S. 3852: Maritime Administration Improvement Act of 2006

109th Congress · introduced 2006-09-06 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 591.

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Where it came from: introduced 2006-09-06 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Stevens, Ted [R-AK] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 591. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Maritime Administration Improvement Act of 2006

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Maritime Administration Improvement Act of 2006 - (Sec. 2) Authorizes, without reimbursement, the transfer of vessels from: (1) one military department to another military department, including to the Department of Transportation (DOT) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); (2) DOT to any other military department or DHS; and (3) DHS to DOT. (Sec. 3) Amends the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 to revise provisions regarding investments made with respect to the war risk insurance fund for merchant marine vessels. (Sec. 4) Prohibits a cadet from being admitted to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy as a student unless the cadet satisfies certain Department of Defense (DOD) physical and mental requirements to be appointed or enlisted as a Midshipman, U.S. Naval Reserve. Allows a cadet, following admission to the Academy, to continue as a student only if the cadet satisfies such standards (or unless the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) waives the standards for good cause shown). (Sec. 5) Requires a graduate as a condition of appointment to the Academy to perform all directed training and obey all orders and directions required by the relevant Reserve Component (Selective Reserve of the U.S. Navy, including the Merchant Marine Reserve, the U.S. Public Health Service, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)) for a period of not less than six years, unless such compliance is waived by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the Department in which the U.S. Coast Guard is operating. Requires the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating, and the Administrator of NOAA to report the status of obligated service of a graduate upon request of the Maritime Administration, and authorizes them to notify the Maritime Administration of any default in the performance of the graduate's reserve duties. (Sec. 6) Authorizes the Secretary to modify or waive any current service commitment requirements through the imposition of alternative service requirements. (Sec. 7) Revises eligibility requirements for incentive payments to state maritime academy students to require such students, in addition to other requirements, to accept enlisted reserve status in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve before receiving any such payments. (Sec. 8) Requires: (1) the Global Maritime and Transportation School (GMATS) to continue to operate as a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the United States under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Maritime Administration; and (2) GMATS to provide training services and educational activities to the U.S. Armed Forces and Commissioned Officers of NOAA, federal and state agencies, federal and state employees, nonprofit organizations, private companies or organizations, and private U.S. individuals or foreign countries friendly to the United States. (Sec. 9) Credits fees collected from the processing of applications for deepwater port licenses and from the processing of Administrative Waivers of the Coastwise Trade Laws for Eligible Vessels to the Maritime Administration for deposit into its operations and training account to be used to defray administrative expenses and for enhancements and improvements to the programs' operations. Sets forth limits on the amount of fees to be credited to the Maritime Administration. (Sec. 11) Amends federal shipping law to revise the use and availability of amounts contained in the Vessel Operations Revolving Fund. Credits certain amounts to the Fund, including establishment of a reserve from litigation and arbitration recoveries for use for unscheduled repairs and other necessary expenses in connection with casualties to National Reserve Fleet vessels. Authorizes the Secretary, with the approval of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to advance amounts from the Fund to the Maritime Administration Operations and Training appropriation account for maintenance, repair, and operation of vessels under the jurisdiction of the Secretary. (Sec. 12) Amends the Merchant Marine Decorations and Medals Act to prohibit a person from manufacturing, selling, possessing, or displaying a decoration or medal awarded by the Secretary for individual acts or service in the U.S. merchant marine unless authorized by such Act or the Secretary. (Sec. 13) Revises criteria concerning the treatment of a tank vessel to be replaced in the Maritime Security Fleet. (Sec. 14) Earmarks certain capital project funds for an intermodal or marine facility comprising a component of the Hawaii Port Infrastructure Expansion Program. (Sec. 15) Requires unlicensed seamen on certain coastwise endorsed passenger vessels to be: (1) a U.S. citizen; (2) an alien lawfully employed or admitted for permanent residence; or (3) a foreign national who is enrolled in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Limits alien seamen to 25% on such vessels.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Maritime Administration Improvement Act of 2006

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Stevens, Ted [R-AK] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 3852, Maritime Administration Enhancement Act of 2005 (2005-11-15); CBO cost estimate: S. 3852, Maritime Administration Enhancement Act of 2005 (2005-11-15); CBO cost estimate: S. 3852, Maritime Administration Improvement Act of 2006 (2006-08-17); CBO cost estimate: S. 3852, Maritime Administration Improvement Act of 2006 (2006-08-17)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (5)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-109s3852.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/109/s>

Record fed-us-cong109-s3852 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong109 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong109