To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a program to support the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of zero-emission vessels and retrofit or replacement of existing vessels with zero-emission technologies and charging or fueling infrastructure, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill creates the Zero-Emission Vessel Innovation Program under the Department of Transportation, authorizing $1 billion per year from 2025 through 2034 to fund grants, loans, and loan guarantees for developing zero-emission ships and related charging and fueling infrastructure. It also establishes a 15-member advisory committee to guide the program.
Who Benefits and How
U.S.-flagged vessel owners, domestic shipbuilders, port authorities, clean energy technology manufacturers, and maritime workers stand to benefit from substantial federal funding for clean vessel technology. Environmental justice communities near ports and shipping lanes benefit from reduced pollution and underwater noise. Labor unions benefit from prevailing wage requirements and project labor agreement preferences.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal taxpayers fund the $10 billion authorization over ten years. Conventional fossil fuel maritime companies may face competitive pressure as the industry shifts toward zero-emission technologies. Automation companies are explicitly excluded, as the bill prohibits any funds from being used for automated vessel or cargo handling systems.
Key Provisions
- Authorizes $1 billion annually (2025-2034) for zero-emission vessel research, development, and deployment
- Prioritizes projects that advance environmental justice, reduce underwater noise, and use project labor agreements
- Prohibits any funding for automated vessels or automated cargo handling systems
- Requires prevailing wages for all construction work funded under the program
- Establishes a Zero-Emission Vessel Innovation Advisory Committee with representation from labor, industry, environmental groups, and government
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Establishes a federal program to fund research, development, and deployment of zero-emission vessels and supporting infrastructure for maritime decarbonization.
Key Policy Areas
Environment, Transportation, Energy, Labor
Primary Purpose
Establishes a federal program to fund research, development, and deployment of zero-emission vessels and supporting infrastructure for maritime decarbonization.
Policy Domains
Whole Bill
Identified Gains
- U.S. maritime industry
- Clean energy technology companies
- Maritime workers and labor unions
- Port communities and environmental justice populations
Identified Costs
- Federal taxpayers
- Conventional fossil fuel maritime companies
- Automation technology companies
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMs. Barragán (for herself, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Magaziner, Ms. Norton, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Maritime workers and unions, US-flagged vessel owners and operators
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
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