recommendations for:
 
 
specifications and data measurements for such port performance measures; 
 
additionally needed data elements for measuring port performance; and
 
a process for the Department of Transportation (DOT) to collect timely and consistent data, including identifying safeguards to protect proprietary information.
 
 
The BTS shall ensure that the statistics compiled under this Act are readily accessible to the public, consistent with applicable security constraints and confidentiality interests.
 
The bill subjects such port performance measures to specified BTS disclosure restrictions.
 
(Sec. 4) DOT shall submit to Congress by one year before, and by three months before, the expiration of a maritime labor agreement and monthly thereafter until a new agreement is adopted, a report that includes port performance indicators at affected ports, including: 
 
 
the number and type of vessels awaiting berthing, including average wait time;
 
the number of cancelled vessel calls; 
 
an estimate of the economic impact associated with any delays both at the port and across the national economy;
 
an estimate of the amount of time required to clear any congestion;
 
the average number of positions ordered and filled; and
 
any other factors that might have created delays.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-11-05
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 290.
action_date: 2015-11-05
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-164. Additional views filed.
action_date: 2015-11-05
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-164. Additional views filed.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2015-05-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2015-05-12
text: Introduced in Senate