§57532 — Title 46 Shipping | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation may operate up to 10 government-owned experimental vessels each year for testing in U.S. trade or for federal agencies. An experimental vessel is a government ship built, reconditioned, or remodeled for testing. These vessels can be used under bareboat charters or general agency agreements and may be exempt from other chartering laws while being tested. The Secretary sets the terms; bareboat charters must have reasonable rates and public-protection rules (including profit recapture under section 57517) and must be reviewed yearly. Seamen employed through a general agent get the rights in sections 1(a) and (c), 3(c), and 4 of the Act of March 24, 1943 (50 U.S.C. 4701(a), (c), 4703(c), and 4704).

Title 46, §57532

Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section, the term “experimental vessel” means a vessel owned by the United States Government (including a vessel in the National Defense Reserve Fleet) that has been constructed, reconditioned, or remodeled for experimental or testing purposes.

(b)The Secretary of Transportation, for the purpose of practical development, trial, and testing, may operate an experimental vessel under a bareboat charter or general agency agreement in the foreign or domestic trade of the United States or for use for the account of a department or agency of the Government, without regard to other provisions of this subtitle and other laws related to chartering and general agency operations. Not more than 10 vessels may be operated and tested under this section in any one year.

(c)Operation of a vessel under this section shall be on terms the Secretary considers appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subtitle. A bareboat charter under this section shall be at reasonable rates and include restrictions the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the public interest, including provisions for recapture of profits under section 57517 of this title. A charter or general agency agreement under this section shall be reviewed annually to determine whether conditions exist to justify continuance of the charter or agreement.

(d)A seaman engaged in vessel operations of the Secretary under this section and employed through a general agent in connection with a charter or agreement under this section is entitled to all the rights and remedies provided in section 1(a) and (c), 3(c), and 4 of the Act of March 24, 1943 (50 U.S.C. 4701(a), (c), 4703(c), and 4704).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 5753246 App.:1205.June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title VII, § 715, as added July 11, 1956, ch. 574, 70 Stat. 531; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(117), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 164. Subsection (d) is substituted for “Those provisions of law prescribed or incorporated under section 1241a of this Appendix, which relate to vessel operating activities of the Secretary of Transportation and to employment of seamen through general agents, shall be applicable in connection with charters and agreements entered into under this section” for clarity.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “(50 U.S.C. 4701(a), (c), 4703(c), and 4704)” for “(50 App. U.S.C. 1291(a), (c), 1293(c), 1294)”.

§57532 Operation of experimental vessels