110 STAT. 3138 PUBLIC LAW 104-239—OCT. 8, 1996 the United States and transferred to or placed under a foreign registry. (b) VESSELS DESCRIBED.— The vessels referred to in subsection (a) are the following: (1) RAINBOW HOPE (United States official number 622178). (2) IOWA TRADER (United States official number 642934). (3) KANSAS TRADER (United States official number 634621). 46 USC app. SEC. 16. VESSEL REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE PILOT PROGRAM. 1744 not6 (a) IN GENERAL. —The Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a pilot program to evaluate the feasibihty of using renewable contracts for the maintenance and repsdr of outported vessels in the Ready Reserve Force to enhance the readiness of those vessels. Under the pilot program, the Secretary, subject to the availability of appropriations and within 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, shall award 9 contracts for this purpose. (b) USE OP VARIOUS CONTRACTING ARRANGEMENTS.— In conducting a pilot program under this section, the Secretary of Transportation shall use contracting arrangements simileir to those used by the Department of Defense for procuring maintenance and repair of its vessels. (c) CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS. —Each contract with a shipyard under this section shall— (1) subiect to subsection (d), provide for the procurement from the shipyard of all repair and maintenance (including activation, deactivation, and drydocking) for 1 vessel in the Ready Reserve Force that is outported in the geographical vicinity of the shipyard; (2) be effective for 1fiscalyear; and (3) be renewable, subject to the availability of appropriations, for each subsequent fiscal year through fiscal year 1998. (d) LIMITATION OF WORK UNDER CONTRACTS. —A contract under this section may not provide for the procurement of operation or manning for a vessel that may be procured under another contract for the vessel to which section ll(a)(2) of the Merchant Ship Sales Act of 1946 (50 U.S.C. App. 1774(d)(2)) applies. (e) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. —The Secretary shall seek to distribute contract awards under this section to shipyards located throughout the United States. W REPORTS. — The Secretary shall submit to the Congress— (1) an interim report on the effectiveness of each contract under this section in providing for economic and efficient repair and maintenance of the vessel included in the contract, no later than 20 months after the date of the enactment of this Act; and (2) a fiinal report on that effectiveness no later than 6 months after the termination of all contracts awarded piirsuant to tills section. SEC. 17. STREAMLINING OF CARGO ALLOCATION PROCEDURES. (a) AMENDMENTS.— Section 901b(c)(3) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 U.S.C. App. 1241fl[c)(3)) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A)— (A) by striking "and consistent with those sections," and inserting "and, subject to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, consistent with those sections,; and
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