SCHEDULE FOR OPERATION OF DRAWBRIDGE OF WOOD-ROW WILSON MEMORIAL BRIDGE.

SEC. 5215. SCHEDULE FOR OPERATION OF DRAWBRIDGE OF WOOD-ROW WILSON MEMORIAL BRIDGE. (a) (1) The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating (in this section referred to as the “Secretary”) shall not operate the drawbridge of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge in the following periods for the passage of a commercial vessel: (A) Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays), 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (B) Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holidays, 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (2) The Secretary need not operate the drawbridge of the Wood-row Wilson Memorial Bridge for the passage of a commercial vessel under paragraph (1) unless— (A) the owner or operator of the vessel provides the bridge tender with an estimate of the approximate time of that passage at least 12 hours in advance; and 106 STAT. 5078 (B) the owner or operator of the vessel notifies the bridge tender at least 4 hours in advance of the requested time for that passage. (3) Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to solicit comments on whether there are practical ways to encourage owners and operators of commercial vessels to make every reasonable effort to notify the bridge tender of the time a vessel will pass the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge by not later than 24 hours before that passage. (b) (1) The Secretary shall not operate the drawbridge of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge in the following periods for the passage of a recreational vessel: (A) Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays), 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight; (B) Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holidays, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight, except as provided in paragraph (2). (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary may operate the drawbridge of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge beginning at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, or a Federal holiday for the passage of a recreational vessel, if the owner or operator of the vessel notifies the Secretary of the time of that passage by not later than 12 hours before that time. (3) This subsection shall not be construed to prohibit a recreational vessel from passing the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge at any time at which the drawbridge is being operated for the passage of a commercial vessel. (c) The Secretary shall operate the drawbridge of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge on signal at any time for a vessel in distress.