1.31a(3) COMMITTEE OF CONFERENCE H. R. REP. No. 92-1129, 92d Cong., 2d Sess. (1972) RURAL DEVELOPMENT JUNE 14, 1972.-Ordered to be printed Mr. POAGE, from the committee of conference, submitted the following CONFERENCE REPORT [To accompany H.R. 12931] The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the Amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 12931) to provide for improving the economy and living conditions in rural America, having met, after full and free conference, have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the Senate amendment insert the following: That this Act may be cited as the "Rural Development Act of 1972" * * * * [p. 1] 1.31a(4) CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, VOL. 118 (1972): 1.31a(4)(a) Feb. 23: Considered and passed House [No Relevant Discussion on Pertinent Section] 1.31a(4) (b) April 19, 20: Considered and passed Senate; amended in lieu of S. 3462 [No Relevant Discussion on Pertinent Section] 1.31a(4)(d) Aug. 17: Senate agreed to conference report 1.32 REEFS FOR MARINE LIFE CONSERVATION CHAPTER 25B.-REEFS FOR MARINE LIFE CONSERVATION § 1220. State applications for Liberty ships for use as offshore reefs-Conservation of marine life (a) Any State may apply to the Secretary of Commerce (hereafter referred to in this chapter as the "Secretary") for Liberty ships which, but for the operation of this chapter, would be designated by the Secretary for scrapping if the State intends to sink such ships for use as artificial reef for the conservation of marine life. an offshore Manner and form of applications; minimum requirements (b) A State shall apply for Liberty ships under this chapter in such manner and form as the Secretary shall prescribe, but such application shall include at least (1) the location at which the State proposes to sink the ships, (2) a certificate from the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, that the proposed use of the particular vessel or vessels requested by the State will be compatible with water quality standards and other appropriate environmental protection requirements, and (3) statements and estimates with respect to the conservation goals which are sought to be achieved by use of the ships. Copies to Federal officers for official comments and views (c) Before taking any action with respect to an application submitted under this chapter, the Secretary shall provide copies of the application to the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Defense, and any other appropriate Federal officer, and shall consider comments and views of such officers with respect to the application. Pub. L. 92-402, § 3, Aug. 22, 1972, 86 Stat. 618. 1.32a COMMERCE DEPARTMENT MARITIME PROGRAMS August 22, 1972, P.L. 92–402, § 3, 86 Stat. 617 APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZATIONS-MARITIME PROGRAMS [H.R. 13324] An Act to authorize appropriations for the fiscal year 1973 for certain maritime programs of the Department of Commerce, and for related purposes. SEC. 3. (a) Any State may apply to the Secretary of Commerce (hereafter referred to in this Act as the "Secretary") for Liberty ships which, but for the operation of this Act, would be designated by the Secretary for scrapping if the State intends to sink such ships for use as an offshore artificial reef for the conservation of marine life. (b) A State shall apply for Liberty ships under this Act in such manner and form as the Secretary shall prescribe, but such applica tion shall include at least (1) the location at which the State proposes to sink the ships, (2) a certificate from the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, that the proposed use of the particular vessel or vessels requested by the State will be compatible with water quality standards and other appropriate environmental protection requirements, and (3) statements and estimates with respect to the conservation goals which are sought to be achieved by use of the ships. (c) Before taking any action with respect to an application submitted under this Act, the Secretary shall provide copies of the application to the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Defense, and any other appropriate Federal officer, and shall consider comments and views of such officers with respect to the application. 1.32a(1) HOUSE COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES H. R. REP. No. 92–934, 92d Cong., 2d Sess. (1972) MARITIME AUTHORIZATION, 1973 MARCH 20, 1972.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. GARMATZ, from the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H.R. 13324] The Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 13324), to authorize certain appropriations for programs of the Maritime Administration within the Department of Commerce for fiscal year 1973, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do pass. [No Relevant Discussion on Pertinent Section] [p. 1] 1.32a(2) SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE S. REP. No. 92–841, 92d Cong., 2d Sess. (1972) MARITIME PROGRAMS JUNE 8, 1972.-Ordered to be printed Mr. LONG, from the Committee on Commerce, REPORT [To accompany H.R. 13324] The Committee on Commerce, to which was referred the bill (H.R. 13324), to authorize appropriations for the fiscal year 1973 for certain maritime programs of the Department of Commerce, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments and recommends that the bill as amended do pass. [No Relevant Discussion on Pertinent Section] 1.32a (3) CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, VOL. 118 (1972): 1.32a (3) (a) April 11: Considered and passed House [No Relevant Discussion on Pertinent Section] [p. 1] 1.32a(3)(b) July 26: Considered and passed Senate, amended, pp. S11935-S11938 AMENDMENT NO. 1355 Mr. SPARKMAN. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1355 and ask that it be stated. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. MCINTYRE). The amendment will be stated. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: Add at the end of the bill the following: SEC. 4 (a) Any State may apply to the Secretary of Commerce (hereafter referred to in this Act as the "Secretary") for Liberty ships which, but for the operation of this Act, would be designated by the Secretary for scrapping if the State intends to sink such ships for use as an offshore artificial reef for the conservation of marine life. (b) A State shall apply for liberty ships under this Act in such manner and form as the Secretary shall prescribe, but such application shall include at least (1) the location at which the State proposes to sink the ships, (2) a certificate from the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, that the proposed use of the particular vessel or vessels requested by the State will be compatible with water quality standards and other appropriate environmental protection requirements, and (3) statements and estimates with respect to the conservation goals which are sought to be achieved by use of the ships. (c) Before taking any action with respect to an application submitted under this Act, the Secretary shall provide copies of the application to the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Defense, and any other appropriate Federal officer, and shall consider comments and views of such officers with respect to the application. SEC. 5. If, after consideration of such comments and views as are received pursuant to section 4 (c), the Secretary finds that the use of Liberty ships proposed by a State will not violate any Federal law, contribute to degradation of the marine environment, create undue interference with commercial fishing or navigation, and is not frivolous, he shall transfer without consideration to the State all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to any Liberty ships which are available for transfer under this Act if (1) the State gives to the Secretary such assurances as he deems necessary that such ships will be utilized and maintained only for the purposes stated in the application and, when sunk, will be charted and marked as a hazard to navigation; (2) the State agrees to secure any licenses or permits which may be required under the provisions of any other applicable Federal law; (3) the State agrees to such other terms and conditions as the Secretary shall require in order to protect the marine environment and other interests of the United States; and (4) the transfer would be at no cost to the Government with the State taking delivery of such Liberty ships at fleetside of the National Defense Reserve Fleet in an "as iswhere is" condition. SEC. 6. A State may apply for more than one Liberty ship under this Act. The Secretary shall, however, taking into account the number of Liberty ships which may be or become available for transfer under this Act, administer this Act in an equitable manner with respect to the various States. SEC. 7. A decision by the Secretary denying any application for a Liberty ship under this Act is final. Mr. LONG. Mr. President, for the benefit of Senators who have worked so long and hard today, I do not anticipate that we will have any more rollcall votes unless someone wants to insist on one on final passage. So far as I am concerned, the bill will pass on a voice vote. Otherwise, if I thought it would not, I would put the vote off until tomorrow. I make this statement so that Senators can make their plans. I know of no more controversial amendments. Mr. SPARKMAN. Mr. President, last year along with my colleague, Senator ALLEN, I introduced a bill, S. 2243, which would authorize the Secretary of Commerce to transfer surplus Liberty ships to a State for use by the State in promoting marine life conservation. Specifically, under our bill, States would be authorized to sink these old ships offshore for the purpose of creating an artificial fishing reef. The ships that will be made available for this purpose will be those that are designated by the Secretary of Commerce to be scrapped. Similar bills were introduced in the House of Representatives. Hearings were held by the Subcommittee on Merchant Marine of the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, and the committee reported the bill late last month. As yet, no further action has been taken in the House. Mr. President, the amendment that we are offering at this time would accomplish the same purpose as the bill we introduced earlier and the bill which is now pending in the House of Representatives. Our bill was referred here in the Senate to the Commerce Committee. That committee requested comments from the Department of Commerce, the Department of Interior, the Department of the Navy, the General Accounting Office, and the Justice Department. Responses were received from these agencies, and I ask unanimous consent to have these five responses printed in the RECORD. There being no objection, the letters were ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows: [p. S 11935] |