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Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73

§1913 Compliance reports

Title 33 › Chapter CHAPTER 33— - PREVENTION OF POLLUTION FROM SHIPS › § 1913

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The head of the department that runs the Coast Guard must report to Congress about how the United States is following Annex V of the 1973 anti-pollution convention in U.S. waters. That report is due within 1 year after the law takes effect and then every three years. After talking with the Agriculture and Commerce secretaries, the Coast Guard’s department must also publish in the Federal Register a list of enforcement actions taken under the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships no later than 1 year after October 19, 1996, and every year after that. Within 3 years after the law takes effect, each federal agency that runs or hires ships named in the Act that might not meet its rules must tell Congress what technical or operational problems prevent compliance, give a faster feasible timetable to comply, list the ships for which full compliance is not technologically possible, and add any other relevant information. After getting those reports, Congress must adjust how Annex V applies to those ships as appropriate.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §1913

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Within 1 year after the effective date of this section, and triennially thereafter, the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Commerce, shall report to the Congress regarding compliance with Annex V to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, in United States waters and, not later than 1 year after October 19, 1996, and annually thereafter, shall publish in the Federal Register a list of the enforcement actions taken against any domestic or foreign ship (including any commercial or recreational ship) pursuant to the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.).
(b)Within 3 years after the effective date of this section, the head of each Federal agency that operates or contracts for the operation of any ship referred to in section 3(b)(1)(A) of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships [33 U.S.C. 1902(b)(1)(A)] that may not be able to comply with the requirements of that section shall report to the Congress describing—
(1)the technical and operational impediments to achieving that compliance;
(2)an alternative schedule for achieving that compliance as rapidly as is technologically feasible;
(3)the ships operated or contracted for operation by the agency for which full compliance with section 3(b)(2)(A) [33 U.S.C. 1902(b)(2)(A)] is not technologically feasible; and
(4)any other information which the agency head considers relevant and appropriate.
(c)Upon receipt of the compliance report under subsection (b), the Congress shall modify the applicability of Annex V to ships referred to in section 3(b)(1)(A) of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships [33 U.S.C. 1902(b)(1)(A)], as may be appropriate with respect to the requirements of Annex V to the Convention.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

For

Effective Date

of this section, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), see section 2002 of Pub. L. 100–220, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1987 Amendment note under section 1901 of this title. The Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 96–478, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2297, which is classified principally to this chapter (§ 1901 et seq.). For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1901 of this title and Tables. Codification Section was formerly set out as a note under section 1902 of this title. Section was enacted as part of the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987 and as part of the United States-Japan Fishery Agreement Approval Act of 1987, and not as part of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships which comprises this chapter.

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–324 struck out “for a period of 6 years” after “triennially thereafter” and inserted “and, not later than 1 year after October 19, 1996, and annually thereafter, shall publish in the Federal Register a list of the

Enforcement

actions taken against any domestic or foreign ship (including any commercial or recreational ship) pursuant to the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.)” before period at end. 1995—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–66 substituted “triennially” for “biennially”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 1913

Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73