HR 3221
 
TITLE VIII -- MARITIME TRANSPORTATION
Sec.8 401    - Short Sea Transportation Initiative
  1. •Short Sea Transportation Program
    1. oDOT Secretary shall establish a short sea transportation (SST) program and designate projects to mitigate landside congestion.
    2. oSST program is to encourage use of SST through development and expansion of vessels, shipper utilization, port and landside infrastructure, and marine transportation strategies by states and locals
    3. oSecretary to designate SST routes as extensions of the surface transportation system to focus public and private efforts to use waterways.  DOT may collect and disseminate data for designation and delineation of SST routes.  
    4. oDOT may support SST projects by promoting the development of SST services; coordinating with ports, state DOTs, other public agencies and the private sector on development of landside facilities and infrastructure; and develop performance measures for the SST program.  
    5. oDOT shall develop strategies in consultation with Federal and non-federal agencies to encourage use of SST.  
      1. DOT shall assess the extent to which states and locals include short sea transportation and other marine solutions in their planning,
      2. Encourage state DOTs to develop strategies to incorporate SST, ferries and other marine solutions for regional and interstate transport in their planning,
      3.  Encourage groups of states and multi-state entities to determine how SST can address congestion, bottlenecks, and other interstate transportation challenges
  2. •Cargo and Shippers
    1. oDOT shall enter into MOUs with other Federal entities to transport federally owned or generated cargo using a SST project when practicable.
    2. oDOT shall consult shippers and others in logistics and develop proposals for short term incentives to encourage use of SST.
  3. •Financing of SST Projects
    1. oSubject to appropriations DOT may make loan guarantees for financing construction, reconstruction or reconditioning of a vessel for a SST project per existing authority, terms and conditions of the existing Title XI program.  Guarantee obligations outstanding at one time may not exceed $2 billion.  $25 million is authorized for each of FYs 2008 through 20011.
  4. •Interagency Coordination
    1. oDOT shall establish a board to identify and seek solutions to impediments hindering effective us of SST.  The board shall include representatives of other Federal and non-Federal public and private entities.
  5. •Research on SST
    1. oDOT may conduct research on SST regarding environmental and transportation benefits of SST alternatives for other forms of transportation; technology, vessel design and other improvements to reduce emissions, increase fuel economy and lower costs of SST and increase efficiency of intermodal transfers; and identify and seek solutions to impediments to designated SST projects.
  6. •SST Definitions
    1. oSST means carriage of cargo contained in intermodal containers or loaded by means of wheeled technology and that is loaded and unloaded in a US port or a port in Canada on the Great Lakes or Seaway.  
  7. •Regulations
    1. oInterim regulations are to be issued by end of 2007; final regulations are to be issued by October 2008.
Sec. 8402 - Short Sea Shipping Eligibility for Capital Construction Fund (CCF)
  1. •Vessels in the SST trade are added as eligible for the use of CCF monies in the financing of vessel construction, reconstruction or the purchase of vessels.  
Sec. 8403 - Report
  1. •DOT shall report to House Transportation & Infrastructure and Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation committees on the SST program one year after enactment.
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