Save Our Ships Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9983 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9983

     To establish a grant program to support the conservation and 
 preservation of historic military ships and submarines, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 11, 2024

  Mr. Norcross (for himself, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr. 
Case, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Kennedy, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, Mr. Kildee, 
Ms. Lee of California, and Mr. Panetta) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To establish a grant program to support the conservation and 
 preservation of historic military ships and submarines, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Save Our Ships Act''.

SEC. 2. HISTORIC NAVAL SHIP PRESERVATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department of the 
Interior the Historic Naval Ship Preservation Grant Program to support 
the physical preservation of historic military vessels, ensuring the 
continued availability of these vessels to the American public to 
educate on the past and inspire the future of United States military 
maritime endeavors.
    (b) Administration.--The Program shall be administered by the 
Secretary, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security and 
the Department of Defense.
    (c) Grant Uses.--In carrying out the Program, the Secretary may 
award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for the 
following activities:
            (1) Conserving and preserving historic military vessels at 
        covered sites, including--
                    (A) physical upkeep and repair of the vessels; and
                    (B) mitigating environmental hazards or damage to 
                the vessels.
            (2) Implementing education and workforce development 
        programs related to military maritime careers, including 
        shipbuilding and submarine construction.
    (d) Eligible Entities.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the Program, the Secretary 
        may award grants to a unit of State or local government or a 
        private nonprofit organization that administers a covered site.
            (2) Application.--To be eligible for a grant under the 
        Program, an organization that administers a covered site shall 
        submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such 
        manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
        require.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the Program $5,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2025 and each fiscal year thereafter.
    (f) Definition.--In this Act:
            (1) Covered site.--The term ``covered site'' means a 
        museum, memorial, monument, educational center, or other venue 
        that provides public access to, or publicly displays, a 
        historic military vessel.
            (2) Historic military vessel.--The term ``historic military 
        vessel'' means a vessel that has been decommissioned or 
        otherwise removed from service and--
                    (A) was owned and operated by the Department of 
                Defense or the Coast Guard, other than a time- or 
                voyage-chartered vessel;
                    (B) was owned and operated by the Department of 
                Transportation and designated by the Secretary of the 
                department in which the Coast Guard is operating as a 
                vessel equivalent to a vessel described in subparagraph 
                (A); or
                    (C) was built for, or pursuant to a contract with, 
                the United States Maritime Commission or other legacy 
                branch of the Department of Transportation and at some 
                point in the vessel's service was equipped with 
                armaments and embarked Navy Armed Guard personnel to 
                operate the armaments.
            (3) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Historic Naval 
        Ship Preservation Grant Program established by subsection (a).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
        Park Service.
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