Coast Guard Safety and Accountability Act

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 509 To amend title 14, United States Code, to ensure that the Commandant of the Coast Guard responds to safety recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 28, 2021 Ms. BROWNLEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend title 14, United States Code, to ensure that the Commandant of the Coast Guard responds to safety rec- ommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board. 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 ‘‘Coast Guard Safety 4 and Accountability Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Feb 16, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H509.IH H509 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 509 IH SEC. 2. COMMANDANT OF THE COAST GUARD’S RESPONSES 1 TO SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS. 2 (a) AMENDMENT TO TITLE 14.—Chapter 7 of title 3 14, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 4 the following: 5 ‘‘SEC. 719. RESPONSES TO SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS. 6 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—When the National Transpor- 7 tation Safety Board submits a recommendation about 8 transportation safety to the Commandant of the Coast 9 Guard, the Commandant, not later than 90 days after re- 10 ceiving the recommendation, shall give the Board a formal 11 written response to each recommendation. The response 12 shall indicate whether the Commandant intends— 13 ‘‘(1) to carry out procedures to adopt the com- 14 plete recommendation; 15 ‘‘(2) to carry out procedures to adopt a part of 16 the recommendation; or 17 ‘‘(3) to refuse to carry out procedures to adopt 18 the recommendation. 19 ‘‘(b) TIMETABLE FOR COMPLETING PROCEDURES 20 AND REASONS FOR REFUSAL.—A response under para- 21 graphs (1) or (2) of subsection (a) shall include a copy 22 of a proposed timetable for completing the procedures. A 23 response under subsection (a)(2) shall detail the reasons 24 for the refusal to carry out procedures on the remainder 25 of the recommendation. A response under subsection 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Feb 16, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H509.IH H509 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 509 IH (a)(3) shall detail the reasons for the refusal to carry out 1 procedures. 2 ‘‘(c) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Board shall make 3 a copy of each recommendation and response available to 4 the public at reasonable cost. 5 ‘‘(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 6 ‘‘(1) ANNUAL REGULATORY STATUS RE- 7 PORTS.—On February 1 of each year, the Com- 8 mandant shall submit a report to Congress and the 9 Board containing the regulatory status of each rec- 10 ommendation made by the Board to the Com- 11 mandant that is on the Board’s ‘most wanted list’. 12 The Commandant shall continue to report on the 13 regulatory status of each such recommendation in 14 the report due on February 1 of subsequent years 15 until final regulatory action is taken on that rec- 16 ommendation or the Commandant determines and 17 states in such a report that no action should be 18 taken. 19 ‘‘(2) FAILURE TO REPORT.—If on March 1 of 20 each year the Board has not received the Com- 21 mandant’s report required by this subsection, the 22 Board shall notify the Committee on Transportation 23 and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 24 and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Feb 16, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H509.IH H509 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 509 IH Transportation of the Senate of the Commandant’s 1 failure to submit the required report. 2 ‘‘(3) COMPLIANCE REPORT WITH REC- 3 OMMENDATIONS.—Not later than 90 days after the 4 date on which the Commandant submits a report 5 under this subsection, the Board shall review the 6 Commandant’s report and transmit comments on 7 the report to the Commandant, the Committee on 8 Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen- 9 ate, and the Committee on Transportation and In- 10 frastructure of the House of Representatives.’’. 11 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap- 12 ter 7 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by insert- 13 ing after the item relating to section 718 the following: 14 ‘‘719. Responses to safety recommendations.’’. Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Feb 16, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H509.IH H509 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS