112 STAT. 3456 PUBLIC LAW 105-384—NOV. 13, 1998 (c) LIMITATION ON LIABILITY.— The Government of the United States shall not be liable for any negligence by a person that produces hydrographic products certified under this section. (d) HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES ACCOUNT. — (1) ESTABLISHMENT.— There is established in the Treasury a separate account, which shall be known as the "Hydrographic Services Account". (2) CONTENT.— The account shall consist of— (A) amounts received by the United States as fees charged under subsection (b)(1)(C); and (B) such other amounts as may be provided by law. (3) USE.—Amounts in the account shall be available to the Administrator, without further appropriation, for hydrographic services. (e) LIMITATION ON NEW FEES AND INCREASES IN EXISTING FEES FOR HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES.— After the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator may not— (1) establish any fee or other charge for the provision of any hydrographic service except as authorized by this section; or (2) increase the amount of any fee or other charge for the provision of any hydrographic service except as authorized by this section and section 1307 of title 44, United States Code. SEC. 305. REPORTS. Deadline. (a) PORTS. —Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator and the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall report to the Congress on— (1) the status of implementation of real-time tide and current data systems in United States ports; (2) existing safety and efficiency needs in United States ports that could be met by increased use of those systems; and (3) a plan for expanding those systems to meet those needs, including an estimate of the cost of implementing those systems in priority locations. (b), MAINTAINING FEDERAL EXPERTISE IN HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES.— Deadline. (1) IN GENERAL. — Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall report to the Congress on a plan to ensure that Federal competence and expertise in hydrographic surveying will be maintained after the decommissioning of the 3 existing Administration hydrographic survey vessels. (2) CONTENTS.— The report shall include— (A) an evaluation of the seagoing capacity, personnel, and equipment necessary to maintain Federal expertise in hydrographic services; (B) an estimated schedule for decommissioning the 3 existing survey vessels; (C) a plan to medntain Federal expertise in hydrographic services after the decommissioning of these vessels; and (D) an estimate of the cost of carrying out this plan.
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