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§57107 Vessels for other agencies

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle V— - Merchant Marine › Part Part F— - Government-Owned Merchant Vessels › Chapter CHAPTER 571— - GENERAL AUTHORITY › § 57107

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation can build, rebuild, repair, equip, or outfit vessels or parts of vessels for other federal agencies when those agencies are allowed to have that work done for themselves. If the Secretary spends money for that work, the cost is paid from the other agency’s own budget or contract funding, not from the Secretary’s contract limits. The Maritime Administration can make repayable agreements to give legal help to other federal agencies about salvaging cargo from ships it controls. Repayments go back into the same fund or a current similar appropriation and are treated the same as the original money. Agencies may pay estimated costs in advance, and final payments are adjusted later by agreement based on actual costs.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §57107

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(a)The Secretary of Transportation may construct, reconstruct, repair, equip, and outfit, by contract or otherwise, vessels or parts thereof, for any other department or agency of the United States Government to the extent the other department or agency is authorized by law to do so for its own account.
(b)An obligation incurred or expenditure made by the Secretary under this section does not affect any contract authorization of the Secretary, but instead shall be charged against the existing appropriation or contract authorization of the department or agency.
(c)(1)The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, may enter into reimbursable agreements with other Federal entities to provide legal services to such entities relating to the salvaging of cargoes for which such entities have custody, or control, or for which for such entities have trustee responsibilities from vessels in the custody or control of the Maritime Administration or its predecessor agencies. The Secretary may receive and retain reimbursement from such entities for all costs incurred related to the provision of such services.
(2)Amounts received as reimbursements under this subsection shall be credited to the fund or account that was used to cover the costs incurred by the Secretary or, if the period of availability of obligations for that appropriation has expired, to the appropriation of funds that is currently available to the Secretary for substantially the same purpose. Amounts so credited shall be merged with amounts in such fund or account and shall be available for the same purposes, and subject to the same conditions and limitations, as amounts in such fund or account.
(3)Payments made in advance shall be for any part of the estimated cost as determined by the Secretary of Transportation. Adjustments to the amounts paid in advance shall be made as agreed to by the Secretary of Transportation and the head of the ordering agency or unit based on the actual cost of goods or services provided.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 5710746 App.:1125a.Feb. 6, 1941, ch. 5, § 4, 55 Stat. 6; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(74), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 160. In subsection (b), the words “heretofore or hereafter”, “diminish or otherwise”, and “and, to the amount of such obligation or expenditure, diminish” are omitted as unnecessary.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2019—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–92 added subsec. (c).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 57107

Title 46Shipping

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73