Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents
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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 2025 . SHIPS for America Act of 2025 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; authorization for administrative expenses. Sec. 104. Implementation plan. Sec. 105. Federal Maritime Commission report on vessels of the United States. TITLE II—Maritime Security Trust Fund Sec. 201. Maritime Security Trust Fund established. Sec. 202. Regular tonnage taxes. Sec. 203. 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. Fleet testing and briefing requirement. Sec. 403. Assessment of undersea cable repair contingencies. Sec. 404. 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 and other cargo. 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. Goods imported on vessels of the United States.
Sec. 422. 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. 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 maritime 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 workforce promotion and recruitment. 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. Enforcement of service obligation requirements. Sec. 626. Fuel funding for training ships operated by State maritime academies. Sec. 627. State Maritime Academy Sea Term Scholarship Programs. Sec. 628. 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. Renewal of merchant mariner licenses and documents. Sec. 635. Merchant seamen licenses, certificates, and documents; manning of vessels. Sec. 636. Reactivation of expired license.