,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #degj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ae1
 #bjbj,ms4 ,baldwin 7for herself1 ,mr4  
,young1 and ,mr4 ,peters7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was read twice   
and referred to the ,committee on       
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,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 and ferries attempt  
to 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 and ferries attempt to 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   
,except when necessary to assist        
commercial vessels documented under     
title #df1 ,united ,states ,code1 that  
are operating in ,canadian waters or for
 the safety of life1 the ,coast ,guard  
shall prioritize icebreaking in ,united 
,states waters of the ,great ,lakes over
 icebreaking in ,canadian waters of the 
,great ,lakes4  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 consistent with the   
design capability of ,coast ,guard      
icebreakers operating in the ,great     
,lakes4  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