SOS Act Launches Commission to Study U.S. Shipbuilding and Maritime Workforce Readiness for National Defense

The Save Our Shipyards Act of 2025 (or the SOS Act) isn't rewriting any laws right now, but it is setting the stage for some potentially big changes down the road. This bill establishes the National Commission on the Maritime Industrial Base—the SOS Commission—a temporary, high-level group tasked with figuring out what’s wrong with the U.S. maritime industry and how to fix it.

The Mission: Assessing the Industrial Lifeline

Think of this Commission as a specialized audit team focused on everything related to ships: building them, fixing them, and manning them. According to Section 3, their main job is a full investigation into the current health of the U.S. maritime industry, with a heavy emphasis on whether it can actually support the nation’s defense needs. They have to look at the industry’s current state and predict its future over the next decade (Section 4).

For the average person, this matters because a strong maritime industry means secure supply chains and national security readiness. The Commission is specifically mandated to look at critical choke points, like whether we have enough skilled shipyard workers and sailors, and how well our training facilities are performing. If you work in a trade or know someone who does, the Commission’s eventual recommendations could lead to significant new investment in job training and maritime infrastructure, potentially creating new opportunities.

The Policy Homework

Once the Commission wraps up its investigation, it must deliver a comprehensive set of policy recommendations to the President and Congress (Section 3). These aren't just suggestions; they are marching orders aimed at specific goals: strengthening the industry for national defense, rebuilding the naval fleet, ensuring the health of the civilian shipbuilding sector, and, critically, stopping the loss of U.S. seafaring and shipbuilding jobs. They are specifically instructed to look into things like tax and regulatory hurdles facing the industry, ways to encourage private investment in U.S. shipyards, and how foreign government subsidies affect our competitiveness (Section 4).

This is where the rubber meets the road. While the goal of strengthening the industry is clear, the way they achieve it—via tax breaks, subsidies, or new regulations—will affect taxpayers and consumers. For instance, if they recommend significant new incentives for shipyards, that’s a cost borne by the public, but it could result in more stable, high-paying manufacturing jobs domestically.

Who’s On the Panel and How It Works

The Commission will consist of 15 voting members and 7 non-voting federal representatives, appointed by the President and Congressional leadership (Section 5). This structure ensures that both political parties and the executive branch have a say in who sets the agenda. The voting members must be experts, representing key groups like vessel operators, labor unions, shipbuilders, and finance professionals. This diversity is designed to bring multiple perspectives to the table, ensuring that the final recommendations aren't just coming from one corner of the industry.

Administratively, the Commission has the power to demand non-confidential information from any federal agency, and those agencies must comply (Section 5). They can also borrow staff from federal departments, though they have to pay for those salaries. While this gives the Commission the resources it needs to do a deep dive, it could temporarily strain the budgets and staffing of smaller agencies that have to divert personnel and resources to assist the study.

The Final Report and Sunset

About a year after the Commission holds its first meeting, it must submit a public, unclassified report detailing its findings and, most importantly, containing all of its policy recommendations (Section 6). This report is mandated to be taken seriously by relevant Congressional committees. Once that report is delivered, the Commission automatically shuts down 30 days later (Section 7). This hard expiration date ensures the Commission is focused on its task and doesn't become a permanent fixture.