12 2 STA T . 2 8PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 181 —J A N .28 , 2008 (B)anestim ate ofr e qu ire d in v estment
( C )t h e estimated return on investment; and ( D )a l ternatives for finan c in g the investment . ( 4 ) T he N av y’ s strategy for p roviding incentives for contrac - tors’ capital e x penditures that w ould lead to ship construction or life-cycle savings to the F ederal G overnment , including identification of any specific changes in legislative authority that would b e required for the S ecretary to execute this strategy. (c) UTIL I ZA TI ON O FO T HER ST UD IE S AND OUTSIDE EXP ERTS. — The study shall build upon the results of the 20 0 5 and 200 6 Global Shipbuilding I ndustrial Base Benchmar k ing studies. Financial anal- ysis associated with the report shall be conducted in consultation with financial experts independent of the Department of Defense. SEC.123 .SE N SE OF CON GR ESS ON TH E P RESER VA T I ONOFAS K I L LE DU NITED STATES SHIP Y ARD W ORKFORCE. (a) SENSE OF CON G RESS.—It is the sense of Congress that the preservation of a robust domestic skilled workforce is required for the national shipbuilding infrastructure and particularly essen- tial to the construction of ships for the United States Navy. (b) STUD YR E Q UIRED.— ( 1 ) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Navy shall deter- mine, on a one-time, non-recurring basis, and in consultation with the Department of L abor, the average number of H 2B visa workers employed by the ma j or shipbuilders in the construction of United States Navy ships during the calendar year ending December 3 1, 200 7 . The study shall also identify the number of workers petitioned by the major shipbuilders for use in calendar year 200 8 , as of the first quarter of calendar year 2008. (2) REPORT.—Not later than A pril 1, 2008, the Secretary of the Navy shall submit to the congressional defense commit- tees a report containing the results of the study required by subsection (b). (3) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph— (A) the term ‘ ‘major shipbuilder’’ means a prime con- tractor or a first-tier subcontractor responsible for delivery of combatant and support vessels required for the naval vessel force, as reported within the annual naval vessel construction plan required by section 231 of title 10, United States Code; and (B) the term ‘‘H2B visa’’ means a non-immigrant visa program that permits employers to hire foreign workers to come temporarily to the United States and perform temporary non-agricultural services or labor on a one-time, seasonal, peakload, or intermittent basis. SEC. 12 4 . ASSESS M ENTS RE Q UIRED PRIOR TO START OF CONSTRUC - TION ON FIRST SHIP OF A SHIP B UILDING PROGRAM. (a) IN GENERAL.—Concurrent with approving the start of construction of the first ship for any major shipbuilding program, the Secretary of the Navy shall— (1) submit a report to the congressional defense committees on the results of any production readiness review; and (2) certify to the congressional defense committees that the findings of any such review support commencement of construction. Certif i ca ti on.R e p ort s . 10US C 729 1 note.
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