Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 116 Part 3.djvu/515

 PUBLIC LAW 107-295—NOV. 25, 2002 116 STAT. 2107 (3) Advances in navigation technology have made many Great Lakes lighthouses obsolete. In Michigan alone, approximately 70 lighthouses will be designated as excess property of the Federal Government and will be transferred to the General Services Administration for disposal. (4) Unfortunately, the Federal property disposal process is confusing, complicated, and not well-suited to disposal of historic lighthouses or to facilitate transfers to nonprofit organizations. This is especially troubling because, in many cases, local nonprofit historical organizations have dedicated tremendous resources to preserving and maintaining Great Lakes lighthouses. (5) If Great Lakes lighthouses disappear, the public will be unaware of an important chapter in Great Lakes history. (6) The National Trust for Historic Preservation has placed Michigan lighthouses on their list of Most Endangered Historic Places. (b) ASSISTANCE FOR GREAT LAKES LIGHTHOUSE PRESERVATION EFFORTS.—The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, may— (1) continue to offer advice and technical assistance to organizations in the Great Lakes region that are dedicated to lighthouse stewardship; and (2) promptly release information regarding the timing of designations of Coast Guard lighthouses on the Great Lakes as excess to the needs of the Coast Guard, to enable those organizations to mobilize and be prepared to take appropriate action with respect to the disposal of those properties. SEC. 346. MODERNIZATION OF NATIONAL DISTRESS AND RESPONSE 14 USC 88 note. SYSTEM. (a) REPORT.— The Secretary of the department in which the Deadline. Coast Guard is operating shall prepare a status report on the modernization of the National Distress and Response System and transmit the report, not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act and annually thereafter until completion of the project, to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives. (b) CONTENTS. —The report required by subsection (a) shall— (1) set forth the scope of the modernization, the schedule for completion of the System, and information on progress in meeting the schedule and on any anticipated delays; (2) specify the funding expended to-date on the System, the funding required to complete the System, and the purposes for which the funds were or will be expended; (3) describe and map the existing public and private communications coverage throughout the waters of the coastal and internal regions of the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Caribbean, and identify locations that possess direction-finding, asset-tracking communications, and digital selective calling service; (4) identify areas of high risk to boaters and Coast Guard personnel due to communications gaps; (5) specify steps taken by the Secretary to fill existing gaps in coverage, including obtaining direction-finding equipment, digital recording systems, asset-tracking communications,

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