Coast Guard and Marine Transportation Act of 2012
On December 20, 2012, President Obama signed into law the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012 (Pub. L. No. 112-213). With this action, the CMTS is officially recognized by Congress and is authorized in law, giving our interagency Partnership new authority, new responsibilities, and new opportunities.
Section 310 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act amends Title 46, United States Code, by adding §55502, United States Committee on the Marine Transportation System. The stated purpose of the Committee is to serve as a Federal interagency coordinating committee to (1) assess the adequacy of the marine transportation system; (2) promote the integration of the marine transportation system with other modes of transportation and other uses of the marine environment; and (3) coordinate and make recommendations with regard to Federal policies that impact the marine transportation system.
The Act also confirms the existing CMTS membership of agencies; allows for these agencies to transfer facilities, equipment, services and personnel, funds, and other support services to carry out CMTS activities; permits the CMTS to consult with MTS-related advisory committees, interested parties, and the public; and directs the Committee, not more than one year after the date of enactment and every five years thereafter, to report on steps taken to implement actions recommended in the National Strategy for the Marine Transportation System: A Framework for Action and provide an assessment of the condition of the marine transportation system.
CMTS Authorizing Language 113 kb
USCG Authorization Act of 2010
Section 307(c) of the 2010 U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act (August 2010) – Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment Implementation directs the CMTS to coordinate the establishment of domestic transportation policy to ensure safe and secure maritime shipping in the Arctic.
Congressional Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 448 kb
Ocean Policy Task Force Report
President Obama, in signing Executive Order 13547: "Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes," adopted the recommendations contained in the Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force (July 19, 2010), and directed executive agencies to implement those recommendations under the guidance of a National Ocean Council (NOC). The report recognizes, among other things, that the Ocean, our Coasts, and the Great Lakes play a critical role in our Nation's transportation, economy, and trade, as well as in the global mobility and readiness of our Armed Forces and the maintenance of international peace and security, and directs the CMTS to coordinate with the NOC governance structure through the White House National Economic Council.
Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force 3.7Mb
CMTS Charter
The Charter for the CMTS went into effect on August 11, 2005; it defines the parties, authority, purpose, organization, and agency responsibilities with respect to the CMTS. Among other things, its defines the CMTS as a partnership of Federal agencies with responsibility for the Marine Transportation System (MTS) – waterways, ports and their intermodal connections – and directs them to improve Federal agency coordination to promote the safety, security, efficiency, economic vitality, environmentally sound integration, and reliability of the US Marine Transportation System (MTS) for commercial, recreational, and national defense requirements. Coordination includes budget and regulatory activities that impact the MTS.
On Thursday, April 12, 2018, the Coordinating Board approved a few amendments to the Charter for the United States Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) to include both voting and non-voting members in Sections (IV) (2) (A) (i); (IV) (2) (B) (i); and (V) (1) & (2) of the document. Also, the Coordinating Board approved changing 46 U.S.C. §55502 to 46 U.S.C. § 55501, throughout the document as well. This is the result of a CMTS Congressional statutory language change in December 2014.Charter for the CMTS 28kb
Ocean Action Plan
The authority to establish the Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) derives from a Presidential Directive in the U.S. Ocean Action Plan, issued December 17, 2004. The U.S. Ocean Action Plan was written in response to the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (Public Law 106-256); it elevated the existing Interagency Committee on the Marine Transportation System (ICMTS) to a Cabinet-level body and created the CMTS.
U.S. Ocean Action Plan 242kb
USCG Authorization Act of 1998
Section 308 of the 1998 U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act (November 1998) – National Marine Transportation System directs the assessment of the nation's marine transportation system's adequacy to operate in a safe, efficient, secure, and environmentally sound manner. The Secretary of Transportation, through the Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration in consultation with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is responsible for the establishment of a task force to carry out this assessment.
Congressional Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 320 kb
Related Files