#aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#bjgf  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend the        
provisions of title #df1 ,united ,states
 ,code1 related to the ,board of        
,visitors to the ,united ,states        
,merchant ,marine ,academy1 and for     
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,u4,s4         
,merchant ,marine ,academy ,board of    
,visitors ,enhancement ,act4  #b4       
,united ,states ,merchant ,marine       
,academy ,board of ,visitors ,section   
#eacab of title #df1 ,united ,states    
,code1 is amended to read as follows3   
#eacab4 ,board of ,visitors  7a7 ,in    
general ,a ,board of ,visitors to the   
,united ,states ,merchant ,marine       
,academy 7referred to in this section as
 the ,board and the ,academy1           
respectively7 shall be established to   
provide independent advice and          
recommendations on matters relating to  
the ,united ,states ,merchant ,marine   
,academy4  7b7 ,appointment and         
membership  7#a7 ,in general ,not later 

than #fj days after the date of the     
enactment of the ,u4,s4 ,merchant       
,marine ,academy ,board of ,visitors    
,enhancement ,act1 the ,board shall be  
composed of-- 7,a7 #b ,senators         
appointed by the chairman1 in           
consultation with the ranking member1 of
 the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 
and ,transportation of the ,senate2     
7,b7 #c members of the ,house of        
,representatives appointed by the       
chairman1 in consultation with the      
ranking member1 of the ,committee on    
,armed ,services of the ,house of       
,representatives2  7,c7 #a ,senator     
appointed by the ,vice ,president1 who  
shall be a member of the ,committee on  
,appropriations of the ,senate2  7,d7 #b
 members of the ,house of               
,representatives appointed by the       
,speaker of the ,house of               
,representatives1 in consultation with  
the ,minority ,leader1 at least #a of   
whom shall be a member of the ,committee
 on ,appropriations of the ,house of    

,representatives2  7,e7 the ,commander  
of the ,military ,sealift ,command2     
7,f7 the ,assistant ,commandant for     
,prevention ,policy of the ,united      
,states ,coast ,guard2  7,g7 #d         
individuals appointed by the ,president2
 and  7,h7 as ex officio members-- 7i7  
the chairman of the ,committee on       
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate2  7ii7 the chairman of  
the ,committee on ,armed ,services of   
the ,house of ,representatives2  7iii7  
the chairman of the ,advisory ,board to 
the ,academy established under section  
#eacac2 and  7iv7 the member of the     
,house of ,representatives in whose     
congressional district the ,academy is  
located1 as a non-voting member1 unless 
such member of the ,house of            
,representatives is appointed as a      
voting member of the ,board under       
subparagraph 7,b7 or 7,d74  7#b7        
,presidential appointees ,of the        
individuals appointed by the ,president 
under paragraph 7#a77;,h7-- 7,a7 at     

least #b shall be graduates of the      
,academy2  7,b7 at least #a shall be a  
senior corporate officer from a ,united 
,states maritime shipping company that  
participates in the ,maritime ,security 
,program1 or in any ,maritime           
,administration program providing       
incentives for companies to register    
their vessels in the ,united ,states1   
and this appointment shall rotate       
biennially among such companies2 and    
7,c7 #a or more may be a                
,senate-confirmed ,presidential         
appointee1 a member of the ,senior      
,executive ,service1 or an officer of   
flag-rank who from the ,united ,states  
,coast ,guard1 the ,national ,oceanic   
and ,atmospheric ,administration1 or any
 of the military services that          
commission graduates of the ,academy1   
exclusive of the ,board members         
described in subparagraph 7,e71 7,f71 or
 7,g7 of paragraph 7#a74  7#c7 ,term of 
service ,each member of the ,board shall
 serve for a term of #b years commencing

 at the beginning of each ,congress1    
except that any member whose term on the
 ,board has expired shall continue to   
serve until a successor is designated4  
7#d7 ,vacancies ,if a member of the     
,board is no longer able to serve on the
 ,board or resigns1 the ,designated     
,federal ,officer selected under        
subsection 7g77#b7 shall immediately    
notify the official who appointed such  
member4 ,not later than #fj days after  
that notification1 such official shall  
designate a replacement to serve the    
remainder of such member's term4  7#e7  
,current members ,each member of the    
,board serving as a member of the ,board
 on the date of the enactment of the    
,u4,s4 ,merchant ,marine ,academy ,board
 of ,visitors ,enhancement ,act shall   
continue to serve on the ,board for the 
remainder of such member's term4  7#f7  
,designation and responsibility of      
substitute ,board members  7,a7         
,authority to designate ,a member of the
 ,board described in subparagraph 7,e71 

7,f71 or 7,g7 of paragraph 7#a7 or      
subparagraph 7,b7 or 7,c7 of paragraph  
7#b7 may1 if unable to attend or        
participate in an activity described in 
subsection 7d71 7e71 or 7f71 designate  
another individual to serve as a        
substitute member of the ,board1 on a   
temporary basis1 to attend or           
participate in such activity4  7,b7     
,requirements ,a substitute member of   
the ,board designated under subparagraph
 7,a7 shall be-- 7i7 an individual who  
has been appointed by the ,president and
 confirmed by the ,senate2  7ii7 a      
member of the ,senior ,executive        
,service2 or  7iii7 an officer of       
flag-rank who is employed by-- 7,i7 the 
,united ,states ,coast ,guard2 or       
7,,ii7 the ,military ,sealift ,command4 
7,c7 ,participation ,a substitute member
 of the ,board designated under         
subparagraph 7,a7-- 7i7 shall be        
permitted to fully participate in the   
proceedings and activities of the       
,board2  7ii7 shall report back to the  

member on the ,board's activities not   
later than #ae days following the       
substitute member's participation in    
such activities2 and  7iii7 shall be    
permitted to participate in the         
preparation of reports described in     
paragraph 7j7 related to any proceedings
 or activities of the ,board in which   
such substitute member participates4    
7c7 ,chairperson  7#a7 ,in general ,on a
 biennial basis1 the ,board shall select
 from among its members1 a member of the
 ,house of ,representatives or a        
,senator to serve as the ,chairperson4  
7#b7 ,rotation ,a member of the ,house  
of ,representatives and a member of the 
,senate shall alternately serve as the  
,chair of the ,board on a biennial      
basis4  7#c7 ,term ,an individual may   
not serve as ,chairperson for more than 
#a consecutive term4  7d7 ,meetings     
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,board shall meet 
several times each year as provided for 
in the ,charter described in paragraph  
7#b77;,b71 including at least #a meeting

 held at the ,academy4  7#b7 ,selection 
and consideration ,not later than #fj   
days after the date of the enactment of 
the ,u4,s4 ,merchant ,marine ,academy   
,board of ,visitors ,enhancement ,act1  
the ,designated ,federal ,officer       
selected under subsection 7g77#b7 shall 
organize a meeting of the ,board for the
 purposes of-- 7,a7 selecting a         
,chairperson2 and  7,b7 considering an  
official ,charter for the ,board1 which 
shall provide for the meeting of the    
,board several times each year4  7e7    
,visiting the ,academy  7#a7 ,annual    
visit ,the ,board shall visit the       
,academy annually on a date selected by 
the ,board1 in consultation with the    
,secretary of ,transportation and the   
,superintendent of the ,academy4  7#b7  
,other visits ,in cooperation with the  
,superintendent1 the ,board or its      
members may make other visits to the    
,academy in connection with the duties  
of the ,board4  7#c7 ,access ,while     
visiting the ,academy under this        

subsection1 members of the ,board shall 
have reasonable access to the grounds1  
facilities1 midshipmen1 faculty1 staff1 
and other personnel of the ,academy for 
the purpose of carrying out the duties  
of the ,board4  7f7 ,responsibility ,the
 ,board shall inquire into the state of 
morale and discipline1 the curriculum1  
instruction1 physical equipment1 fiscal 
affairs1 academic methods1 and other    
matters relating to the ,academy that   
the ,board decides to consider4  7g7    
,department of ,transportation support  
,the ,secretary of ,transportation      
shall-- 7#a7 provide support as deemed  
necessary by the ,board for the         
performance of the ,board's functions2  
7#b7 not later than #cj days after the  
date of the enactment of the ,u4,s4     
,merchant ,marine ,academy ,board of    
,visitors ,enhancement ,act1 select a   
,designated ,federal ,officer to support
 the performance of the ,board's        
functions2 and  7#c7 in cooperation with
 the ,maritime ,administrator and the   

,superintendent of the ,academy1 advise 
the ,board of any institutional issues1 
consistent with applicable laws         
concerning the disclosure of            
information4  7h7 ,staff ,staff members 
may be designated to serve without      
reimbursement as staff for the ,board   
by-- 7#a7 the ,chairperson of the       
,board2  7#b7 the chairman of the       
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation of the ,senate2 and     
7#c7 the chairman of the ,committee on  
,armed ,services of the ,house of       
,representatives4  7i7 ,travel expenses 
,while serving away from home or regular
 place of business1 a member of the     
,board or a staff member designated     
under subsection 7h7 shall be allowed   
travel expenses1 including per diem in  
lieu of subsistence1 as authorized under
 section #egjc of title #e1 ,united     
,states ,code4  7j7 ,reports  7#a7      
,annual report ,not later than #fj days 
after each annual visit required under  
subsection 7e77#a71 the ,board shall    

submit to the ,president a written      
report of its actions1 views1 and       
recommendations pertaining to the       
,academy4  7#b7 ,other reports ,if the  
members of the ,board visit the ,academy
 under subsection 7e77#b71 the ,board   
may-- 7,a7 prepare a report on such     
visit2 and  7,b7 if approved by a       
majority of the members of the ,board1  
submit such report to the ,president not
 later than #fj days after the date of  
the approval4  7#c7 ,advisors ,the      
,board may call in advisers-- 7,a7 for  
consultation regarding the execution of 
the ,board's responsibility under       
subsection 7f72 or  7,b7 to assist in   
the preparation of a report described in
 paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b74  7#d7          
,submission ,a report submitted to the  
,president under paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b7 
shall be concurrently submitted to--    
7,a7 the ,secretary of ,transportation2 
7,b7 the ,committee on ,commerce1       
,science1 and ,transportation of the    
,senate2 and  7,c7 the ,committee on    

,armed ,services of the ,house of       
,representatives4  4  ,passed the       
,senate ,june #bf1 #bjad4,secretary