Allied Partnership and Port Modernization Act
This bill permits certain NATO-affiliated dredge vessels to operate in the United States. The vessels must be (1) documented under the laws of a NATO member country, (2) built by a NATO member country or a major non-NATO ally, and (3) majority-owned and -operated by entities incorporated in NATO member countries. (Current law generally requires that such vessels be domestically built and owned.)
To permit the use of NATO and major non-NATO ally dredge ships in the 
                             United States.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Allied Partnership and Port 
Modernization Act''.

SEC. 2. DREDGING; DREDGED MATERIAL.

    (a) Dredging.--Section 55109 of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``or (c)'' after 
        ``subsection (b)'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Dredging by NATO-Affiliated Vessels.--
            ``(1) In general.--A vessel described in paragraph (2) may 
        engage in dredging in the navigable waters of the United 
        States.
            ``(2) Vessels.--A vessel described in this paragraph is a 
        vessel--
                    ``(A) documented under the laws of a country that 
                is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization;
                    ``(B) built by a country that is a member of the 
                North Atlantic Treaty Organization or a major non-NATO 
                ally (as defined in section 2350a(i) of title 10); and
                    ``(C) for which a majority of the owners and 
                operators of the vessel are entities incorporated in a 
                country that is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty 
                Organization.''.
    (b) Excluding Dredged Material From Transportation Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--Section 55110 of title 46, United States 
        Code, is amended--
                    (A) in the section heading, by striking ``or 
                dredged material'' and inserting ``(excluding dredged 
                material)''; and
                    (B) by striking ``or dredged material'' and 
                inserting ``(excluding dredged material)''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--The analysis for chapter 551 of 
        title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking the item 
        relating to section 55110 and inserting the following:

``Sec. 55110. Transportation of valueless material (excluding dredged 
                            material).''.
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Allied Partnership and Port Modernization Act
A bill to permit the use of NATO and major non-NATO ally dredge ships in the United States.
Allied Partnership and Port Modernization Act
Sen. Lee, Mike