54 U.S.C. § 308704: Funding

Fifty percent shall be available to the Administrator of the Maritime Administration for such acquisition, maintenance, repair, reconditioning, or improvement of vessels in the National Defense Reserve Fleet as is authorized under other Federal law. Twenty five percent shall be available to the Administrator of the Maritime Administration for the payment or reimbursement of expenses incurred by or on behalf of State maritime academies or the United States Merchant Marine Academy for facility and training ship maintenance, repair, and modernization, and for the purchase of simulators and fuel. The remainder shall be available to the Secretary to carry out the Program, as provided in subsection (b). Paragraph (1) does not apply to amounts credited to the Vessel Operations Revolving Fund before July 1, 1994 . 50 percent shall be used for grants under section 308703(b); and 50 percent shall be used for grants under section 308703(c). Not less than 25 percent of the amounts available each fiscal year for the Program under subsection (a)(1)(C) shall be used for the preservation and presentation to the public of the maritime heritage property of the Maritime Administration. The Secretary may provide amounts used for the preservation and presentation to the public of the maritime heritage property of the Maritime Administration through direct transfers to the Maritime Administration. The Maritime Administrator may waive the application of clause (i) for any fiscal year. Not more than 15 percent or $500,000, whichever is less, of the amount available for the Program under subsection (a)(1)(C) for a fiscal year may be used for expenses of administering the Program. one half shall be allocated to the National Trust for expenses incurred in administering grants under section 308703(b) of this title ; and one half shall be allocated as appropriate by the Secretary to the Service and participating State Historic Preservation Officers. dispose of all deteriorated high priority ships that are available for disposal within 12 months of their designation as available for disposal; and give priority to the disposition of those vessels that pose the most significant danger to the environment or cost the most to maintain; in the manner that provides the best value to the Federal Government, except in any case in which obtaining the best value would require towing a vessel and the towing poses a serious threat to the environment; and in accordance with the plan of the Department of Transportation for disposal of those vessels and requirements under sections 57102 to 57104 of title 46. are not assigned to the Ready Reserve Force component of the National Defense Reserve Fleet; and are not specifically authorized or required by statute to be used for a particular purpose. Amounts available under this section shall not be considered in any determination of the amounts available to the Department of the Interior. at least cost to the Government; in a timely manner; giving consideration to worker safety and the environment; and in a manner that minimizes the geographic distance that a vessel must be towed when towing a vessel poses a serious threat to the environment. The Secretary of Transportation shall prepare, publish, and submit to the Congress by not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [probably should be “this subsection”, Jan. 6, 2006 ] a comprehensive plan for management of the vessel disposal program of the Maritime Administration in accordance with the recommendations made in the Government Accountability Office in report number GAO–05–264, dated March 2005. include a strategy and implementation plan for disposal of obsolete National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels (including vessels added to the fleet after the enactment of this paragraph) in a timely manner, maximizing the use of all available disposal methods, including dismantling, use for artificial reefs, donation, and Navy training exercises; identify and describe the funding and other resources necessary to implement the plan, and specific milestones for disposal of vessels under the plan; establish performance measures to track progress toward achieving the goals of the program, including the expeditious disposal of ships commencing upon the date of the enactment of this paragraph; develop a formal decisionmaking framework for the program; and identify external factors that could impede successful implementation of the plan, and describe steps to be taken to mitigate the effects of such factors. the management plan submitted under subsection (c); and the requirements set forth in paragraph (2). use full and open competition; and utilize domestic sources to the maximum extent practicable. The Secretary of Transportation, subject to the availability of appropriations, shall promptly award a contract using full and open competition to expeditiously implement all aspects of disposal of obsolete National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels. This subsection shall apply beginning 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection [ Jan. 6, 2006 ], unless the Secretary of Transportation has submitted to the Congress the comprehensive plan required under subsection (c). The Maritime Administrator shall, upon request, provide briefings to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on Natural Resources, and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, on the progress made in recycling vessels, problems encountered with recycling vessels, issues relating to vessel recycling, and other issues relating to vessel recycling and disposal.”