H.R. 3247: Protect United States Security in the Arctic Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-07-14 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-07-14 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-7] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology. 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

Protect United States Security in the Arctic Act of 2017

Plain summary

Protect United States Security in the Arctic Act of 2017 This bill instructs the President to submit to Congress a strategy to protect U.S. interests in the Arctic region. Such strategy shall include goals to: improve telecommunications, navigation, ocean and coastal mapping, and Coast Guard and other infrastructure to support a sustained security and emergency response presence for Alaska; direct the U.S. representative to the Arctic Council to use the voice and vote of the United States to conduct increased confidence-building and cooperative security measures with other member countries; support climate resilience efforts across the Arctic region; and sustain robust research funding to understand the ongoing climate changes in the Arctic region and their global impact. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) shall submit a report that assesses the cost and procurement schedule for new U.S. icebreakers. Consistent with the recapitalization plan for the acquisition of heavy and medium icebreakers to meet Coast Guard statutory missions in the polar regions, the department in which the Coast Guard is operating: (1) may enter into a contract to procure up to three Coast Guard heavy icebreakers for the defense of U.S. interests in the Arctic region, beginning In FY2018; and (2) shall report on its plans to procure and sustain icebreakers in addition to the vessels authorized to be procured under such contract and to ensure that at least three Coast Guard icebreakers are ready for operations at all times.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Protect United States Security in the Arctic Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-7] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-7] reported raising $1.5 million (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).
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr3247.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr3247 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115