Senate Commerce Committee approves MARAD, Coast Guard funding bills

The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2017 and the Maritime Administration Authorization and Enhancement Act for Fiscal Year 2018 were among six bills approved by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Thursday.    The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved authorization for the U.S. Coast Guard and Maritime Administration on Thursday in addition to four other bills.
   The bills include:
     • S. 1129, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2017;
     • S. 118, the Reinforcing American-Made Products Act of 2017;
     • S. 396, a bill to make technical amendments to certain marine fish conservation statutes, and for other purposes;
     • S. 793, the Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act of 2017;
     • S. 1057, a bill to amend the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998;
     • And S. 1096, the Maritime Administration Authorization and Enhancement Act for Fiscal Year 2018.
   The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation consists of 25 Senators and is led by Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and Ranking Member Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
   Following the committee’s approval, each bill will now be placed on a calendar to be taken up on the Senate floor, and if approved, will then move to the House. If the House approves the exact language of the bill, thus passing both chambers, it can then go to the president’s desk to be signed into law. However, if the House adds an amendment, the bill would then go back to the Senate for another round of voting.