,,ii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #egf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #c1 #bjba,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 #bjba4 #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 ice-covered waterways in the ,great ,lakes open to navigation not less than #ij percent of the hours that commercial vessels and ferries attempt to transit such 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 ice-covered waterways in the ,great ,lakes open to navigation at least #gj percent of the hours that commercial vessels and ferries attempt to transit such ice-covered waterways4 7c7 ,report to ,congress 7#a7 ,deadline ,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 fiscal year4 7#b7 ,content ,the report required under paragraph 7#a7 shall include the total number of hours that ,united ,states icebreakers conducted icebreaking operations in each of the types of ,great ,lakes waters described in paragraph 7#c7 and the total number of hours that ,canadian icebreakers conducted icebreaking operations in the type of ,great ,lakes waters described in subparagraphs 7#c77;,a7 and 7#c77;,c74 7#c7 ,types of ,great ,lakes waters ,the types of waters described in this paragraph are-- 7,a7 ,united ,states waters1 excluding waters described in subparagraph 7,c72 7,b7 ,canadian waters1 excluding waters described in subparagraph 7,c72 and 7,c7 frequent border crossing waters4 7d7 ,coordination with industry ,the ,commandant shall coordinate ,great ,lakes icebreaking operations with operators of commercial vessels4 7e7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,commercial vessel ,the term commercial vessel means any privately owned cargo vessel of at least #ejj tons1 as measured under section #adejb of title #df or an alternate tonnage measured under section #adcjb of such title as prescribed by the ,secretary under section #adajd of such title1 operating in the ,great ,lakes during the winter season4 7#b7 ,great ,lakes ,the term ,great ,lakes-- 7,a7 has the meaning given such term in section #aah of the ,federal ,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #abfh72 and 7,b7 includes harbors4 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 available and adequate for the ice conditions4 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 ,lakes1 regardless of type of cargo1 at a speed consistent with the design capability of ,coast ,guard icebreakers operating in the ,great ,lakes4 7#f7 ,frequent border crossing waters ,the term frequent border crossing waters means the ,united ,states waters and ,canadian waters of-- 7,a7 ,whitefish ,bay in ,lake ,superior2 7,b7 the ,st4 ,mary's ,river2 7,c7 the ,detroit and ,st4 ,clair rivers system2 and 7,d7 ,western ,lake ,erie from the ,detroit ,river to ,pelee ,passage4 4 7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of analysis for chapter #e of title #ad1 ,united ,states ,code1 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 the ,commandant shall submit to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate a report on the cost to the ,coast ,guard of meeting the requirements of such section4 #c4 ,great ,lakes icebreaker acquisition 7a7 ,authorization ,section #hajg7;a7 of the ,elijah ,e4 ,cummings ,coast ,guard ,authorization ,act of #bjbj 7,public ,law #aaf-bhc7 is amended by striking #afj1jjj1jjj and inserting #cej1jjj1jjj4 7b7 ,exemption ,notwithstanding sections #aaje7;a77#b71 #aaca1 and #aacb of title #ad1 ,united ,states ,code1 and the requirements in the ,competition in ,contracting ,act 7#aj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcjd71 and subject to the availability of appropriations1 the ,commandant shall acquire the icebreaker described in section #hajg7;a7 of the ,elijah ,e4 ,cummings ,coast ,guard ,authorization ,act of #bjbj 7,public ,law #aaf-bhc7 through other than full and open competition in an accelerated timeframe and award the contract on the basis of contractor qualification and price4