MARITIME APPROPRIATION AUTHORIZATION OCTOBER 2 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 11), 1975.-Ordered to be printed Mr. LONG, from the committee of conference, CONFERENCE REPORT [To accompany S. 1542] The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendment of the House to the bill (S. 1542), to authorize appropriations for the fiscal year 1976 for certain maritime programs of the Department of Commerce, and for other purposes, having met, after full and free conference, have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows: That the Senate recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the House and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the House amendment insert the following: That this Act may be cited as the "Maritime Appropriation Authorization Act of 1975". SEC. 2. Funds are authorized to be appropriated without fiscal year limitation as the Appropriation Act may provide for the use of the Department of Commerce, for the fiscal year 1976, as follows: (1) For acquisition, construction, or reconstruction of vessels and for construction-differential subsidy and cost of national defense features incident to the construction, reconstruction, or reconditioning of ships, not to exceed $195,000,000. (2) For payment of obligations incurred for operatingdifferential subsidy, not to exceed $315,936,000. (3) For expenses necessary for research and development activities, not to exceed $12,232,000. (4) For reserve fleet expenses, not to exceed $4242,000. (5) For maritime training at the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, not to exceed $11,500,000. (6) For financial assistance to State marine schools, not to exceed $4,708,000. SEC. 3. There are authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year 1976, in addition to the amounts authorized by section 2 of this Act, ★(Star Print) 57-010 0 such additional supplemental amounts, for the activities for which appropriations are authorized under section 2 of this Act, as may be necessary for increases in salary, pay, retirement, or other employee benefits authorized by law, and for increased costs for public utilities, food service, and other expenses of the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York. SEC. 4. Section 809(a) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended (46 U.S.C. 1213(a)) is amended by inserting immediately after the first sentence thereof the following: "In order to assure equitable treatment for each range of ports referred to in the preceding sentence, not less than 10 percent of the funds appropriated for construction differential subsidy and operating differential subsidy pursuant to this Act or any law authorizing funds for the purposes of this Act shall be allocated to each such port range: Provided, however, That such allocation shall apply to the extent that subsidy contracts are ap proved by the Secretary of Commerce. Not later than March 1, 1976, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a detailed report (1) describing the actions that have been taken pursuant to this Act to assure insofar as possible that direct and adequate service is provided by United States-flag commercial vessels to each range of ports referred to in this section; and (2) including any recommen dations for additional legislation that may be necessary to achieve the purpose of this section." SEC. 5. Section 1103(f) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended (46 U.S.C. 1273 (f)) is amended by striking “$5,000,000,000”, and inserting in lieu thereof "$7,000,000,000". And the Senate agree to the same. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, Managers on the Part of the Senete. THOMAS L. ASHLEY, THOMAS N. DOWNING, JOHN D. DINGELL, PAUL G. ROGERS, PHILIP E. RUPPE, PAUL N. MCCLOSKEY, Jr., Managers on the Part of the House. S.B. 407 JOINT EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF CONFERENCE The managers on the part of the House and the Senate at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendment of the House to the bill (S. 1542), to authorize appropriations for the fiscal year 1976 for certain maritime programs of the Department of Commerce, and for other purposes, submit the following joint statement to the House and the Senate in explanation of the effect of the action agreed upon by the managers and recommended in the accompanying conference report: TITLE OF THE ACT Section 1 of the Senate bill provides "That this Act may be cited as the 'Maritime Appropriation Authorization Act of 1975'." The House amendment does not contain a comparable provision. The conferees agreed to the title in the Senate bill, and accompanying technical changes in the numbering of the sections. CONSTRUCTION-DIFFERENTIAL SUBSIDY Section 2(1) of the Senate bill authorizes $195 million for construction-differential subsidy, whereas section 1(a) of the House amendment authorizes $240 million for this activity. The conferees agreed to $195 million because the Maritime Administration reduced its fiscal year 1976 appropriations request to that amount due to the cancellation of several ship construction orders. STATE MARINE SCHOOLS Section 2 (6) of the Senate bill authorizes $4,708,000 for financial assistance to the State marine schools, whereas section 1 (f) of the House amendment authorizes $5,808,000 for this activity. The increase of $1.1 million in the House amendment would authorize funding of section 4 of the House amendment which was not adopted by the conferees. The managers on the part of the House receded on the issue, therefore, the conferees agreed to the lesser amount of $4,708,000. Section 4 of the House amendment amends section 6(a) of the Maritime Academy Act of 1958, as amended (46 U.S.C. 1385 (a)), to increase the ceiling on the Federal subsistence payments which the Secretary of Commerce may pay to students at the State marine schools from $600 to $1200 per academic year. The Senate bill does not contain a comparable provision. This provision of the House amendment was not agreed to in conference. The conferees did not feel that an adequate background had been developed to justify the increase. Hearings on the issue have not been S.R. 407 |