[House Report 115-1020]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 115-1020
======================================================================
COAST GUARD BLUE TECHNOLOGY CENTER OF EXPERTISE ACT
_______
November 13, 2018.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Shuster, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 6206]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 6206) to direct the Commandant of
the Coast Guard to establish a Blue Technology center of
expertise, and for other purposes, having considered the same,
report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that
the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose of Legislation........................................... 2
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Hearings......................................................... 2
Legislative History and Consideration............................ 2
Committee Votes.................................................. 2
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 2
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................ 3
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................ 3
Performance Goals and Objectives................................. 4
Advisory of Earmarks............................................. 4
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 4
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings.............................. 4
Federal Mandate Statement........................................ 4
Preemption Clarification......................................... 4
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 4
Applicability of Legislative Branch.............................. 5
Section-by-Section Analysis of Legislation....................... 5
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 5
PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION
H.R. 6206 directs the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard to
establish a Blue Technology center of expertise under section
58 of title 14, United States Code, to increase the Service's
awareness of Blue Technologies which could enhance mission
effectiveness.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
``Blue technology'' is a term that describes a wide swath
of technologies and systems that support, sustain, and
integrate the U.S. and global ocean economy. Accordingly,
systems and technologies such as autonomous vehicles, sensors
(both remote and in situ), ocean observation platforms, and
hydrographic services, among many others fall under the term.
The integration of advanced blue technologies could improve
operational efficiencies and the Coast Guard's mission
performance, as well as Maritime Domain Awareness. Emerging
maritime technologies also may contribute to enhanced
operational flexibility, improved understanding of the maritime
environment, and optimal deployment and use of conventional
Coast Guard assets (e.g., cutters, aircraft, small boats,
etc.).
HEARINGS
The bill was not subject to a hearing by the Subcommittee
on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, however, the
Subcommittee held a hearing to examine emerging maritime
technologies and how such technologies could improve Coast
Guard mission performance and enhance the safety and efficiency
of maritime transportation on May 8, 2018.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND CONSIDERATION
On June 25, 2018, H.R. 6206 was introduced by Congressman
John Garamendi (D-CA). The bill was referred solely to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
On June 27, 2018, the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure met in open session to consider H.R. 6206. No
amendments were offered. The Committee ordered the bill
reported favorably to the House by voice vote with a quorum
present.
COMMITTEE VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires each committee report to include the
total number of votes cast for and against on each record vote
on a motion to report and on any amendment offered to the
measure or matter, and the names of those members voting for
and against. There were no recorded votes taken in connection
with consideration of H.R. 6206. A motion to order H.R. 6206
reported favorably to the House was agreed to by voice vote
with a quorum present.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are
reflected in this report.
NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES
Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of the
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is
included in this report.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has
received the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6206 from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, July 20, 2018.
Hon. Bill Shuster,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6206, the Coast
Guard Blue Technology Center of Expertise Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Megan
Carroll.
Sincerely,
Mark P. Hadley
(For Keith Hall, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 6206--Coast Guard Blue Technology Center of Expertise Act
Under current law, the Coast Guard (USCG) operates several
centers of expertise, often under agreements with educational
institutions, to provide technical assistance on a range of
issues related to maritime safety. H.R. 6206 would direct the
Coast Guard to establish a new center to promote the use of new
maritime technologies related to activities including
surveillance and monitoring, search and rescue, emergency
response, and law enforcement.
Using information from the USCG, CBO estimates that
implementing H.R. 6206 would not significantly affect the
federal budget. Because the USCG's existing Research and
Development Center is already pursuing activities similar to
those that the proposed center would perform, CBO expects that
any increases in the agency's costs--which would be subject to
appropriation--would not exceed $500,000 in any year. (In 2018
the USCG allocated about $5 million in appropriated funds to
those similar efforts.)
Enacting H.R. 6206 would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6206 would not increase
net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
H.R. 6206 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Megan Carroll.
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
performance goal and objective of this legislation is to
enhance maritime transportation safety, and includes limited
revisions to Coast Guard authorities and regulations governing
certain maritime industries and ocean-related technologies.
ADVISORY OF EARMARKS
Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, the Committee is required to include a list
of congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited
tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of
rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. No
provision in the bill includes an earmark, limited tax benefit,
or limited tariff benefit under clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of
rule XXI.
DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee finds that no provision
of H.R. 6206 establishes or reauthorizes a program of the
federal government known to be duplicative of another federal
program, a program that was included in any report from the
Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to
section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program related to a
program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance.
DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTED RULE MAKINGS
Pursuant to section 3(i) of H. Res. 5, 115th Cong. (2017),
the Committee finds that enacting H.R. 6206 does not direct the
completion of a specific rule making within the meaning of
section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
FEDERAL MANDATE STATEMENT
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act (Public Law 104-4).
PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION
Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
requires the report of any Committee on a bill or joint
resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the
bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local,
or tribal law. The Committee states that H.R. 6206 does not
preempt any state, local, or tribal law.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
No new advisory committees within the meaning of section
5(b) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this
legislation.
APPLICABILITY OF LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law
104-1).
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF LEGISLATION
Sec. 1. Short title
This section designates the short title as the ``Coast
Guard Blue Technology Center of Expertise Act of 2018''.
Sec. 2. Coast Guard Blue Technology Center of Expertise
This section directs the Commandant to establish a Blue
Technology center of expertise not later than one year from the
date of the enactment of the Act.
This section also details several missions of the Blue
Technology center of expertise, including promoting awareness
of Blue Technologies within the Coast Guard; enabling the
sharing of Blue Technology information between the private
sector, academia, non-profit organizations, other Federal
agencies, and the Coast Guard; increasing awareness of Coast
Guard acquisition policies and practices among Blue Technology
manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and vendors; providing technical
support, coordination, and assistance to Coast Guard districts
and the Coast Guard Research and Development Center; and,
subject to the requirements of the Coast Guard Academy,
coordinating with the Academy to develop appropriate curricula
regarding Blue Technology.
This section also directs the Commandant to conduct a
briefing on the costs and benefits of hosting a biennial Coast
Guard Blue Technology exposition to inform the Committees of
jurisdiction in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
This section also defines the terms used in this Act
including ``center'', ``Commandant'', and ``Blue Technology''.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
As reported, H.R. 6206 makes no changes in existing law.
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