Congress Enacts Strategic Petroleum Reserve Jones Act Waiver Provision

On November 18, President Obama signed into law an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2012 (which started on October 1, 2011) for the Department of Agriculture and other agencies including the U.S. Maritime Administration. Included is a provision which does not permit the expenditure of funds to find U.S.-flag vessel non-availability in the context of a Strategic Petroleum Reserve sale unless MARAD first provides the Secretary of Homeland Security "a list of United States flag vessels with single or collective capacity that may be capable of" transporting the SPR oil. 

Click here to view the bill.