HR 4951 Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.
To authorize an exception to the prohibition on the construction of naval vessels in foreign shipyards, and for other purposes.
Summary
- Authorizes naval vessel construction in foreign shipyards located in NATO member countries or Indo-Pacific countries with US mutual defense treaties.
- Requires that construction in a foreign shipyard be authorized only if the cost is less than it would be in a domestic shipyard.
- Requires the Secretary of the Navy to certify to Congress before construction that the foreign shipyard is not owned or operated by a Chinese company or a multinational company domiciled in China.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
-
![Rep. Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/K000403.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Kennedy, Mike (R-UT) [#3]
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Mike Kennedy’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- Employer not reported $33,631
- DEACONESS HOSPITAL $15,417
- PREMIER FAMILY MEDICAL $12,055
- VIVINT $9,900
- ARCADIS $9,900
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Mike Kennedy → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Aug 12, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. · house
- Aug 12, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 12, 2025
Mr. Kennedy of Utah introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To authorize an exception to the prohibition on the construction of naval vessels in foreign shipyards, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Ensuring Naval Readiness Act”.
SEC. 2. EXCEPTION TO PROHIBITION ON CONSTRUCTION OF NAVAL VESSELS IN FOREIGN SHIPYARDS.
Section 8679 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking “subsection (b)” and inserting “subsections (b) and (c)”; and
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “to do so.” and inserting the following: “to do so, if—
“(A) the foreign shipyard concerned is located in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization member country or a country in the Indo-Pacific Region that is party to a mutual defense treaty with the United States; and
“(B) the cost of the construction concerned is less than the cost would be if such construction occurred in a domestic shipyard.”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(3) Before the construction of a naval vessel, or a major component of the hull or superstructure of a naval vessel, may commence at a foreign shipyard pursuant to this subsection, the Secretary of the Navy shall submit to Congress a certification that the foreign shipyard is not owned or operated by a Chinese company or a multinational company domiciled in the People’s Republic of China.”. <all>
Comments