This bill directs the U.S. Coast Guard to develop and present a strategy for designing and building a new icebreaker vessel for the Great Lakes. Within 90 days of the bill's enactment, the Coast Guard must submit to Congress a detailed plan including cost estimates and a timeline for completing this vessel, which should be at least as capable as the existing Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw. The legislation also requires the Coast Guard to conduct a five-year pilot program to test whether its current fleet of icebreakers can keep major waterways open 95 percent of the time during winter ice seasons, with reports submitted to Congress after each season detailing the results and any new performance measures. Additionally, the bill modifies existing reporting requirements to ensure the Coast Guard publicly discloses the costs associated with meeting Great Lakes icebreaking standards. The bill addresses the practical need for enhanced winter navigation capabilities on the Great Lakes while holding the Coast Guard accountable through regular congressional oversight and public reporting.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.