Sec. 7264. Aids to navigation
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Subchapter III of chapter 5 of title 14, United States Code, is amended— by redesignating the second section 548 as section 551; and by adding at the end the following: Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a process for the discontinuance of an aid to navigation (other than a seasonal or temporary aid) established, maintained, or operated by the Coast Guard. The process established under subsection
(a)shall include procedures— to notify the public of any discontinuance of an aid to navigation described in that subsection; and to safeguard against any discontinuation that may compromise the safety of mariners or the public or hinder maritime operational readiness, including with respect to food security and maritime transportation. In establishing a process under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with and consider any recommendations of— the Navigation Safety Advisory Council; and with respect to aids to navigation established, maintained, or operated by the Coast Guard and located in the coastal or inland waterways of a State, the public of such State and relevant stakeholders, including— State agencies; State, local, and Tribal law enforcement, fire, and emergency response agencies; Indian Tribes; port; pilots; harbormasters; commercial and recreational fishermen, including fishing associations; ferry operators; marina operators; recreational boaters; passenger vessel operators; and coastal residents. Not later than 30 days after the date on which the process is established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall notify the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives of such process. . The analysis for chapter 5 of title 14, United States Code, is amended— by striking the item relating to the second section 548; and by adding at the end the following: 551. Marking anchorage grounds by Commandant of the Coast Guard. 552. Discontinuance of aid to navigation. . Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the condition of dayboards and the placement of buoys on the Missouri River. The report under paragraph
(1)shall include— a list of the most recent date on which each dayboard and buoy was serviced by the Coast Guard; an overview of the plan of the Coast Guard to systematically service each dayboard and buoy on the Missouri River; and assigned points of contact. Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Executive Director of the Committee on Marine Transportation System shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the condition of dayboards and the placement of buoys in Coast Guard Northeast District, and Coast Guard Northwest District. The report under paragraph
(1)shall include— a list of the most recent date on which each dayboard and buoy was serviced by the Coast Guard; an overview of the plan of the Coast Guard to systematically service each buoy located in the Coast Guard Northeast District; an overview of the plan of the Coast Guard to systematically service each buoy located in the Coast Guard Northwest District; and assigned points of contact. Beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant may not remove the aids to navigation covered in paragraph (1), unless there is an imminent threat to life or safety, until a period of 180 days has elapsed following the date on which the Commandant submits the report required under paragraph (1). The Executive Director of the Committee of Marine Transportation System Commandant shall conduct a study on the extent to which physical aids to navigation, including buoys and dayboards, are relied upon by maritime users in the Missouri River, Coast Guard Northeast District, and Coast Guard Northwest District. In the study conducted under subparagraph (A), the Commandant shall include the following: An analysis of the extent to which physical aids to navigation serve as primary navigational references for operators of vessels that lack electronic or satellite-based systems, including small commercial vessels, recreational boats, sailboats, and skiffs. An assessment of the role physical aids to navigation play in supporting safe vessel operation during outages, disruptions, or inaccuracies in electronic or satellite-based navigation systems. An assessment of mariner perspectives on the availability, visibility, and reliability of physical aids to navigation, based on input from recreational boaters, commercial fishermen, pilot associations, port authorities, and other relevant waterway users. A summary of reported incidents or near-miss events from the past five years in which the presence or absence of physical aids to navigation played a contributory role in navigational outcomes, including collisions, groundings, or deviations from intended routes. Recommendations for enhancing navigational safety for mariners who rely exclusively on, or supplement electronic systems with, traditional visual aids to navigation. A cost–benefit analysis of the continued maintenance of physical aids to navigation, and the projected consequences of their removal, including— an estimate of the potential increase in maritime accidents, search and rescue operations, environmental incidents, and Coast Guard response missions that could result from the reduction or removal of physical aids to navigation; a comparison of the anticipated costs associated with such increased Coast Guard response operations to the ongoing costs of maintaining and servicing buoys and dayboards, particularly in high-traffic areas or locations with limited access to electronic navigation systems; an assessment of the role physical aids to navigation play in preventing incidents involving vessels with limited or no reliance on GPS or electronic systems; and an assessment of the indirect costs and operational impacts associated with the removal of physical aids to navigation, including increased risk of vessel groundings, prolonged Coast Guard response times, and diminished mariner trust in navigational infrastructure. Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Executive Director of the Committee on Marine Transportation shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate the results of the study conducted under subparagraph (A). Section 210 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 ( 14 U.S.C. 541 note) is repealed.
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Sec. 7264
Aids to navigation
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