House report lays out broad SHIPS for America proposal

A House Rules Committee report on the fiscal 2027 defense authorization bill includes a broad maritime amendment that would establish a new SHIPS for America title focused on the U.S.-flag fleet, domestic shipbuilding, cargo preference, and maritime workforce needs.

The amendment, offered by Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., appears as No. 313 in House Report 119-755. It would replace Title XXXVI of H.R. 8800 with the “Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security for America Act of 2026.”

Among the proposal’s most notable provisions is an increase in federal cargo-preference requirements. The amendment would raise the share of covered government cargo required to move aboard U.S.-flag commercial vessels from at least 50% to 100%.

The change would take effect 180 days after enactment. The proposal includes waiver provisions for emergencies and cases in which qualified U.S.-flag capacity is unavailable.

The amendment would also create a maritime security advisor within the Executive Office of the President and establish an interagency Maritime Security Board to coordinate federal maritime policy.

Another section would establish a Maritime Security Trust Fund capped at $20 billion. Money from the fund would support programs involving the U.S. merchant marine and maritime industrial base, though funding would still depend on future appropriations.

The proposal would also create a Shipbuilding Financial Incentives program providing grants for the construction of U.S.-documented vessels and qualified investments in domestic shipyards and maritime manufacturing facilities.

The amendment’s findings point to the decline of the U.S. commercial fleet and shipbuilding base. It states that U.S.-flag vessels carry less than 2% of the nation’s international commercial cargo by weight and that fewer than 200 U.S. oceangoing vessels remain.

House Report 119-755 makes the amendment eligible for consideration as part of debate on the defense bill. The report itself does not establish whether the amendment was ultimately adopted.