OBSTRUCTION REMOVAL REQUIREMENT.

SEC. 218. OBSTRUCTION REMOVAL REQUIREMENT.(a) Penalty.—Section 16 of the Act entitled “An Act making appropriations for the construction, repair, and preservation of certain public works on rivers and harbors, and for other purposes”, approved March 3, 1899 (33 U.S.C. 411; 30 Stat. 1153), is amended— (1) by striking “thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen” each place it appears and inserting “13, 14, 15, 19, and 20”; and (2) by striking “not exceeding twenty-five hundred dollars nor less than five hundred dollars” and inserting “of up to $25,000 per day”. (b) General Authority.—Section 20 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 415) is amended— (1) in subsection (a) by striking “expense” the 1st place it appears and inserting “actual expense, including administrative expenses,”; (2) in subsection (b) by striking “cost” and inserting “actual cost, including administrative costs,”; (3) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and (4) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: “(b) Removal Requirement.—Not later than 24 hours after the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating issues an order to stop or delay navigation in any navigable waters of the United States because of conditions related to the sinking or grounding of a vessel, the owner or operator of the vessel, with the approval of the Secretary of the Army, shall begin removal of the vessel using the most expeditious removal method available or, if appropriate, secure the vessel pending removal to allow navigation to resume. If the owner or operator fails to begin removal or to secure the vessel pending removal or fails to complete removal on an expedited basis, the Secretary of the Army shall remove or destroy the vessel using the summary removal procedures under subsection (a).”.