DISPOSAL OF SURVEY AND RESEARCH VESSELS AND EQUIPMENT OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION.

SEC. 8409. DISPOSAL OF SURVEY AND RESEARCH VESSELS AND EQUIPMENT OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION. Section 548 of title 40, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking “The Maritime” and inserting “(a) In General.—Except as provided in subsection (b), the Maritime”; and (2) by adding at the end the following: “(b) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Vessels and Equipment.— “(1) Authority.—The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may dispose of covered vessels and equipment, which would otherwise be disposed of under subsection (a), through sales or transfers under this title. “(2) Use of proceeds.—During the 2-year period beginning of the date of enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, notwithstanding section 571 of this title or section 3302 of title 31, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may— “(A) retain the proceeds from the sale or transfer of a covered vessel or equipment under paragraph (1) until expended under subparagraph (B); and “(B) use such proceeds, without fiscal year limitation, for the acquisition of new covered vessels and equipment or the repair and maintenance of existing covered vessels and equipment. “(3) Covered vessels and equipment defined.—In this subsection, the term ‘covered vessels and equipment’ means survey and research vessels and related equipment owned by the Federal Government and under the control of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.” .