Title 46ShippingRelease 119-73

§6307 Notifications to Congress

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - Vessels and Seamen › Part Part D— - Marine Casualties › Chapter CHAPTER 63— - INVESTIGATING MARINE CASUALTIES › § 6307

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must notify the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure before any hearing that investigates a major marine casualty involving a death under section 6301. If one of those committees or its chairman asks for information about a major marine casualty, the Secretary must provide it unless a law of the United States forbids sharing it. Each year the Secretary must send Congress a summary of marine casualties reported in the prior fiscal year and a short statement of what was done about them.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §6307

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(a)The Secretary shall notify the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives of any hearing, before the hearing occurs, investigating a major marine casualty involving a death under section 6301 of this title.
(b)The Secretary shall submit to a committee referred to in subsection (a) of this section information on a major marine casualty that is requested by that committee or the chairman of the committee if the submission of that information is not prohibited by a law of the United States.
(c)The Secretary shall submit annually to Congress a summary of the marine casualties reported during the prior fiscal year, together with a brief statement of action taken concerning those casualties.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 630746:239(j)33:366 Subsection (a) requires the Secretary to notify the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee in advance of any hearing concerning a major marine accident (as defined by regulation) where there has been a loss of life. Subsection (b) requires the Coast Guard to supply the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee with any requested marine casualty information, if its release is not specifically prohibited by law. Subsection (c) requires the Secretary to submit an annual report to Congress summarizing the marine casualties reported during the prior fiscal year, with a brief statement of action taken concerning those casualties.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–295 substituted “Transportation and Infrastructure” for “Merchant Marine and Fisheries”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 6307

Title 46Shipping

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73