§53205 Obligations and rights under operating agreements

Summary

Requires vessels in an Operating Agreement to be used for cable services or be chartered to the United States, and to stay documented under chapter 121 while the agreement is in effect. If money is available, the Secretary must pay the Contractor as explained in section 53206. The Operating Agreement is a U.S. government contract to pay those amounts, but only up to the funds actually appropriated. The Contractor must keep following section 53207 and any Contingency Agreement under that section until the Operating Agreement would end under its own terms, unless the Contractor and the Operating Agency both agree to change the contingency terms. The Contractor may not transfer an Operating Agreement. A Contractor can replace a vessel with another one eligible under section 53202(b) if the Secretary and the Operating Agency jointly approve and find it meets national security needs.