I
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 2035
To amend title 46, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Transpor-
tation to ensure that all cargoes procured, furnished, or financed by
the Department of Transportation are transported on privately-owned
commercial vessels of the United States, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH11, 2025
Mr. C
ARBAJAL(for himself and Mr. EZELL) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To amend title 46, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Transportation to ensure that all cargoes pro-
cured, furnished, or financed by the Department of
Transportation are transported on privately-owned com-
mercial vessels of the United States, and for other pur-
poses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Cargo for 4
American Ships Act’’. 5
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SEC. 2. CARGOES PROCURED, FURNISHED, OR FINANCED 1
BY UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. 2
Section 55305 of title 46, United States Code, is 3
amended— 4
(1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘When the 5
United States Government’’ and inserting ‘‘Except 6
as provided in subsection (c), when the United 7
States Government’’; 8
(2) by redesignating subsections (c) through (f) 9
as subsections (d) through (g), respectively; and 10
(3) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol-11
lowing: 12
‘‘(c) E
XCEPTION.—When the Department of Trans-13
portation procures, contracts for, or otherwise obtains for 14
its own account, or provides financing in any way with 15
Federal funds or advances funds or credits, for the fur-16
nishing or obtaining of the equipment, materials, or com-17
modities, the Secretary of Transportation or recipient of 18
such financing shall take steps necessary and practicable 19
to ensure that 100 percent of the gross tonnage of the 20
equipment, materials, or commodities (computed sepa-21
rately for dry bulk carriers, dry cargo liners, and tankers) 22
which may be transported on ocean vessels is transported 23
on privately-owned commercial vessels of the United 24
States, as provided under subsection (b), to the extent 25
those vessels are available at fair and reasonable rates for 26
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commercial vessels of the United States, in a manner that 1
will ensure a fair and reasonable participation of commer-2
cial vessels of the United States in those cargoes by geo-3
graphic areas.’’. 4
Æ
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