No waiver of the shipping laws for Strategic Petroleum Reserve oil until steps are taken
What the document says“until the Secretary of Homeland Security, after consultation with the Secretaries of the Departments of Energy and Transportation and representatives from the United States flag maritime industry, takes adequate measures to ensure the use of United States flag vessels.”
Section 203(a). No funds in this or any other Act may be used to approve a waiver of the navigation and vessel inspection laws under section 501(b) of title 46 for moving crude oil to or from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until the Secretary has consulted the Secretaries of Energy and Transportation and the United States flag maritime industry and taken adequate measures to ensure United States flag vessels are used.
What the document actually says“until the Secretary of Homeland Security, after consultation with the Secretaries of the Departments of Energy and Transportation and representatives from the United States flag maritime industry, takes adequate measures to ensure the use of United States flag vessels.”
First the Secretary must talk to two other agencies. Ship owners must be asked too. Then steps must be taken so American ships are used.
The law says oil moved between American ports must travel on American ships. That rule can be waived. Here it may not be, until those steps are taken.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.