Protect United States Security in the Arctic Act of 2017

Protect United States Security in the Arctic Act of 2017

This bill instructs the President to submit to Congress a strategy to protect U.S. interests in the Arctic region.

Such strategy shall include goals to:

• improve telecommunications, navigation, ocean and coastal mapping, and Coast Guard and other infrastructure to support a sustained security and emergency response presence for Alaska;
• direct the U.S. representative to the Arctic Council to use the voice and vote of the United States to conduct increased confidence-building and cooperative security measures with other member countries;
• support climate resilience efforts across the Arctic region; and
• sustain robust research funding to understand the ongoing climate changes in the Arctic region and their global impact.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) shall submit a report that assesses the cost and procurement schedule for new U.S. icebreakers.

Consistent with the recapitalization plan for the acquisition of heavy and medium icebreakers to meet Coast Guard statutory missions in the polar regions, the department in which the Coast Guard is operating: (1) may enter into a contract to procure up to three Coast Guard heavy icebreakers for the defense of U.S. interests in the Arctic region, beginning In FY2018; and (2) shall report on its plans to procure and sustain icebreakers in addition to the vessels authorized to be procured under such contract and to ensure that at least three Coast Guard icebreakers are ready for operations at all times.