S.Amdt. 3828

SA 3828. Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. Wicker) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2410, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2015 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

Strike section 123 and insert the following:

SEC. 123. AUTHORITY TO TRANSFER CERTAIN FUNDS FOR REFUELING OF AIRCRAFT CARRIER AND CONSTRUCTION OF AMPHIBIOUS SHIP.

(a) In General.--To the extent provided in appropriations Acts, upon a determination described in subsection (b), the Secretary of the Navy is authorized to transfer funds available in Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy or any other Navy procurement account for either or both of the following purposes:

(1) Up to $800,000,000 to conduct a refueling and complex overhaul of the U.S.S. George Washington (CVN-73).

(2) Up to $800,000,000 for the ship construction of a San Antonio class amphibious ship.

(b) Determination.--A determination described in this subsection is a determination by the Secretary of the Navy that--

(1) unobligated balances are available in the program or programs from which funds will be transferred pursuant to subsection (a) due to slower than expected program execution; and

(2) the transfer of funds will fill a high priority military need and is in the best interest of the Department of the Navy.

(c) Contingent Authorization.--The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to enter into a contract for the procurement of one San Antonio class amphibious ship beginning in fiscal year 2015, and to use incremental funding for the procurement of that ship, if additional funds are made available for such purpose in fiscal year 2015 and the Secretary determines that such procurement will fill a high priority military need and is in the best interests of the Department of the Navy.

(d) Effect on Authorization Amounts.--A transfer made from one account to another under the authority of this section shall be deemed to increase the amount authorized for the account to which the amount is transferred by an amount equal to the amount transferred.

(e) Construction of Authority.--The transfer authority under this section is in addition to any other transfer authority provided in this Act.