10 U.S.C. § 8676b — Vessels stricken from Naval Vessel Register: transfer by gift or otherwise for use as artificial reefs

(a) Authority To Make Transfer — The Secretary of the Navy may transfer, by gift or otherwise, a struck vessel to a state, commonwealth, U.S. possession, or a municipal or political subdivision of one, for the use described in (b).

(b) Vessel To Be Used as Artificial Reef — The transfer agreement must require that: (1) the recipient uses, sites, builds, monitors, and manages the vessel only as an artificial reef under the National Fishing Enhancement Act of 1984 — though the recipient may also let the reef improve diving spots if that doesn't hurt fishery resources as defined in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; and (2) the recipient gets, and is fully responsible for, all needed federal, state, interstate, and local permits for using, siting, building, monitoring, and managing the reef.

(c) Preparation of Vessel for Use as Artificial Reef — The Secretary must ensure the vessel is prepared following the environmental best-management practices developed under the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, plus any other applicable environmental laws.

(d) Cost Sharing — The Secretary may share transfer-related costs, including preparation costs, with the recipient.

(e) No Limitation on Number of Vessels Transferable to Particular Recipient — A state, commonwealth, possession, or local government may receive more than one transferred vessel.

(f) Additional Terms and Conditions — The Secretary may add any other terms and conditions to a transfer that the Secretary thinks are appropriate.

(g) Construction — Nothing here favors using struck vessels as artificial reefs over other authorized uses, like scrapping them domestically or disposing of them another way under this chapter or other law.