A new bill would help the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy's sports programs get more support and funding.
This bill would create a new non-profit group to raise money and provide services for the United States Merchant Marine Academy's athletic programs. It would allow the Academy to accept funds from various sources, including sports organizations and game fees. The goal is to give the Academy's sports teams more resources.
Currently, the United States Merchant Marine Academy's athletic programs are supported through existing federal mechanisms and potentially a Department of Transportation nonappropriated fund instrumentality. There isn't a dedicated, federally-authorized nonprofit corporation or specific exemptions for sole-source contracts, property leases, or direct acceptance of external funds for this purpose. Also, the Secretary of Transportation's existing intellectual property licensing authority is governed by Section 109(h)(2) of title 49, United States Code, without specific provisions for retaining and expending fees for USMMA trademarks. If this bill becomes law, the Secretary of Transportation would be able to establish a non-profit corporation under New York State law specifically to support the Academy's athletic programs. This corporation would allow for sole-source contracts, direct acquisition of property and services, and the leasing of Academy real property. The Secretary would also be able to directly accept funds from various sources, including the corporation, the NCAA, and game guarantees. Additionally, the bill would change 49 U.S.C. 109(h)(2) to allow the Secretary to keep and spend licensing fees from USMMA trademarks and service marks for the Academy's benefit.
S 3266 · 119th Congress · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 5/10
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2 filings mentioned this bill
Amounts reflect total quarterly lobbying spend reported to the Senate, not bill-specific spending. Source: Senate LDA filings.