Supply Chain Emergency Response Act

Bill: 117-s-3224
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
Introduced: 2021-11-17
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Asia

Atlantic Coast (U.S.)

Cardiovascular and respiratory health

China

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Foreign and international corporations

Gulf of Mexico

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Marine and inland water transportation

Navigation, waterways, harbors

Pacific Ocean

Panama Canal

Political parties and affiliation

Transportation costs

Transportation programs funding

User charges and fees
Latest action: action_date: 2021-11-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-11-17
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Supply Chain Emergency Response Act</strong></p> <p>This bill directs the Maritime Administration to establish a program to provide grants to certain owners of cargo vessels to cover toll costs associated with rerouting cargo vessels from ports along the western seaboard of the United States through the Panama Canal to ports along the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern seaboard of the United States. </p> <p>To receive a grant, an owner of a cargo vessel shall submit documentation that such owner intends to reroute a cargo vessel and has the corresponding docking agreements.</p> <p>The bill allows states and localities to use COVID-19 relief funds for costs related to rerouting cargo vessels.</p> <p>Any marine terminal operator that is located along the western seaboard of the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, may not collect port fees from a recipient of a grant who has rerouted a cargo vessel from such port due to the inability of such port to receive such vessel.</p> <p>Any individual who is a member of the Chinese Communist Party or any company owned, in whole or in part, by the Chinese Communist Party may not receive a grant under this bill.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 3224 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 17, 2021 Mr. Scott of Florida introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a program to provide grants to owners of cargo vessels being rerouted from the western seaboard of the United States through the Panama Canal, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Supply Chain Emergency Response Act . 2. Emergency incentive program for rerouting cargo vessels (a) In general The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, shall establish a program to provide grants to eligible entities to cover toll costs associated with rerouting cargo vessels from ports along the western seaboard of the United States through the Panama Canal to ports along the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern seaboard of the United States. (b) Grant amount A grant provided under this section shall be in an amount equal to the cost of the toll fees at the Panama Canal. (c) Documentation required To receive a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Administrator documentation that such eligible entity— (1) had an agreement to dock a cargo vessel at a port along the western seaboard of the United States and intends to reroute such cargo vessel from such port through the Panama Canal to a port along the Gulf of Mexico or the eastern seaboard of the United States; and (2) has an agreement to dock such cargo vessel at such port along the Gulf of Mexico or the eastern seaboard of the United States. (d) Entities ineligible for grant Any individual who is a member of the Chinese Communist Party or any company owned, in whole or in part, by the Chinese Communist Party may not receive a grant under this section. (e) Definition of eligible entity In this section, the term eligible entity means the owner of a cargo vessel who intends to reroute such cargo vessel from a port along the western seaboard of the United States through the Panama Canal to a destination located in the United States. (f) Funding Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not more than $125,000,000 of the total amount of unobligated funds made available under the CARES Act ( Public Law 116–136 ) may be used to carry out this section. 3. Use of COVID relief funds to offset shipping costs Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a State or unit of local government may use any unobligated funds made available to such State or unit of local government under the CARES Act ( Public Law 116–136 ) for costs related to rerouting cargo vessels from the western seaboard of the United States to the eastern seaboard of the United States. 4. Prohibition on collection of port fees Any marine terminal operator (as defined in section 40102 of title 46, United States Code) that is located along the western seaboard of the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, may not collect port fees from a recipient of a grant under section 2 that has rerouted a cargo vessel from such marine terminal operator due to the inability of such marine terminal operator to receive such vessel. 5. Definition of cargo vessel In this Act, the term cargo vessel has the meaning given such term in section 199.30 of title 46, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act).