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§55604 Research on marine highway transportation

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle V— - Merchant Marine › Part Part D— - Promotional Programs › Chapter CHAPTER 556— - MARINE HIGHWAYS › § 55604

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows the Secretary of Transportation, with EPA, to study marine highways in five topics: economic impacts; effects on rural areas and extra transport options; environmental and transportation benefits versus other modes; technology and vessel design to cut emissions, save fuel, lower costs, and ease transfers; and fixes for barriers to projects under section 55601.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §55604

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The Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, may conduct research on marine highway transportation, regarding—
(1)the economic effects of marine highway transportation on the United States economy;
(2)the effects of marine highway transportation, including with respect to the provision of additional transportation options, on rural areas;
(3)the environmental and transportation benefits to be derived from marine highway transportation alternatives for other forms of transportation;
(4)technology, vessel design, and other improvements that would reduce emissions, increase fuel economy, and lower costs of marine highway transportation and increase the efficiency of intermodal transfers; and
(5)solutions to impediments to marine highway transportation projects designated under section 55601.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Pars. (1) to (5). Pub. L. 117–263 added pars. (1) and (2) and redesignated former pars. (1) to (3) as (3) to (5), respectively. 2021—Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “marine highway” for “short sea” in section catchline and wherever appearing in text.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 55604

Title 46Shipping

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73