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Code · BILL · 118th Congress · S. 5611 (Introduced in Senate) — To support the national defense and economic security of the United States by supporting vessels, ports, and shipyard... · Sec. 1

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents

819 words·~4 min read·/bill/118/s/5611/is/section-1

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This Act may be cited as the or the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security for America Act of 2024 . SHIPS for America Act of 2024 The table of contents of this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings. Sec. 3. Sense of Congress. Sec. 4. Definitions. TITLE I—Oversight and accountability Sec. 101. Maritime Security Advisor; Maritime Security Board. Sec. 102. Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee.
Sec. 103. Direct hire authority. Sec. 104. Implementation plan. Sec. 105. Federal Maritime Commission report on vessels of the United States. TITLE II—Maritime Security Trust Fund Sec. 201. Apportionment of the Maritime Security Trust Fund. Sec. 202. Regular tonnage taxes; Presidential suspension of tonnage taxes and light money. TITLE III—Sealift capability Sec. 301. Sealift capability. Sec. 302. National Freight Strategic Plan. Sec. 303. Foreign shipping practices; controlled carriers.
TITLE IV—Vessels of the United States in international commerce Subtitle A—Strategic Sealift Programs Sec. 401. Strategic Commercial Fleet. Sec. 402. Maritime Security Program. Sec. 403. Cable security fleet. Sec. 404. Tanker Security Fleet. Sec. 405. Modification to duties relating to equipment and repair of vessels. Subtitle B—Cargo preference Sec. 411. United States Government cargo. Sec. 412. Cargo preference implementation regulations. Sec. 413. Cargo preference oversight and audit.
Sec. 414. Financing the transportation of agricultural products. Sec. 415. Importation from China on American ships. Sec. 416. Priority for vessels of the United States. Sec. 417. Moving cargo on vessels of the United States. Sec. 418. Transportation requirements for certain exports sponsored by the Secretary of Agriculture. Sec. 419. Clarifying amendments. Sec. 420. Energizing American shipbuilding. Sec. 421. Ship America Office. Subtitle C—Regulatory reform Sec. 431. Alternate standards.
Sec. 432. Rulemaking committee on commercial maritime regulations and standards. Sec. 433. Amendments to Shipowners' Limitation of Liability Act of 1851. TITLE V—Shipbuilding Subtitle A—Shipbuilding financial incentives Sec. 501. Shipbuilding financial incentives. Sec. 502. Assistance for small shipyards. Sec. 503. Federal ship financing (title XI) program. Sec. 504. Construction reserve fund. Sec. 505. Capital construction fund. Sec. 506. Anticipated commercial vessel construction survey.
Sec. 507. Streamlined environmental review. Sec. 508. Eligibility for loan guarantees. Sec. 509. Reports. Sec. 510. Export control report. Subtitle B—Department of Defense Programs Sec. 511. Assessment of the use of commercial best practices for Navy shipbuilding. Sec. 512. Plan of action for use of Defense Production Act of 1950 authorities. Sec. 513. Strategy on development of naval rearm-at-sea capability. Sec. 514. Military Sealift Command. Subtitle C—Shipbuilding innovation and infrastructure Sec. 521.
United States Center for Maritime Innovation. Sec. 522. National Shipbuilding Research Program. Sec. 523. Assessment on Marine infrastructure readiness. TITLE VI—Workforce Development Subtitle A—Workforce Incentives Sec. 601. Public service loan forgiveness for Merchant Marines. Sec. 602. Eligibility for educational assistance. Sec. 603. Eligibility of mariners to attend Naval Postgraduate School. Sec. 604. Reimbursement of qualifying spouse relicensing costs and business costs.
Sec. 605. Noncompetitive eligibility for Federal employment. Sec. 606. United States Merchant Marine Career Retention Program. Subtitle B—Workforce Pipeline Sec. 611. Maritime and shipbuilding recruiting campaign. Sec. 612. Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education. Sec. 613. Maritime Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee. Sec. 614. Military Candidates to Mariner Careers Recruitment Exchange. Sec. 615. Maritime worker data collection.
Sec. 616. Military to maritime transition. Sec. 617. Early maritime education and youth involvement. Sec. 618. International scholarship for mariner and naval architecture exchanges. Subtitle C—United States Merchant Marine Academy and State Maritime Academies Sec. 621. Authorization of appropriations for United States Merchant Marine Academy infrastructure and facilities modernization. Sec. 622. United States Merchant Marine Academy. Sec. 623. Retirement service credit for service as a midshipman at the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Sec. 624. State maritime academies. Sec. 625. Military to mariner enrollment at a State Maritime Academy. Sec. 626. Enforcement of service obligation requirements. Sec. 627. Fuel funding for training ships operated by State maritime academies. Sec. 628. State Maritime Academy Sea Term Scholarship Programs. Sec. 629. Naval joint exercise involvement for training ships operated by State maritime academies. Subtitle D—Maritime Credentialing Modernization Sec. 631. Merchant mariner credentialing modernization.
Sec. 632. Revising merchant mariner deck training requirements. Sec. 633. Inspections for transportation security. Sec. 634. Technical amendments relating to references to seamen. Sec. 635. Renewal of merchant mariner licenses and documents. Sec. 636. Merchant seamen licenses, certificates, and documents; manning of vessels. Sec. 637. Reactivation of expired license. TITLE VII—Amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 Sec. 701. Establishment of the Maritime Security Trust Fund.
Sec. 702. United States Vessel Investment Credit. Sec. 703. Certain payments for maritime security excluded from gross income. Sec. 704. Elimination of 30-day limitation on domestic operations. Sec. 705. Qualifying shipping activities. Sec. 706. Qualifying vessel. Sec. 707. Credit for construction of shipyard facilities. Sec. 708. Tax incentives relating to merchant marine capital construction funds. Sec. 709. Exemption of student incentive payment agreements from gross income.
Sec. 710. Maritime fuel tax parity.
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