S. 2829: Maritime Administration Authorization and Enhancement Act for Fiscal Year 2017

114th Congress · introduced 2016-04-20 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: By Senator Thune from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 114-402.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-04-20 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: By Senator Thune from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 114-402. 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 Authorization and Enhancement Act for Fiscal Year 2017

Plain summary

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. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Act This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop policies on the prevention of and response to sexual harassment or assaults involving its employees, NOAA's commissioned officer corps, and individuals who work with or conduct business on behalf of NOAA. Those policies must include procedures for reporting incidents, including those occurring after-hours, at sea, or in remote locations. The bill establishes protections for victims, including through a change of duty station of an alleged perpetrator. The bill revises and reauthorizes through FY2020 the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Maritime Administration Authorization and Enhancement Act for Fiscal Year 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate amended)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 2829, Maritime Administration Authorization and Enhancement Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (2016-07-12)

Cosponsors on this site

Cory A. Booker (D-NJ)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE] reported raising $976,129 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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 (4)

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.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
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 (Passed Senate amended)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s2829.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s2829 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114