,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ehif  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #ac1       
#bjbj,mr4 ,gallagher 7for himself1 ,ms4 
,kaptur1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 and ,mr4       
,gibbs7 introduced the following bill2  
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,transportation and ,infrastructure  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend title #ad1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to require the ,coast    
,guard to conduct icebreaking operations
 in the ,great ,lakes to minimize       
commercial disruption in the winter     
months1 and for other purposes4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,great ,lakes ,winter ,commerce ,act
 of #bjbj4  #b4 ,great ,lakes           
icebreaking operations  7a7 ,in general 
,subchapter ,,iv of chapter #e of title 
#ad1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by adding at the end the following3     
#efd4 ,great ,lakes icebreaking         
operations  7a7 ,icebreaking operations 
,the ,commandant shall conduct          
icebreaking operations in the ,great    

,lakes in accordance with the standard  
for icebreaking operations under        
subsection 7b74  7b7 ,standard for      
icebreaking operations ,in carrying out 
subsection 7a7-- 7#a7 except as provided
 in paragraph 7#b71 the ,commandant     
shall keep channels and harbors in the  
,great ,lakes open to navigation not    
less than #ij percent of the hours that 
commercial vessels transit ice-covered  
waterways2 and  7#b7 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 
#aj years1 the ,coast ,guard shall keep 
channels and harbors in the ,great      
,lakes open to navigation at least #gj  
percent of the hours that commercial    
vessels transit ice-covered waterways4  
7c7 ,report to ,congress ,not later than
 ,july #a of each year1 the ,commandant 
shall submit to ,congress a report on   
the icebreaking operations conducted by 
the ,coast ,guard in the ,great ,lakes  
for the most recent fiscal year for     

which data are available4  7d7          
,coordination with industry ,the        
,commandant shall coordinate ,great     
,lakes icebreaking operations with      
operators of commercial vessels4  7e7   
,icebreaking in ,canada  7#a7 ,in       
general ,the ,coast ,guard shall not    
break ice in ,canadian harbors or bays  
unless the requirements of subsection   
7b7 will be met during such activity4   
7#b7 ,waiver authority ,the ,commandant 
may waive the prohibition in paragraph  
7#a7 on a case-by-case basis upon the   
approval of the ,secretary for such     
waiver and notification to ,congress of 
such waiver4  7f7 ,definitions ,for the 
purposes of this section3 7#a7          
,commercial vessel ,the term commercial 
vessel means any privately owned cargo  
vessel of at least #ejj tons operating  
in the ,great ,lakes during the winter  
season4  7#b7 ,great ,lakes ,the term   
,great ,lakes has the meaning given such
 term in section #aah of the ,federal   
,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc    

,u4,s4,c4 #abfh74  7#c7 ,ice-covered    
waterway ,the term ice-covered waterway 
means any portion of the ,great ,lakes  
in which commercial vessels operate that
 is #gj percent or greater covered by   
ice1 but does not include any waters    
adjacent to piers or docks for which    
commercial icebreaking services are     
available4  7#d7 ,open to navigation    
,the term open to navigation means      
navigable to the extent necessary to    
meet the reasonable demands of commerce1
 minimize delays to passenger ferries1  
extricate vessels and persons from      
danger1 prevent damage due to flooding1 
and conduct other ,coast ,guard missions
 as required4  7#e7 ,reasonable demands 
of commerce ,the term reasonable demands
 of commerce means the safe movement of 
commercial vessels transiting           
ice-covered waterways in the ,great     
,lakes at a speed of #c knots or        
greater4  4  7b7 ,clerical amendment    
,the table of analysis for such chapter 
is amended by adding at the end the     

following3  #efd4 ,great ,lakes         
icebreaking operations4  4  7c7 ,report 
,not later than the first ,july #a after
 the first winter in which the          
,commandant of the ,coast ,guard is     
subject to the requirements of section  
#efd of title #ad1 ,united ,states      
,code1 such ,commandant shall submit to 
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure of the ,house and the   
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation of the ,senate1 a report
 on the cost to the ,coast ,guard of    
meeting the requirements of such        
section4