vessels, or other disposals of such vessels, under this chapter or other applicable authority.". (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.-The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 7306a the following new item: "7306b. Vessels stricken from Naval Vessel Register: transfer by gift or otherwise for use as artificial reefs.". SEC. 1014. PRIORITY FOR TITLE XI ASSISTANCE. (a) IN GENERAL.-Section 1103 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 U.S.C. App. 1273) is amended— (1) in subsection (i) (as added by section 3544 of this Act) by striking "PRIORITY"and inserting "PRIORITY FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE TANK VESSELS"; and (2) by adding at the end the following: "(j) PRIORITY FOR OTHER VESSELS SUITABLE FOR SERVICE AS A NAVAL AUXILIARY.-In guaranteeing and entering commitments to guarantee under this section, the Secretary shall, after applying subsection (i), give priority to a guarantee or commitment for a vessel that is otherwise eligible for a guarantee under this section and that the Secretary of Defense determines "(1) is suitable for service as a naval auxiliary in time of war or national emergency; and "(2) meets a shortfall in sealift capacity or capability.". (b) REPORT.-Within 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Defense shall transmit a report to the Senate Committee on Armed Services, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services that (1) sets forth the criteria to be used by the Secretary of Defense in making, for purposes of section 1103(j) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 U.S.C. App. 1273(j)), as amended by this section, the determinations described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of that section; and (2) describes the procedure that the Secretary of Defense will follow (A) in reviewing applications for which priority treatment is sought under section 1103(j) of that Act; and (B) in reporting to the Secretary of Transportation with respect to such applications. SEC. 1015. SUPPORT FOR TRANSFERS OF DECOMMISSIONED VESSELS AND SHIPBOARD EQUIPMENT. (a) IN GENERAL.-Chapter 633 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section: "§ 7316. Support for transfers of decommissioned vessels and shipboard equipment “(a) AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE.-The Secretary of the Navy may provide an entity described in subsection (b) with assistance in support of a transfer of a vessel or shipboard equipment described in such subsection that is being executed under section 2572, 7306, 7307, or 7545 of this title, or under any other authority. "(b) COVERED VESSELS AND EQUIPMENT.-The authority under this section applies "(1) in the case of a decommissioned vessel that— "(A) is owned and maintained by the Navy, is located at a Navy facility, and is not in active use; and "(B) is being transferred to an entity designated by the Secretary of the Navy or by law to receive transfer of the vessel; and “(2) in the case of any shipboard equipment that— "(A) is on a vessel described in paragraph (1)(A); and "(B) is being transferred to an entity designated by the Secretary of the Navy or by law to receive transfer of the equipment. "(c) REIMBURSEMENT.-The Secretary may require a recipient of assistance under subsection (a) to reimburse the Navy for amounts expended by the Navy in providing the assistance. "(d) DEPOSIT OF FUNDS RECEIVED.-Funds received in a fiscal year under subsection (c) shall be credited to the appropriation available for such fiscal year for operation and maintenance for the office of the Navy managing inactive ships, shall be merged with other sums in the appropriation that are available for such office, and shall be available for the same purposes and period as the sums with which merged.". (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.-The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: "7316. Support for transfers of decommissioned vessels and shipboard equipment.". SEC. 1016. ADVANCED SHIPBUILDING ENTERPRISE. (a) FINDINGS.-Congress makes the following findings: (1) The President's budget for fiscal year 2004, as submitted to Congress, includes $10,300,000 for the Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise of the National Shipbuilding Research Pro gram. (2) The Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise is an innovative program to encourage greater efficiency among shipyards in the defense industrial base. (3) The leaders of the Nation's shipbuilding industry have embraced the Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise as a method of exploring and collaborating on innovation in shipbuilding and ship repair that collectively benefits all manufacturers in the industry. (b) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.-It is the sense of the Congress that (1) the Congress strongly supports the innovative Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise of the National Shipbuilding Research Program that has yielded new processes and techniques to reduce the cost of building and repairing ships in the United States; (2) the Congress is concerned that the future-years defense program submitted to Congress for fiscal year 2004 does not reflect any funding for the Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise after fiscal year 2004; and (3) the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy should continue funding the Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise at a sustaining level through the future-years defense program to support subsequent rounds of research that reduce the cost of designing, building, and repairing ships. SEC. 1017. REPORT ON NAVY PLANS FOR BASING AIRCRAFT CARRIERS. (a) FINDINGS.-Congress finds that— (1) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, in its report to accompany the bill S. 2514 of the 107th Congress (Senate Report 107-151, filed May 15, 2002), at page 442 of that report directed that the Chief of Naval Operations submit to the congressional defense committees, not later than 180 days after enactment of the defense authorization Act for fiscal year 2003, a report on plans of the Navy for basing aircraft carriers through 2015; (2) the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-314) was enacted on December 2, 2002; and (3) as of October 24, 2003, the Chief of Naval Operations has not submitted the report referred to in paragraph (1). (b) REPORT ON AIRCRAFT CARRIER BASING PLANS.-Not later Deadline. than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on plans of the Navy for basing aircraft carriers through 2020. SEC. 1018. LIMITATION ON DISPOSAL OF OBSOLETE NAVAL VESSEL. The Secretary of the Navy may not dispose of the decommissioned destroyer ex-Forrest Sherman (DD-931) before October 1, 2004, to an entity that is not a nonprofit organization unless the Secretary first determines that there is no nonprofit organization that meets the criteria for donation of that vessel under section 7306(a)(3) of title 10, United States Code. Subtitle C-Counterdrug Matters SEC. 1021. EXPANSION AND EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE (a) GENERAL EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY.-Subsection (a) of sec- (2) by striking "either or both" and inserting “any”; and new paragraph: "(2) The authority to provide support to a government under Expiration date. this section expires September 30, 2006.". (b) ADDITIONAL GOVERNMENTS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE SUPPORT.-Subsection (b) of such section is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: "(3) The Government of Afghanistan. "(4) The Government of Bolivia. "(9) The Government of Uzbekistan.". (c) TYPES OF SUPPORT.-Subsection (c) of such section is amended (1) in paragraph (2), by striking "riverine”; and (2) in paragraph (3), by inserting "or upgrade" after "maintenance and repair". 10 USC 371 note. (d) MAXIMUM ANNUAL AMOUNT OF SUPPORT.-Subsection (e)(2) of such section is amended by striking "$20,000,000 during any of the fiscal years 1999 through 2006" and inserting "$20,000,000 during any of the fiscal years 1999 through 2003, or $40,000,000 during any of the fiscal years 2004 through 2006". (e) COUNTER-DRUG PLAN.-(1) Subsection (h) of such section is amended (A) in the subsection caption, by striking "RIVERINE”; (B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)— (i) by striking "fiscal year 1998” and inserting "fiscal year 2004"; and (ii) by striking "riverine"; and (C) by striking "riverine" each place it appears in paragraphs (2), (7), (8), and (9). (2) Subsection (f)(2)(A) of such section is amended by striking "riverine". (f) CLERICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.-(1) Subsection (b) of such section is further amended (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ", for fiscal years 1998 through 2002"; and (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ", for fiscal years 1998 through 2006". (2) The heading for such section is amended by striking "PERU AND COLOMBIA" and inserting "OTHER COUNTRIES”. SEC. 1022. AUTHORITY FOR JOINT TASK FORCES TO PROVIDE SUP- (a) AUTHORITY.—A joint task force of the Department of Defense that provides support to law enforcement agencies conducting counter-drug activities may also provide, subject to all applicable laws and regulations, support to law enforcement agencies conducting counter-terrorism activities. (b) CONDITIONS.-Any support provided under subsection (a) may only be provided in the geographic area of responsibility of the joint task force. SEC. 1023. USE OF FUNDS FOR UNIFIED COUNTERDRUG AND (a) AUTHORITY. (1) In fiscal year 2004, funds available to the Department of Defense to provide assistance to the Government of Colombia may be used by the Secretary of Defense to support a unified campaign by the Government of Colombia against narcotics trafficking and against activities by organizations designated as terrorist organizations, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). (2) The authority to provide assistance for a campaign under this subsection includes authority to take actions to protect human health and welfare in emergency circumstances, including the undertaking of rescue operations. (b) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN LAWS AND LIMITATIONS.-The use of funds pursuant to the authority in subsection (a) shall be subject to the following: (1) Sections 556, 567, and 568 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2002 (Public Law 107-115; 115 Stat. 2160, 2165, and 2166). (2) Section 8077 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2004 (Public Law 108-87; 115 Stat. 2267). (3) The numerical limitations on the number of United States military personnel and United States individual civilian contractors in section 3204(b)(1) of the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2000 (division B of Public Law 106-246; 114 Stat. 575), as amended by the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2002 (Public Law 107-115; 115 Stat. 2131). (c) LIMITATION ON PARTICIPATION OF UNITED STATES PERSONNEL.-No United States Armed Forces personnel, United States civilian employees, or United States civilian contractor personnel employed by the United States may participate in any combat operation in connection with assistance using funds pursuant to the authority in subsection (a), except for the purpose of acting in self defense or of rescuing any United States citizen, including any United States Armed Forces personnel, United States civilian employee, or civilian contractor employed by the United States. (d) RELATION TO OTHER AUTHORITY.-The authority provided by subsection (a) is in addition to any other authority in law to provide assistance to the Government of Colombia. SEC. 1024. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON RECONSIDERATION OF DECISION (a) FINDINGS.-Congress makes the following findings: (2) The expertise of members of the National Guard in conducting vehicle inspections at United States borders and seaports has contributed to the identification and seizure of illegal narcotics being smuggled into the United States. (3) The support provided by the National Guard to the United States Customs Service and the Bureau of Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security greatly enhances the capability of these agencies to perform counter-terrorism surveillance and other border protection duties. (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.-It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should reconsider the decision of the Department of Defense to terminate the border inspection and seaport inspection duties of the National Guard as part of the drug interdiction and counter-drug mission of the National Guard. Subtitle D-Reports SEC. 1031. REPEAL AND MODIFICATION OF VARIOUS REPORTING REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. (a) TITLE 10, UNITED STATES CODE.-Title 10, United States Code, is amended as follows: (1) Section 117(e) is amended by striking "each month" and all that follows through "subsection (d)" and inserting "each quarter submit to the congressional defense committees a report in writing containing the results of the most recent joint readiness review under subsection (d)(1)(A)”. |