SHIPS for America Act of 2025

This bill aims to rebuild U.S. maritime strength so goods and troops can move when needed. It creates a dedicated fund to support U.S.-flag ships, ports, and shipyards, and sets a national strategy to ensure we have enough ships ready for crises and war-time needs . It puts new rules and tools in place so more federally backed cargo moves on U.S. ships, and it sets up audits, clear waiver rules in emergencies, and a process to cover extra shipping costs when using U.S.-flag vessels raises prices for certain programs . The bill also invests in workers: it funds maritime training centers, creates a new advisory group to link schools and employers, modernizes the mariner licensing system with online applications and a public .gov portal, and trims some sea-time requirements to help mariners qualify faster. During national emergencies, it allows quick renewal of expired credentials so mariners can get back to work .

For families, spouses of certain merchant mariners can get up to $1,000 back per move for job relicensing and up to $1,000 for moving a small business when the mariner is reassigned; this help runs through 2035 . The bill also boosts shipbuilding and port investment by updating loan and savings programs, while barring fund withdrawals for fully automated cargo gear that would cut terminal jobs and prohibiting buying cranes made in China with these funds .

• Who is affected | What changes | When
• U.S. mariners and trainees | Online credential applications, faster exam updates, shorter sea-time for some ratings | Starts with FY2026 funding; ongoing reports each year
• Merchant mariner families | Spouse reimbursement for relicensing and small business moving costs, up to $1,000 each per move | Through December 31, 2035
• Schools and employers | Funding for maritime training centers and a new advisory committee to align training with jobs | FY2026–FY2035 funding; committee set within a year of enactment
• Federal programs that ship goods | Stronger “U.S.-ships-first” rules, clear waiver process, oversight, and cost-reimbursement for higher freight costs | New regs and agreements within 180 days; reimbursements each fiscal year as needed
• Ports and shipyards | Updated loans and savings tools to finance U.S.-built vessels and cargo equipment; limits on funding job-cutting automation and China-made cranes | New fund in FY2026; ongoing project support

Overall, the bill tries to make it easier to train, hire, and keep U.S. mariners, modernize how they get credentials, help their families when they move, and steer more cargo and investment to U.S. ships and ports to strengthen national security and the economy .