The Senate Commerce Committee earlier this week approved legislation that includes a 10-year reauthorization of the Maritime Security Program (MSP). The committee’s MSP component is contained in a bill (S. 1262) that would fund the Maritime Administration for the next five years.The House already has passed a reauthorized MSP as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004. The Senate’s version of the Defense bill (also approved in late May) does not include MSP language. The next step for the House and Senate Defense Authorization bills is a conference committee. Meanwhile, S. 1262 will be sent to the full Senate.
In both versions of the reauthorized MSP, the updated program would be extended for 10 additional years, beginning in October 2005, immediately after the current version expires. The expanded MSP also calls for increasing the number of participants from 47 ships to 60 ships.
Printer Friendly Page