HR 1561
117th Congress
House
Transportation and Public Works
Canada
Coast guard
Congressional oversight
Great Lakes
Marine and inland water transportation
Military procurement, research, weapons development
Navigation, waterways, harbors
Performance measurement
Public contracts and procurement
Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act of 2021
Introduced: March 3, 2021
See on congress.gov
Everywhere this bill has been
3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 4, 2021
Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
Mar 3, 2021
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Mar 3, 2021
Introduced in House
Plain-English summary
Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act of 2021
This bill directs the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct icebreaking operations in the Great Lakes in accordance with specific performance standards.
Specifically, the Coast Guard must
- keep channels and harbors in the Great Lakes open to navigation not less than 90% of the hours that commercial vessels and ferries attempt to transit ice-covered waterways;
- in a year in which the Great Lakes are not open to navigation because of ice of a thickness that occurs on average only once every 10 years, keep channels and harbors open to navigation at least 70% of the hours that commercial vessels and ferries attempt to transit ice-covered waterways; and
- coordinate Great Lakes icebreaking operations with operators of commercial vessels.
The bill also directs the Coast Guard to acquire a Great Lakes icebreaker that is at least as capable as Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw in an accelerated timeframe and award the contract on the basis of contractor qualification and price.
What's happening now
Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
Committees of jurisdiction
2