119-hr2125

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2125 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2125

To establish a National Commission on the Maritime Industrial Base, and 
 for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 14, 2025

Mr. Green of Tennessee (for himself, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, and Mr. 
 Davis of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in 
 addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
 of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
 concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To establish a National Commission on the Maritime Industrial Base, and 
 for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Save Our Shipyards Act of 2025'' or 
the ``SOS Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

 There is established a commission to be known as the ``National 
Commission on the Maritime Industrial Base'' or the ``SOS Commission'' 
(in this Act referred to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 3. FUNCTIONS.

    (a) Investigation and Study.--The Commission shall complete an 
investigation and study the condition of the United States maritime 
industry and any impediments to a strong and competitive United States 
maritime industry, with a particular focus on the needs of the United 
States military, including shipyards, shipbuilding and repairs, 
harbors, and skilled workforce.

    (b) Policy Recommendations.--Based on the results of the 
investigation and study under subsection

    (a) , the Commission shall 
recommend to the President and Congress policies which should be 
adopted to--

    (1) achieve the national goal of a strong United States 
 maritime industry which will help to provide for the national 
 defense;

    (2) revitalize the United States naval fleet and maintain 
 that fleet at a level sufficient to contribute to the national 
 defense;

    (3) foster a viable United States shipbuilding industry to 
 provide an industrial base for meeting present and future 
 military and civilian shipbuilding needs; and

    (4) reduce the loss of seafaring and shipbuilding jobs for 
 United States citizens so as to ensure the existence of a 
 reliable maritime labor force.

SEC. 4. SPECIFIC MATTERS TO BE ADDRESSED.

 In investigating and studying under 

section 3, the Commission shall 
investigate and study the following:

    (1) Current condition of united states maritime industry.--
 The current condition of the United States maritime industry, 
 including how the condition of the industry is likely to change 
 over the next 10 years following the date of enactment of this 
 Act.

    (2) National defense.--The adequacy of the United States 
 maritime industry to ensure the national defense.

    (3) Maritime labor.--The adequacy of skilled mariners and 
 shipyard workers, and the level of training of United States 
 mariners at training facilities in the United States.

    (4) Impediments to strong and competitive maritime 
 industry.--Whether the Federal Government should take any 
 legislative or administrative actions related to the United 
 States maritime industry to strengthen our national security, 
 including--
        (A) the tax and regulatory burden on the US 
 maritime industry;
        (B) incentives to encourage investment in United 
 States shipyards and shipbuilding;
            (C) incentives for personnel to enter the skilled 
 labor workforce for shipbuilding;
            (D) the effect of subsidies and other financial 
 assistance by foreign governments to their vessel 
 operators and shipbuilders;
        (E) the effects of great power competition and a 
 potential war on United States naval and maritime 
 forces; and
        (F) the prioritization of national security related 
 matters in regulatory review and approval processes.

SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP; ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.

    (a) Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 voting 
commissioners and 7 non-voting members appointed in the following 
manner:

    (1) 5 voting commissioners appointed by the President.

    (2) 7 non-voting members appointed by the President who 
 shall be chosen from the list described in subsection
            (c) .

    (3) 3 voting commissioners appointed by the majority leader 
 of the Senate.

    (4) 3 voting commissioners appointed by the Speaker of the 
 House of Representatives.

    (5) 2 voting commissioners appointed by the minority leader 
 of the Senate.

    (6) 2 voting commissioners appointed by the minority leader 
 of the House of Representatives.

    (b) Qualifications for Voting Commissioners.--Voting commissioners 
appointed under subsection

    (a) shall be appointed from among United 
States citizens who are experts in commercial shipping, international 
trade, maritime industry policy and regulations, and related 
disciplines and who can represent United States-flagged vessel 
operators (including domestic passenger vessel operators), seafaring 
and shipbuilding labor, shipbuilders, shippers, and the financial 
community with expertise in maritime matters.
            (c) Qualifications of Non-Voting Members.--One non-voting member 
appointed under subsection

    (a) shall be appointed from each of the 
following:

    (1) The Navy.

    (2) The Coast Guard.

    (3) The United States Maritime Service.

    (4) The Marine Corps.

    (5) The United States Naval War College.

    (6) The Maritime Administration.

    (7) The United States Merchant Maritime Academy.
            (d) Terms of Office.--Members and commissioners shall be appointed 
for the duration of the Commission.

    (e) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 90 days after two-thirds of 
the voting commissioners have been appointed under this section, the 
Commission shall be considered active and the Commission shall hold a 
first meeting.

    (f) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the 
manner in which the original appointment was made.

    (g) Travel Expenses.--Members and commissioners shall serve without 
pay but shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
subsistence, in accordance with subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
United States Code.

    (h) Chair.--The President, in consultation with the majority leader 
of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall 
designate the Chair of the Commission from among its voting members.
            (i) Quorum.--For the purposes of conducting meetings of the 
Commission, a quorum of the Commission shall be considered the presence 
of 10 voting commissioners.

    (j) Commission Panels.--The Chair shall establish such panels 
consisting of voting commissioners as the Chair determines appropriate 
to carry out the functions of the Commission.

    (k) Staff.--The Commission may appoint and fix the pay of such 
personnel as the Commission determines appropriate.
            (l) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the Commission, the 
head of any department or agency of the United States may detail, on a 
reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency 
to the Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties under this 
title.
            (m) Administrative Support Services.--Upon request of the 
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its duties under 
this title.

    (n) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly 
from any department or agency of the United States information (other 
than information required by any statute of the United States to be 
kept confidential by such department or agency) necessary for the 
Commission to carry out its duties under this title. Upon request of 
the Commission, the head of that department or agency shall furnish 
such nonconfidential information to the Commission.

    (o) Security Clearances for Commissioners, Members, and Staff.--The 
appropriate Federal departments or agencies shall cooperate with the 
Commission in expeditiously providing to commissioners, members, and 
staff appropriate security clearances to the extent possible pursuant 
to existing procedures and requirements, except that no person may be 
provided with access to classified information under this Act without 
the appropriate security clearances.

SEC. 6. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the 
Commission holds the first meeting under 

section 5, the Commission 
shall transmit to the President and Congress a report on the activities 
of the Commission, including recommendations made by the Commission 
under 

section 3

    (b) which shall be considered by the relevant 
congressional committees for possible legislative action.

    (b) Classification.--The report under subsection

    (a) shall be 
transmitted in an unclassified form but may include a classified annex.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

 The Commission shall terminate on the date that is 30 days after 
the transmittal of the report under 

section 6.
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