Maritime Administration Authorization and Enhancement Act for Fiscal Year 2017
Latest action. By Senator Thune from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 114-402.
Maritime Administration Authorization and Enhancement Act for Fiscal Year 2017
This bill reauthorizes the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT) for FY2017.
DOT must direct the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy to prescribe a policy and develop a program to prevent and respond to the sexual harassment and sexual assault of Academy cadets and other Academy personnel.
The bill codifies the legal status of National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) vessels. MARAD training ships which are part of the NDRF are public vessels. NDRF vessels shall remain ''vessels'' until they are delivered to a dismantling facility.
The Department of Defense (DOD), in conjunction with DOT, may extend the 20- and 25-year age restrictions for vessels in the maritime security fleet for up to 5 years, when the departments jointly determine that it would be in the national interest.
The bill increases from 40 to 50 the number of DOT non-competitive appointments of Merchant Marine Academy cadets with qualities of special value.
The Department of the Navy may use the services of an approved classification society to provide for the classification of certain high-speed vessels. (Currently, the American Bureau of Shipping a non-profit organization makes such classifications for government-owned vessels.)
DOT shall convene a working group to examine and assess the size of the pool of citizen mariners necessary to support the U.S. Flag Fleet in times of national emergency.
DOT shall establish a task force to analyze the impact of extreme weather events on the maritime environment.
MARAD shall review its workforce plans and policies.
The Department of Homeland Security shall make a prospective payment to DOD for medical treatment or care provided to members of the Coast Guard and their dependents at DOD facilities.
Polar Icebreaker Fleet Recapitalization Transparency Act
The bill directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to submit to Congress a detailed U.S. Federal polar icebreaker recapitalization plan to meet the 2013 Department of Homeland Security Mission Need Statement.
The summary continues for 4 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed Senate amended" stage on June 29, 2016. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on December 9, 2016: By Senator Thune from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 114-402.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 114th Congress (2015-16), 329 of the 10,233 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.2 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced it on April 20, 2016, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Democrat.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on April 20, 2016, 3795 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 3562 days ago, on December 9, 2016.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 114th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2017 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers