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§51102 Definitions

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle V— - Merchant Marine › Part Part B— - Merchant Marine Service › Chapter CHAPTER 511— - GENERAL › § 51102

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Names four key terms used in this part. Academy is the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, which is maintained under chapter 513. Cost of education provided means the government’s money spent to train or help students at the Academy and State maritime academies, including direct aid, room and board, classes, and other training. Merchant marine officer is someone the Coast Guard licenses who is either a master, mate, or pilot on a documented vessel of at least 1,000 gross tons (as measured under section 14502 or by the alternate method in section 14302 as set by the Secretary under section 14104) that operates on the oceans or the Great Lakes, or an engineer officer on a documented vessel with at least 4,000 horsepower. State maritime academy means a State-sponsored maritime school or a regional maritime school sponsored by several States, both assisted under chapter 515.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §51102

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In this part:
(1)The term “Academy” means the United States Merchant Marine Academy located at Kings Point, New York, and maintained under chapter 513 of this title.
(2)The term “cost of education provided” means the financial costs incurred by the United States Government for providing training or financial assistance to students at the Academy and the State maritime academies, including direct financial assistance, room, board, classroom academics, and other training activities.
(3)The term “merchant marine officer” means an individual issued a license by the Coast Guard authorizing service as—
(A)a master, mate, or pilot on a documented vessel that—
(i)is of at least 1,000 gross tons as measured under section 14502 of this title or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of this title; and
(ii)operates on the oceans or the Great Lakes; or
(B)an engineer officer on a documented vessel propelled by machinery of at least 4,000 horsepower.
(4)The term “State maritime academy” means—
(A)a State maritime academy or college sponsored by a State and assisted under chapter 515 of this title; and
(B)a regional maritime academy or college sponsored by a group of States and assisted under chapter 515 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 5110246 App.:1295a.June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title XIII, § 1302, as added Pub. L. 96–453, § 2, Oct. 15, 1980, 94 Stat. 1997; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(143), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 166; Pub. L. 104–324, title VII, § 708, Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3934; Pub. L. 108–136, title XXXV, § 3515(a), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1792. The definition of “Secretary” is omitted as unnecessary because the full title is used the first time the term appears in each section. In the definition of “merchant marine office”, the words “documented vessel” are substituted for “vessel . . . which is documented under the laws of the United States” because of the definition of “documented vessel” in 46 U.S.C. 2101, which is being moved to chapter 1 of the revised title. In the definition of “State maritime academy”, the words “or territory of the United States” and “or territories of the United States” are omitted as unnecessary because of the definition of “State” in chapter 1 of the revised title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 51102

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Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73