Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator of the Maritime Administration shall execute agreements with shipyards to provide assistance—

(1) in the form of grants, loans, and loan guarantees to small shipyards for capital improvements; and

(2) for maritime training programs to foster technical skills and operational productivity relating to shipbuilding, ship repair, and associated industries.

In providing assistance under the program, the Administrator shall consider projects that foster—

In providing assistance under the program, the Administrator shall consider projects that foster—

(A) efficiency, competitive operations, and quality ship construction, repair, and reconfiguration; and

(B) employee skills and enhanced productivity related to shipbuilding, ship repair, and associated industries.

(2) Timing of grant notice.— The Administrator shall post a Notice of Funding Opportunity regarding grants awarded under this section not more than 15 days after the date of enactment of the appropriations Act for the fiscal year concerned.

(3) Timing of grants.— The Administrator shall award grants under this section not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of the appropriations Act for the fiscal year concerned.

(4) Reuse of unexpended grant funds.— Notwithstanding paragraph (3), amounts awarded as a grant under this section that are not expended by the grantee shall remain available to the Administrator for use for grants under this section.

Assistance provided under this section may be used to—

Assistance provided under this section may be used to—

(A) make capital and related improvements in small shipyards; and

(B) provide training for workers in shipbuilding, ship repair, and associated industries.

(2) Administrative costs.— Not more than 2 percent of amounts made available to carry out the program may be used for the necessary costs of grant administration.

Grants awarded under this section may not be used to construct buildings or other physical facilities or to acquire land.

Federal funds for any eligible project under this section shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of such project.

(1) Federal funding.— Federal funds for any eligible project under this section shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of such project.

(2) Allocation of funds.— The Administrator may not award more than 25 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out this section for any fiscal year to any small shipyard in one geographic location that has more than 600 employees.

Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include a comprehensive description of—

(1) In general.— To be eligible for assistance under this section, an applicant shall submit an application, in such form, and containing such information and assurances as the Administrator may require, within 60 days after the date of enactment of the appropriations Act for the fiscal year concerned.

Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include a comprehensive description of—

(A) the need for the project;

(B) the methodology for implementing the project; and

(C) any existing programs or arrangements that can be used to supplement or leverage assistance under the program.

The Administrator, in consultation with the Office of the Inspector General, shall issue guidelines to establish appropriate accounting, reporting, and review procedures to ensure that—

(A) grant funds are used for the purposes for which they were made available;

(B) grantees have properly accounted for all expenditures of grant funds; and

(C) grant funds not used for such purposes and amounts not obligated or expended are returned.

The Administrator may not award a grant under this section unless the Administrator determines that—

(A) sufficient funding is available to meet the matching requirements of subsection (e);

(B) the project will be completed without unreasonable delay; and

(C) the recipient has authority to carry out the proposed project.

All grantees under this section shall maintain such records as the Administrator may require and make such records available for review and audit by the Administrator.

In this section, the term “small shipyard” means a shipyard facility in one geographic location that does not have more than 1,200 employees.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the Maritime Administration for each of fiscal years 2018, 2019, and 2020 to carry out this section $35,000,000.

(Added Pub. L. 110–417, div. C, title XXXV, § 3508(a), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4767; amended Pub. L. 113–281, title III, § 303, Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3043; Pub. L. 115–91, div. C, title XXXV, §§ 3501(b), 3505(a), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1909, 1913; Pub. L. 115–232, div. C, title XXXV, §§ 3511, 3546(r), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2311, 2327.)