S.Amdt. 1187

SA 1187. Mr. KELLY (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr.
Wicker, and Mr. Schumer) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill H.R. 4366, making appropriations for military
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes;
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in title I of division C, insert
the following:

SEC. ____. UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENTS.

(a) Findings.--
(1) The United States is a maritime Nation.
(2) A robust commercial maritime industry in the United
States is critical for providing military sea-lift capacity
at times of war and for providing economic security in peace
times.
(3) the United States Merchant Marine Academy and the State
maritime academies play a critical role in training licensed
merchant mariners to operate commercial vessels, in peacetime
and during times of conflict.
(4) The United States Merchant Marine Academy is 1 of the 5
Federal service academies and plays a critical role in
maintaining a domestic, commercial maritime industry, with
each graduate having a commitment to serve not less than 8
years in the foreign and domestic commerce and the national
defense of the United States, which may include service on a
merchant vessel documented under chapter 121 of title 46, and
graduates make up more than 80 percent of the Navy's
Strategic Sealift Officer Program.
(5) The 6 State maritime academies provide a critical
compliment to the Federal academy by providing instruction
and at-sea training, which enables a graduate to become a
commissioned officer and merchant marine upon graduation.
(6) The United States defense readiness and economic
security relies on a strong investment in training and
cultivating United States merchant marine officers at the
maritime academies.
(7) The partnership between commercial shipping companies
and the maritime academies to ensure students receive real-
world training on commercial vessels has been successful for
decades and should continue, while ensuring that these
training opportunities are safe environments for students.
(8) To ensure that the United States continues to have a
sufficient number of licensed merchant mariners to meet
current and future economic and national security needs, the
Maritime Administration and the Department of Transportation
have a responsibility to provide suitable academic and
dormitory facilities at the United States Merchant Marine
Academy by maintaining a capital improvement program plan for
campus-wide modernization and providing sufficient
accountability and oversight to ensure that milestones in a
capital improvement plan are met.
(9) In developing capital improvement plans for the United
States Merchant Marine Academy, the Maritime Administration
and the Department of Transportation should identify
opportunities to utilize design-build contracts to increase
delivery times and reduce costs.
(b) Directives.--
(1) Status update.--Not later than 30 days after the date
of enactment of this section, the Secretary of Transportation
and the Maritime Administrator shall provide an update to the
Board of Visitors of the United States Merchant Marine
Academy on--
(A) the status of the fiscal year 2022 United States
Merchant Marine Academy's capital improvement plan execution,
including recent steps taken to obligate prior appropriated
funds to address all critical near-term projects;
(B) the status of the fiscal year 2023 plan's release; and
(C) the status of long-term projects not included in the
capital improvement plan to enable full campus modernization.

[[Page S4498]]

(2) Meetings.--The Maritime Administrator shall--
(A) ensure that the United States Merchant Marine Academy
Board of Visitors meets not less than 3 times each calendar
year, and is encouraged to ensure that meetings are
structured to enable Members of Congress to participate
virtually, or be represented by staff, to the extent
permitted by law; and
(B) transmit a copy of any report transmitted to the
President by the Board of Visitors to the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives, in addition
to copies provided to committees of jurisdiction identified
in section 51312 of title 46, United States Code.
______