,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cbbd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #ag1 
#bjba,mr4 ,scott of ,florida introduced 
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary  
of ,transportation to establish a       
program to provide grants to owners of  
cargo vessels being rerouted from the   
western seaboard of the ,united ,states 
through the ,panama ,canal1 and for     
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,supply ,chain 
,emergency ,response ,act 4  #b4        
,emergency incentive program for        
rerouting cargo vessels  7a7 ,in general
 ,the ,secretary of ,transportation1    
acting through the ,administrator of the
 ,maritime ,administration1 shall       
establish a program to provide grants to
 eligible entities to cover toll costs  
associated with rerouting cargo vessels 
from ports along the western seaboard of

 the ,united ,states through the ,panama
 ,canal to ports along the ,gulf of     
,mexico and the eastern seaboard of the 
,united ,states4  7b7 ,grant amount ,a  
grant provided under this section shall 
be in an amount equal to the cost of the
 toll fees at the ,panama ,canal4  7c7  
,documentation required ,to receive a   
grant under this section1 an eligible   
entity shall submit to the              
,administrator documentation that such  
eligible entity-- 7#a7 had an agreement 
to dock a cargo vessel at a port along  
the western seaboard of the ,united     
,states and intends to reroute such     
cargo vessel from such port through the 
,panama ,canal to a port along the ,gulf
 of ,mexico or the eastern seaboard of  
the ,united ,states2 and  7#b7 has an   
agreement to dock such cargo vessel at  
such port along the ,gulf of ,mexico or 
the eastern seaboard of the ,united     
,states4  7d7 ,entities ineligible for  
grant ,any individual who is a member of
 the ,chinese ,communist ,party or any  

company owned1 in whole or in part1 by  
the ,chinese ,communist ,party may not  
receive a grant under this section4  7e7
 ,definition of eligible entity ,in this
 section1 the term eligible entity means
 the owner of a cargo vessel who intends
 to reroute such cargo vessel from a    
port along the western seaboard of the  
,united ,states through the ,panama     
,canal to a destination located in the  
,united ,states4  7f7 ,funding          
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 not more than #abe1jjj1jjj of the  
total amount of unobligated funds made  
available under the ,,cares ,act        
7,public ,law #aaf-acf7 may be used to  
carry out this section4  #c4 ,use of    
,,covid relief funds to offset shipping 
costs ,notwithstanding any other        
provision of law1 a ,state or unit of   
local government may use any unobligated
 funds made available to such ,state or 
unit of local government under the      
,,cares ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf7 for
 costs related to rerouting cargo       

vessels from the western seaboard of the
 ,united ,states to the eastern seaboard
 of the ,united ,states4  #d4           
,prohibition on collection of port fees 
,any marine terminal operator 7as       
defined in section #djajb of title #df1 
,united ,states ,code7 that is located  
along the western seaboard of the       
,united ,states1 and subject to the     
jurisdiction of the ,united ,states1 may
 not collect port fees from a recipient 
of a grant under section #b that has    
rerouted a cargo vessel from such marine
 terminal operator due to the inability 
of such marine terminal operator to     
receive such vessel4  #e4 ,definition of
 cargo vessel ,in this ,act1 the term   
cargo vessel has the meaning given such 
term in section #aii4cj of title #df1   
,code of ,federal ,regulations 7as in   
effect on the date of enactment of this 
,act74