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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4839 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4839
To allow the Secretary of Transportation to authorize vessels
documented in allied foreign countries, owned by nationals of allied
foreign countries, or crewed by allied foreign countries to engage in
certain coastwise trade, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 1, 2025
Mr. Case (for himself and Mr. Moylan) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To allow the Secretary of Transportation to authorize vessels
documented in allied foreign countries, owned by nationals of allied
foreign countries, or crewed by allied foreign countries to engage in
certain coastwise trade, 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 ``Merchant Marine Allies Partnership
Act''.
SEC. 2. PARTICIPATION IN COASTWISE TRADE OF CITIZENS AND VESSELS OF
ALLIED FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
(a) Endorsement Eligibility for Vessels Built in Foreign Allied
Countries.--Section 12112(a)(2)(B) of title 46, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in clause (ii) by striking ``; or'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(2) in clause (iii) by striking ``; and'' and inserting ``;
or''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(iv) was built in a country listed on the Foreign
Ally Shipping Registry under section 55124(d) as of the
date of issuance of the coastwise endorsement; and''.
(b) Loss of Coastwise Trade Privileges.--Section 12132 of title 46,
United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (b) by striking ``outside the United
States'' and inserting ``in a country other than the United
States that is not listed on the Foreign Ally Shipping Registry
under section 55124(d)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(c) Built or Rebuilt in Country Removed From Foreign Ally
Shipping Registry.--Except as otherwise provided in law, a vessel built
or rebuilt in a country other than the United States that is eligible
to engage in coastwise trade may not engage in coastwise trade for any
period during which such country is not listed on the Foreign Ally
Shipping Registry, beginning on the effective date of the removal of
such country from the Registry.''.
(c) Treatment of Foreign Allied Countries.--Chapter 551 of title
46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following
new section:
``Sec. 55124. Transportation of merchandise by vessels, owners, and
crews of foreign allied nations.
``(a) Qualified Vessel Described.--For purposes of this section, a
qualified vessel is a vessel--
``(1) wholly owned for purposes of engaging in coastwise
trade by--
``(A) one or more nationals of a country listed on
the Foreign Ally Shipping Registry;
``(B) the government of a country listed on the
Foreign Ally Shipping Registry; or
``(C) a combination of the entities described in
clauses (i) or (ii) and a national of the United
States; and
``(2) flagged in the United States or a country listed on
the Foreign Ally Shipping Registry.
``(b) Authorization To Engage in Certain Trade.--
``(1) Authorization.--Notwithstanding any other provision
of law, the Secretary of Transportation may authorize, for a
period not to exceed 5 years, a qualified vessel to transport
merchandise by water, or by land and water, between points in
the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either
directly or via a foreign port.
``(2) Renewal.--The Secretary may renew an authorization
under paragraph (1) for subsequent periods not to exceed 5
years each.
``(3) Revocation.--If, at any time during the period that
an authorization issued under this subsection applies, the
vessel subject to such authorization ceases to be a qualified
vessel under this section, the Secretary shall revoke the
authorization--
``(A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), not
later than 30 days after the date on which such vessel
ceases to be a qualified vessel; or
``(B) with respect to a vessel that ceases to be a
qualified vessel due to the removal of a country from
the Foreign Ally Shipping Registry pursuant to
subsection (d)(2), on the effective date of such
removal.
``(4) Notice of change in information.--The owner of a
vessel subject to an authorization under this subsection shall
notify the Secretary of each change in information on which the
authorization is based (including information indicative of if
the vessel is a qualified vessel) not later than 30 days after
such change.
``(c) Non-Applicability of Crewing Requirements.--The Secretary of
the department in which the Coast Guard is operating may not enforce
citizenship requirements under section 8103 of title 46, United States
Code, or the credentialing requirements under section 8701 of title 46,
United States Code, with respect to an individual who is--
``(1) a national of the United States or a country listed
on the Foreign Ally Shipping Registry; and
``(2) employed on a qualified vessel engaged in trade
pursuant to an authorization under subsection (b).
``(d) Foreign Allied Country Registry.--
``(1) Registry.--For purposes of authorizing transportation
of merchandise by a vessel under subsection (b), the Secretary
of State, in consultation with the Commandant of the Coast
Guard, shall maintain a registry to be known as the `Foreign
Ally Shipping Registry' that contains a list of each country
determined by the Secretary to be an ally of the United States
for purposes of carrying out coastwise trade under this
section.
``(2) Removal procedures.--
``(A) Determination.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Commandant, may remove from the
Foreign Ally Shipping Registry any country determined
by the Secretary to no longer be an ally for purposes
of carrying out coastwise trade under this section.
``(B) Congressional notice.--As soon as is
practicable within the 30-day period beginning on the
date on which the Secretary determines that a country
is no longer an ally under subparagraph (A), the
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Foreign
Affairs and Transportation and Infrastructure of the
House of Representatives and the Committees on Foreign
Relations and Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate a notice of such determination.
``(C) Effective date of removal.--Removal of a
country from the Foreign Ally Shipping Registry under
subparagraph (A) shall take effect on the date that is
30 days after the date on which the Secretary submits a
notice under subparagraph (B) with respect to the
country.
``(D) Immediately removal resulting from
declaration of war.--Effective immediately upon a
declaration of war by Congress on any country on the
Foreign Ally Shipping Registry--
``(i) such country is removed from the
Registry; and
``(ii) the Secretary may not add such
country to the Registry during the period of
such war.
``(3) Treatment of nato member countries.--The Foreign Ally
Shipping Registry shall include each member country of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization, unless and until the date
on which such country--
``(A) is no longer a member country of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization; or
``(B) is otherwise removed from the Foreign Ally
Shipping Registry pursuant to paragraph (2).''.
(d) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 551 of title 46,
United States Code, is amended by adding after the item relating to
section 55123 the following:
``55124. Exception for transportation of merchandise by vessels,
owners, and crews of foreign allied
nations.''.
SEC. 3. EXEMPTION FROM DUTY ON REPAIRS OF DOCUMENTED VESSELS IN ALLIED
FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
Section 466(h) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1466(h)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``or'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; or''; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
``(5) the cost of repairs made in a shipyard located in a
country listed on the Foreign Ally Shipping Registry pursuant
to section 55124(d) of title 46, United States Code, with
respect to documented vessels (as such term is defined in
section 106 of such title).''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E747)
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
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