46 U.S.C. § 51504 — Use of training vessels

(a) Applications To Use Vessels. A Governor sponsoring a state maritime academy^*, or the Governor designated to run a regional academy^*, may apply in writing to the Secretary of Transportation for a training vessel^*. Any vessel given stays U.S. government property.

(b) General Authority. Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary may give a state^* academy a suitable vessel already under the Secretary's control or made available under subsection (e). If no suitable vessel exists, the Secretary may build one.

(c) Approval Requirements. The Secretary may only provide a vessel if: (1) the academy has applied under subsection (a); (2) the academy meets the conditions in section 51506(a); and (3) a safe port is available to moor the vessel while the academy uses it.

(d) Preparation and Maintenance. A provided vessel must be (1) repaired, reconditioned, and equipped -- with all gear, charts, books, and navigation instruments needed -- for training use, and (2) kept in good repair by the Secretary.

(e) Agency^* Vessels. Another federal agency may give the Secretary a vessel, including its equipment, for a state academy to use, if the vessel (1) is suitable for training and (2) can be spared without hurting the agency's own work.

(f) Fuel Costs. Subject to available funding, the Secretary must pay each state academy's fuel costs for training use of the vessel. These payments are capped: no more than $100,000 for fiscal year 2006, $200,000 for fiscal year 2007, and $300,000 for fiscal year 2008 and every year after.

(g) Vessel Sharing. Within 90 days after the 2019 defense authorization law was enacted, the Secretary, through the Maritime Administrator, had to consult the maritime academies and, as far as feasible with their consent, start a vessel-sharing program so academies share training vessels the Secretary provides as needed. This sharing program must include ways to make the most of underway training capacity, coordinate cruise schedules with academic calendars, coordinate onboard academic programs among academies, and find ways to cut costs. Subject to available funding, the Administrator may give academies extra money for vessel-sharing costs during times of limited vessel capacity. Within 30 days after each fiscal year begins, the Secretary, through the Administrator, must evaluate the sharing program to find the best use of vessels and adjust the program as needed.