Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle V— - Merchant Marine › Part Part F— - Government-Owned Merchant Vessels › Chapter CHAPTER 575— - CONSTRUCTION, CHARTER, AND SALE OF VESSELS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - CHARTERS › § 57522
Contracts must require the contractor and any related companies (like agents, subsidiaries, or parent companies) to keep books, records, and accounts about how the vessels, routes, and services are run, maintained, and serviced, in the form the Secretary of Transportation sets. They must also file balance sheets, profit-and-loss statements, and any other financial reports or written explanations the Secretary asks for. The Secretary may examine and audit those records whenever needed. If anyone willfully refuses to follow these rules, the Secretary can cancel the contract and the United States will no longer owe anything under it.
Full Legal Text
Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 57522
Title 46 — Shipping
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73