Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 280.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 01 · Reported to Senate with amendment(s) · Oct 27, 2015
Maritime Administration Enhancement Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill revises:
the licensing and service requirements for U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet commitment agreements, and
requirements for U.S. Merchant Marine Academy student incentive payment agreements related to licensing, the service commitment, and the circumstances under which an individual may be ordered to active duty.
(Sec. 3) Payments to individuals may be modified if the total amount of payments to an individual does not exceed $32,000.
(Sec. 4) The Internal Revenue Code is amended to reflect the transfer of the Maritime Administration from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Transportation.
(Sec. 5) The definition of "short sea transportation" shall include carriage by a documented vessel of cargo that is: (1) shipped in discrete units or packages that are handled individually, palletized, or unitized for purposes of transportation; or (2) freight vehicles carried aboard commuter ferry boats.
(Sec. 6) The national security aspects of the U.S. Merchant Marine are reauthorized through FY2017.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 280.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-158.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-158.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
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Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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