§53402 Establishment of the Tanker Security Fleet

Summary

Create and run a privately owned "Tanker Security Fleet" of U.S. product tank vessels to help meet defense and security needs and keep a U.S. presence in world shipping. To join the Fleet, a ship must be used in U.S. foreign trade, be self-powered, be no more than 10 years old when first added, be judged suitable by the Secretary of Defense for wartime or emergency use, be commercially viable per the Secretary of Transportation, and be either already a U.S. vessel or have an owner who intends and is eligible to register it under chapter 121. A ship must also meet one of four ownership/control rules (for example: owned and run by U.S. citizens; owned by a U.S. citizen or trust and leased to a company that meets U.S. control rules and gets required approvals; owned and operated by a U.S.-eligible company that works for the Defense Department and has a special security agreement; or owned by a U.S.-eligible person and leased to a U.S. citizen). In some of these cases, the Secretaries of Transportation and Defense must tell four Congressional committees that they agree the ship’s operator can meet its obligations. The Secretary of Defense may ask the Secretary of Homeland Security for any needed waivers under section 501. A ship not already registered under chapter 121 on the law’s enactment date can still get a U.S. inspection certificate if the Coast Guard finds it meets accepted classification rules, follows the international rules its prior country used, and that prior country enforces those rules. The Coast Guard may accept certification from the American Bureau of Shipping or another accepted society, but will accept a foreign society only if that foreign government gives reciprocal access to the American Bureau of Shipping and the society has offices and records in the United States.