46 U.S.C. § 53207 — National security requirements
submitted 7 years ago by Pub. L. 116-92 to r/title-46-SHIPPING · 602 words · no verdicts yet
This section requires Cable Fleet Contingency Agreements and governs resources, compensation, security measures, and liability.
(a) Every Operating Agreement* must require the Contractor* to make a Contingency Agreement* with the Operating Agency*, which must negotiate it as soon as practicable. (b) (1) The Contractor must make the vessel* and all resources needed for required cable services* available when the Agency* requests them. (2) The Agency sets basic terms, and it and the Contractor may add or modify terms suited to the Contractor. (c) (1) A vessel under Agency direction in a Coast Guard high-piracy-risk area must have at least suitable non-lethal measures protecting vessel and crew from seizure at sea. (2) Defense and the Coast Guard department Secretary* jointly prescribe them. (d) Except under section 53205(d), the Agency may not require participation after the Operating Agreement* expires or otherwise ends. (e) Resources include equipment, personnel, supplies, management services, and related services the Agency finds necessary. (f) (1) The Agency must pay fair and reasonable compensation for vessel use and cable services. (2) It is at the agreement’s stated rate, runs from required use until the vessel is made available to return to commercial service, and is separate from section 53206 payments. (g) (1) Except as law provides, the Government is not liable for business disruption or consequential damages from activation. (2) In a Federal or State* third-party-contract action, the defendant may affirmatively defend that the alleged breach was predominantly caused by action to carry out the Contingency Agreement, but must still mitigate damages as much as law requires.
The Secretary* shall include in each Operating Agreement* under this chapter a requirement that the Contractor* enter into a Contingency Agreement* with the Operating Agency*. The Operating Agency* shall negotiate and enter into a Contingency Agreement with each Contractor as promptly as practicable after the Contractor has entered into an Operating Agreement under this chapter.
A Contingency Agreement under this section shall require that a Contractor for a vessel* covered by an Operating Agreement under this chapter make the vessel, including all necessary resources to engage in Cable Services* required by the Operating Agency, available upon request by the Operating Agency.
The basic terms of a Contingency Agreement shall be established (subject to subparagraph (B)) by the Operating Agency.
The Operating Agency and a Contractor may agree to additional or modifying terms appropriate to the Contractor’s circumstances.
The Contingency Agreement shall require that any vessel operating under the direction of the Operating Agency operating in area that is designated by the Coast Guard as an area of high risk of piracy shall be equipped with, at a minimum, appropriate non-lethal defense measures to protect the vessel and crew from unauthorized seizure at sea.
The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall jointly prescribe the non-lethal defense measures that are required under this paragraph.
Except as provided by section 53205(d), the Operating Agency may not require, through a Contingency Agreement or an Operating Agreement, that a Contractor continue to participate in a Contingency Agreement after the Operating Agreement with the Contractor has expired according to its terms or is otherwise no longer in effect.
The resources to be made available in addition to the vessel under a Contingency Agreement shall include all equipment, personnel, supplies, management services, and other related services as the Operating Agency may determine to be necessary to provide the Cable Services required by the Operating Agency.
The Operating Agency shall include in each Contingency Agreement provisions under which the Operating Agency shall pay fair and reasonable compensation for use of the vessel and all Cable Services provided pursuant to this section and the Contingency Agreement.
Compensation under this subsection—
shall be at the rate specified in the Contingency Agreement;
shall be provided from the time that a vessel is required by the Operating Agency under the Contingency Agreement until the time it is made available by the Operating Agency available to reenter commercial service; and
shall be in addition to and shall not in any way reflect amounts payable under section 53206.
Except as otherwise provided by law, the Government shall not be liable for disruption of a Contractor’s commercial business or other consequential damages to a Contractor arising from the activation of the Contingency Agreement.
In any action in any Federal or State* court for breach of third-party contract, there shall be available as an affirmative defense that the alleged breach of contract was caused predominantly by action taken to carry out a Contingent Agreement. Such defense shall not release the party asserting it from any obligation under applicable law to mitigate damages to the greatest extent possible.
Source credit: (Added Pub. L. 116–92, div. C, title XXXV, § 3521(a), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1995.)
- 2019Enacted · Pub. L. 116-92 · 133 Stat. 1995
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 116-92 on 2019-12-20.
all 0 arguments · sorted by: best
no arguments yet — make the first case