46 U.S.C. § 57532 — Operation of experimental vessels
submitted 20 years ago by Pub. L. 109-304 to r/title-46-SHIPPING · 286 words · no verdicts yet
The Secretary of Transportation may test up to 10 government-owned experimental vessels a year. These charters skip the usual chartering rules but must be reasonable and reviewed every year. Seamen working on them keep certain legal rights and remedies from a 1943 wartime law.
(a) Definition. An "experimental vessel*" is a government-owned vessel — including one in the National Defense Reserve Fleet — that has been built, reconditioned, or remodeled for experimental or testing purposes.
(b) Authority To Operate. For practical development, trial, and testing, the Secretary of Transportation may operate an experimental vessel under a bareboat charter or general agency* agreement, in foreign or domestic trade, or for the account of another government department or agency — without following the usual chartering and general-agency rules found elsewhere in this subtitle or in other laws. No more than 10 vessels may be operated and tested this way in any single year.
(c) Terms of Operation. The Secretary sets whatever terms are appropriate to serve this subtitle's purposes. A bareboat charter under this section must charge reasonable rates and include restrictions the Secretary thinks are needed to protect the public interest, including a provision letting the Secretary recapture excess profits under section 57517 of this title. Each charter or general-agency agreement must be reviewed every year to decide whether it should continue.
(d) Rights of Seamen. A seaman who works on the Secretary's vessel operations under this section, employed through a general agent under a charter or agreement here, keeps all the rights and remedies given by sections 1(a) and (c), 3(c), and 4 of the Act of March 24, 1943 (50 U.S.C. 4701(a), (c), 4703(c), and 4704).
In this section, the term “experimental vessel*” means a vessel owned by the United States Government (including a vessel in the National Defense Reserve Fleet) that has been constructed, reconditioned, or remodeled for experimental or testing purposes.
The Secretary of Transportation, for the purpose of practical development, trial, and testing, may operate an experimental vessel under a bareboat charter or general agency* agreement in the foreign or domestic trade of the United States or for use for the account of a department or agency of the Government, without regard to other provisions of this subtitle and other laws related to chartering and general agency operations. Not more than 10 vessels may be operated and tested under this section in any one year.
Operation of a vessel under this section shall be on terms the Secretary considers appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subtitle. A bareboat charter under this section shall be at reasonable rates and include restrictions the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the public interest, including provisions for recapture of profits under section 57517 of this title. A charter or general agency agreement under this section shall be reviewed annually to determine whether conditions exist to justify continuance of the charter or agreement.
A seaman engaged in vessel operations of the Secretary under this section and employed through a general agent in connection with a charter or agreement under this section is entitled to all the rights and remedies provided in sections 1(a) and (c), 3(c), and 4 of the Act of March 24, 1943 (50 U.S.C. 4701(a), (c), 4703(c), and 4704).
Source credit: (Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1670; Pub. L. 115–232, div. C, title XXXV, § 3546(u), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2327.)
- 2006Enacted · Pub. L. 109-304 · 120 Stat. 1670
- 2018Amended · Pub. L. 115-232 · 132 Stat. 2327
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 109-304 on 2006-10-06.
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